Roeselare, 4 September 2026 — Under grey Flemish skies, the 66th A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen began not with a roar, but with a parade. Before the first stage, the field posed for a photoshoot in the centre of Roeselare, then rolled through the town in a rally parade aimed squarely at the youngest fans. Hundreds of children lined the route, waving as the Rally2 and historic machinery trundled past, setting a warm, festival-like tone for the weekend.
That atmosphere carried through to the first proper spectacle of the rally: the Zoning spectator point, where a huge crowd gathered around the roundabout that forms the heart of one of the event’s signature stages. For a championship that has often had to fight for visibility, it was a reminder that in West Flanders, rallying still draws people out in force.
A changed title picture
By the time the first car reached the start ramp, the Belgian Divisie 2 title was already decided. The earlier cancellation of the Boucles Chevrotines meant Thibaud Mazuin’s 28-point lead was insurmountable with only 25 available, so several top teams chose not to start in Roeselare. That absence reshaped the competitive landscape, opening the door for crews still hunting their first Belgian Rally Championship win.
But anyone hoping to capitalise would first have to deal with Vincent Verschueren.
After a strong showing in Ypres, the Harelbeke-based Škoda Fabia driver arrived as the clear favourite on home tarmac. And after the opening three stages, he looked every bit the man to beat.
Syx strikes early, then pays the price
The first competitive action came on KP Ardooie, a new stage for 2026 that immediately won over the drivers. Bjorn Syx, in the Autostal Atlantic Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, was quickest out of the blocks, setting the early pace and signalling his intent to attack from the off.
Verschueren, however, was never far behind. His Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 matched the Toyota’s times through the fast, flowing sections, and the gap between the two fluctuated by fractions of a second rather than whole tenths. By the end of the opening leg, the narrative was exactly what the organisers would have hoped for: a local favourite against a seasoned challenger, separated by a handful of seconds.
Then came the night stages.
Syx had said before the event that he intended to go flat out in the dark, using the final two tests to gain time. For a while, it worked: he posted the fastest time on the last stage, a scratch that underlined his speed. But a puncture earlier in the evening cost him around fifteen seconds, a deficit he could not claw back.
When the cars returned to the service park, Syx and co-driver Ari Vanrobaeys found themselves 13.5 seconds behind Verschueren and Mathieu Vynckier. Fastest on the final stage, yes – but no longer in the lead.
Vanneste in third, Ide and Dolfen close behind
Third after the opening night went to Davy Vanneste. The Menenaar, back at the Omloop for the first time in twelve years in his Citroën C3 Rally2, sat 29 seconds off the lead. He had been in the mix early, but lost ground on the final two night stages, where visibility and tyre management became critical.
Fourth was Enzo Ide, 56 seconds behind Verschueren. The former Ford Puma Rally1 driver is competing this year in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, a car he acknowledges is significantly less powerful than last year’s machine. Still, given his limited rally programme in 2026, he described the pace as “certainly not bad” and remained in touching distance of the podium places.
Just five seconds further back came Steven Dolfen in fifth. The Škoda Fabia driver, who started the rally with number 1 thanks to his strong season, was using the Omloop primarily to rebuild confidence after his crash in Ypres. His newly rebuilt car had survived the opening tests without drama, and the times suggested he would only get quicker as the weekend progressed.
Class battles: Masters, Youngtimers, Historics and M-Cup
Behind the headline names, the class fights were already taking shape.
Richard Pex, sixth overall and 1:21 off the lead, headed the Masters classification in his Škoda Fabia. The Dutchman looked well on course to secure the Masters title, combining steady speed with clean running.
Paul Lietaer, seventh overall, led the Youngtimers in his Subaru Impreza S5 WRC ’98, keeping the old-world WRC noise alive on Flemish tarmac.
Local drivers featured strongly in the top ten. Bart Sobry and Bert Coene, both in Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars, sat eighth and tenth respectively, while Benoit Verlinde occupied ninth in his Renault Clio Rally3, making him the fastest Rally3 driver after the first leg
In the historics, Tom Boonen – ten years on from his Belgian road cycling title – began his latest sporting project in earnest. The former world champion is chasing a first Belgian rally title and needs three strong results to make it happen. After the opening night, he led the historic classification, while championship leader Koen Verhaeghe saw his rally end prematurely. Verhaeghe’s Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI suffered a broken driveshaft on KP4, forcing an early retirement.
Among the juniors, Emilien Allart held the overnight lead in his Opel Corsa Racing, fending off an early charge from Benoit Wauthier in the Peugeot 208 Racing. In the M-Cup, Andy Lefevere topped the times in his BMW 1M Coupé, but with Lander Depotter, Wouter Lievens and Tobi Vandenberghe all within five seconds, the class looked poised for a tight fight on day two.
Everything still to play for
After the opening night, the Omloop was delicately poised. Thirteen and a half seconds separated first and second in the overall classification, 29 seconds covered the top three, and the class battles were equally tight.
Ahead lay 160 competitive kilometres across twelve more stages on Saturday. With margins this fine and so many categories still wide open, the 66th A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen was only just beginning to reveal its story.
Shot by Sam Tickell. www.racerviews.com
