The GP Lucien Van Impe 2026 takes place today, Thursday 20 August, with the women’s peloton racing almost 140 kilometres around Erpe-Mere before returning for the finish later in the afternoon.
The Belgian 1.Pro race is one of the main standalone women’s events taking place alongside the Tour of Britain Women this week, and it will be available to watch live through Proximus Pickx.
Coverage is scheduled from 13:30 to 16:00 CEST, which is 12:30 to 15:00 BST for viewers in the UK.
Watch GP Lucien Van Impe live on Pickx
For wider coverage across the women’s calendar, ProCyclingUK’s Women’s Cycling Race Hub brings together current race previews, reports, route guides and live viewing information.
What time does GP Lucien Van Impe 2026 start?
The GP Lucien Van Impe takes place on:
Thursday 20 August 2026
The race starts and finishes in Erpe-Mere in Belgium, with the peloton heading onto a broader loop before returning towards the local finishing circuits.
The scheduled race start is 13:30 CEST, equivalent to:
- 12:30 BST in the UK
- 13:30 CEST in Belgium and most of central Europe
- 07:30 EDT on the US east coast
- 04:30 PDT on the US west coast
Live Pickx coverage is also scheduled to begin at 13:30 CEST, meaning viewers should be able to follow the race from the start rather than joining only for the finale.
How to watch GP Lucien Van Impe 2026 live
The race will be streamed through Proximus Pickx, with coverage available through its dedicated cycling platform.
Watch GP Lucien Van Impe live on Pickx
Coverage runs from 13:30 until 16:00 CEST, or 12:30 to 15:00 BST in the UK.
That makes Pickx the main live viewing option for the race.
For anyone following the wider women’s season, the Women’s Cycling Race Hub also provides links into ProCyclingUK’s race previews, results and viewing coverage throughout 2026.
GP Lucien Van Impe 2026 viewing times
Date: Thursday 20 August 2026
Race: GP Lucien Van Impe
Start/finish: Erpe-Mere, Belgium
Distance: Around 140km
Race start: 13:30 CEST / 12:30 BST
Pickx coverage: 13:30-16:00 CEST / 12:30-15:00 BST
Live stream: Proximus Pickx
Race category: UCI 1.Pro women
The race sits one level below the Women’s WorldTour but still attracts a strong field and offers valuable UCI points at an important point in the season.
ProCyclingUK’s Women’s WorldTour Teams Guide 2026 provides wider context on the leading teams competing across the women’s calendar this year.
What route does the GP Lucien Van Impe use?
The 2026 edition covers approximately 140 kilometres around Erpe-Mere, with the route moving south through typically Flemish terrain before returning towards the local finishing circuits.
The broader loop takes the riders through rolling roads and repeated changes in rhythm rather than relying on one single decisive climb.
That makes this much more than a straightforward flat race.
The terrain should gradually reduce the number of riders capable of contesting the finish, particularly if the stronger teams begin racing aggressively through the middle section.
The final local circuits then create another tactical problem. Teams need enough riders left to control late attacks without using up their fastest finisher too early.
That balance between repeated smaller difficulties and a potentially fast finish is exactly the kind of route design that has become increasingly important in women’s racing, something explored more broadly in ProCyclingUK’s feature on how race routes are shaping women’s cycling in 2026.
Why the race could be difficult to control
GP Lucien Van Impe sits in an interesting space between a conventional Belgian sprint race and a harder Flemish one-day event.
There is enough climbing and enough exposed terrain to reward aggression, particularly if a strong group gets clear through the middle part of the race.
At the same time, the overall distance and local finishing circuits provide enough road for organised teams to bring the race back together.
That makes team strength important.
The larger squads have the depth to cover attacks and still preserve a rider for the finish, while smaller teams have more incentive to race aggressively rather than waiting for a sprint against stronger opposition.
That tactical uncertainty is one of the main reasons the race is worth watching even with several larger stage races taking place during the same week.
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Photo Credit: Patrick Boere
Could GP Lucien Van Impe finish in a sprint?
A reduced sprint remains one of the most plausible outcomes.
The route is selective enough to remove riders who struggle with repeated accelerations, but it does not contain the sort of single decisive climb that guarantees the field will break apart completely.
That favours riders who combine sprint speed with enough climbing ability to survive the harder middle section.
If the race stays together into the final circuits, the strongest teams should try to suppress late attacks and organise around their faster finishers.
If the pace becomes aggressive earlier, however, the race could be decided from a much smaller group.
That is the key tension through the second half of the race: whether enough teams still have an interest in chasing to bring everything back together.
When should UK viewers start watching?
For viewers in the UK, the important time is 12:30 BST.
That is when the Pickx coverage is scheduled to begin, corresponding with the 13:30 CEST race start in Belgium.
Because this is a relatively short one-day race rather than a long WorldTour stage, there is little reason to wait until the final hour if you want to understand how the race develops.
The middle section of the race is likely to be where the first meaningful selections begin, while the final return towards Erpe-Mere should determine whether the attackers can survive or the race comes back together.
For anyone only interested in the finale, the final hour should be the key viewing window.
The easiest option remains Proximus Pickx, with coverage scheduled from 13:30 to 16:00 CEST, or 12:30 to 15:00 BST.
