Circuit Franco–Belge
The 85th Circuit Franco-Belge runs 196.5 km from the historic Grand-Place of Tournai to an uphill finish at Mont-de-l'Enclus, with roughly 2,350 m of climbing across the rolling Franco-Belgian border country of Hainaut and Flanders. After an opening loop of about 77.6 km that takes in the Mont-Saint-Aubert, the race settles onto a finishing circuit covered five times that strings together three short, sharp côtes before the line is drawn near the top of the Mont-de-l'Enclus (Kluisberg).
Where to watch
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Circuit Franco-Belge
Where the race is made
Who to watch
Narratives to watch
- An uphill finish at Mont-de-l'Enclus tilts the race away from pure bunch sprinters and toward fast puncheurs and sprinters who climb well, exactly the profile of recent winners.
- The five-lap finishing circuit with three short climbs invites late attacks; teams must decide whether to chase moves on the Trieu-Knokteberg or trust a reduced uphill sprint.
- Crosswinds across the exposed Hainaut and Flanders farmland can splinter the bunch and reshape the finale before the climbs even begin.
- As a ProSeries one-dayer in a busy spring window, it draws ambitious ProTeams hunting WorldTour-quality scalps alongside the established classics names.
Form book & lore
First run in 1924, the Circuit Franco-Belge is one of Belgium's oldest one-day races, staged for decades as a multi-stage event and known as the Tour de l'Eurométropole from 2012 to 2021 before reverting to its historic name. Since becoming a one-day race it has built a roll of honour rich in WorldTour quality: Fabio Jakobsen (2021), Alexander Kristoff (2022), Arnaud De Lie (2023), Biniam Girmay (2024) and Jonas Abrahamsen (2025), reflecting how the Mont-de-l'Enclus finish rewards versatile fast men.
When to tune in
Watch the five passages of the finishing circuit, especially the steep Trieu-Knokteberg, where any decisive attack is most likely to launch. With the line drawn on the Mont-de-l'Enclus climb itself, save your attention for the final kilometre: this is an uphill sprint or a small-group dash, not a flat lead-out. Keep an eye on the wind across the open border roads, which can blow the race apart before the climbs.
What we know & don't know
- Broadcast FloBikes 2026 event-page deep link not yet published for this race. The root flobikes.com link is provided as a placeholder; check the FloBikes calendar closer to race day for the specific event URL.
- Course / Race Details Race details (favorites, climbs, narratives) will be enriched as we approach race day and startlists / route specifics are confirmed.