By kazimladimeji 
The men’s Superprestige season starts in Overijse on Sunday 25 October 2026. The official programme lists the elite men at 15:10 CET Belgian time (14:10 GMT UK). The organiser has published the elite men’s start list; a 2026 course map is still unavailable on the event page.
Overijse men’s race: date and start time
- Date: Sunday 25 October 2026
- Venue: Overijse, Belgium
- Men’s elite start: 15:10 CET / 14:10 GMT, according to the official event programme
This is the first of eight rounds in the 2026–27 Telenet Superprestige. The event page names Michael Vanthourenhout as last year’s men’s winner, but that does not mean he is entered for this edition.
Riders to watch: listed entrants and early form
Prediction, conditional on starting: Michael Vanthourenhout won the elite men’s race at HG Cross Dendermonde on 11 October. Gerben Kuypers then won the men’s elite race at Ardooie on 15 October, as reported by Wielerflits. Those results make both worth watching, and both are now listed on the organiser’s elite men’s start list.
Entry update, checked 23 October: the official elite men’s start list includes Michael Vanthourenhout, Niels Vandeputte, Gerben Kuypers, Laurens Sweeck, Felipe Orts and Cameron Mason. Thomas Mein is also listed for Great Britain. These are announced entries, subject to withdrawals; Thibau Nys is absent from the current list.
Course details and tactical outlook
Overijse is a celebrated cross venue—the organiser calls it the “Mother of all cyclo-cross races”—but the 2026 page does not yet supply a course map, lap distance or details of the decisive sections. I won’t infer the exact surface or obstacles from previous editions. Those details, plus the weather, will matter to any meaningful course assessment.
Tactical analysis: Vanthourenhout and Kuypers are listed entrants with recent wins. Vanthourenhout may look to make the race selective; Kuypers could try to stay close and keep pressure on. Their listed team affiliation also makes cooperation a plausible option. These are predictions: the unpublished course details and race-day conditions limit any assessment of where an attack might work.
Where to watch in the UK
The organiser lists TNT Sports 3 & 8 as the UK broadcasters for Overijse on Sunday 25 October 2026. See the official event page. Exact broadcast times, the channel allocation for each elite race, streaming access and highlights plans are not specified there. Check your TNT Sports package and programme guide before race day; the race start time above is not a confirmed broadcast start time.
What could decide the opener?
Overijse is on 25 October, with the men starting at 14:10 GMT UK time. Vanthourenhout and Kuypers bring recent wins and are listed alongside Vandeputte, Sweeck, Orts and Mason. The course details, weather and any late withdrawals could change the outlook.
A small winter-bike note
Watching a wet cross is a reminder that muddy rides need a bit of aftercare. Once the drivetrain is clean and dry, a suitable wet-weather chain lubricant such as Muc-Off Wet Lube is one option; use it sparingly and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
See the full 2026–27 cyclo-cross calendar for the other World Cup, Superprestige, X²O Trophy and Ostend championship dates.
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Featured image: Pexels stock photograph of a mountain-bike rider on a muddy trail, used illustratively only; it is not Overijse or a race entrant. Photo by Thomas K on Pexels (Pexels licence).