Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie 2026: Wellens leads the favourites, De Lie the luxury unknown

Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie 2026: the race at a glance On Wednesday 16 September 2026 the ProSeries calendar stops in Belgium for the Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie. A race that, as tradition dictates, unfolds on the rolling roads of Wallonia — ideal terrain for puncheurs and finisseurs able to read nervous finales. The expected protagonists Among the verified entrants, some big names stand out. The main reference is Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), a rider at home on these roads. Joining him at the start are Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Intermarché), racing at home in front of Belgian fans, and Tim Van Dijke (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe), another WorldTour-level profile. Keep an eye too on Jochem Kerckhaert (BEAT CC p/b Saxo), particularly comfortable on Belgian walls, and Maxime Jarnet (Van Rysel Roubaix), a man for reduced sprints. Completing the picture are Gianni Marchand and Lennert Teugels (Tarteletto - Isorex), Lucas Jacques (Color Code - Alu Center), Jonas Geens (Alpecin - Premier Tech) and Robbe Ghys (Decathlon CMA CGM Team). The protagonists' season The richest record among entrants with data belongs to Tim Wellens: in 2026 he took 9th in a stage of the Tour de France, 5th in a stage of the Tour de Suisse, and shone at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men with a 2nd and a 3rd on stages plus an 8th in another stage. Stage placings only, but markers of top-level form. Jochem Kerckhaert has shown great consistency on similar terrain: 4th at the Lotto Circuit de Wallonie, 7th at the Polynormande, 4th at the Ringerike GP and 10th at the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen. Maxime Jarnet won the Grand Prix de la ville de Pérenchies and was 4th at the Tintrio - Omloop van het Waasland. Among the Tarteletto - Isorex men, Gianni Marchand took 3rd at the Tour of Mersin and 6th in a stage of the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling race, while Lennert Teugels scored 9th in a stage of the Ethias-Tour de Wallonie and 15th at the De Brabantse Pijl - La Flèche Brabançonne. Lucas Jacques placed 9th at the Tour of Mersin and Jonas Geens 17th in a stage of Paris-Nice. Arnaud De Lie, Tim Van Dijke and Robbe Ghys have no recorded results history on the platform: their assessment ahead of the race therefore remains tied to team and race context — source: pre-race analysis Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie. The favourites for victory Tim Wellens is the number one candidate: he is the only entrant with data boasting high-level WorldTour references, and on a Walloon route suited to puncheurs UAE Team Emirates - XRG can control the race. Arnaud De Lie races at home with Lotto Intermarché: his profile suggests a fast finish over short climbs, but the lack of verified history calls for caution. Jochem Kerckhaert is the third force for consistency on rolling Belgian and French courses. Possible surprises: Lennert Teugels and Gianni Marchand, both of Tarteletto - Isorex, could anticipate with long-range attacks, while Maxime Jarnet can mix it in reduced sprints. Tim Van Dijke, though without a record, has the team level to be credible on explosive finales. Podium prediction Tim Wellens — best documented record among the entrants Arnaud De Lie — presumed quality on an explosive finale, but data missing Jochem Kerckhaert — consistency on similar courses Caveat: the absence of history for De Lie, Van Dijke and Ghys and the fragmentary nature of the available data make this a low-confidence prediction.