The 70th Ronde van Vlaanderen was held on the 6th April 1986.
After the Koppenberg, a 10-man breakaway group formed. With 30 km to go, Eddy Planckaert and Steve Bauer rode away from this group. On the Muur Kappelmuur (Muur van Geraardsbergen) Planckaert dropped, menawhile Sean Kelly, Jean-Philippe Vandenbranden and Adrie van der Poel joined Bauer at the front of the race.
In the finale, Adrie van der Poel beat Sean Kelly and won the race.