2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen Race Preview
The details of this year's 2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The spring classics season reaches fever pitch as the peloton rolls out for one of cycling's most beloved mid-week appointments. Dwars door Vlaanderen, the race that cuts straight through the Flemish heartland just two days before the Tour of Flanders itself, has grown in stature significantly in recent years and now attracts a startline that would have been unthinkable for a Wednesday race not so long ago.
The route takes riders on a demanding tour of the Flemish Ardennes, threading through narrow roads lined with enthusiastic local fans who bring a carnival atmosphere to every village the race passes through. The climbs may not carry the mythical weight of the Paterberg or the Koppenberg, but the parcours is relentless in the way it accumulates difficulty, with bergs and cobbled stretches arriving in quick succession during the final hour of racing to grind down even the strongest legs.
Mathieu van der Poel arrives in exceptional form and will be the man everyone watches from the moment the flag drops. The world champion has been building perfectly through the spring and will view this race as both a genuine objective and a final dress rehearsal before Sunday's main event at the Ronde van Vlaanderen. His ability to accelerate repeatedly over short, steep climbs makes him uniquely dangerous on this terrain.
Wout van Aert will be hungry to stamp his authority on the week and remind rivals that he remains one of the most complete classics riders in the peloton. The Belgian champion carries enormous home support and will relish racing in front of his own crowds on roads he has studied for years.
Tadej Pogacar has made clear his ambitions for the Flemish cobblestones this spring and represents perhaps the most intriguing wildcard in the field. His raw power and climbing ability translate remarkably well to this terrain, and his Sky Rider teammates will be expected to control the race in the critical moments.
Jasper Philipsen offers a different tactical dimension, with Alpecin-Deceuninck likely to attempt to keep things together for a sprint finish if the opportunity presents itself, while riders like Mads Pedersen and Christophe Laporte will be alert to any situation where they can forge clear of the main contenders in the closing kilometres.
The weather forecast adds another layer of complexity, with the possibility of rain making the cobbled sections treacherous and potentially accelerating the selective process on the climbs. In Flanders, wet roads have a way of rewriting race tactics entirely.
Expect the race to come alive in earnest on the Taaienberg and Kruisberg combination before a frantic finale that could produce a small group sprint or a lone attacker arriving at the finish with arms raised. Whatever unfolds, Dwars door Vlaanderen rarely disappoints.
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