Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Can Wout Van Aert take big win before Flanders?
CyclingMonday, 30 March 2026 at 12:57
Dwars door Vlaanderen is the fourth out of five World Tour classics in Flanders which make up for the final block of cobbled classics in the region. It takes place on the 1st of April this year and is the final big race before the Tour of Flanders. We preview the race, which is estimated to start and finish at 11:00 and 15:05CET.
Created back in 1945, Dwars door Vlaanderen was first won by Belgian legend Rik van Steenbergen, immediately cementing the event as a top race in the spring classics scene. The likes of Johan Museuuw leads a wide array of Belgian riders who have won the race through the years.
Tom Boonen, won it once back in 2008 but surprisingly his rival Fabian Cancellara never did so. The race was not always part of the World Tour, but since 2019 it has been won by no less than some of the absolute best in this terrain. Mathieu van der Poel, Dylan van Baarle, Christophe Laporte and Matteo Jorgenson made for an exclusively Visma-Alpecin domination from 2019 to 2024; however in 2025 Visma had three men out front and infamously led the victory slip away to the hands of Neilson Powless.
Profile: Roeselare - Waregem
Roeselare › Waregem, 184.6 kilometers
The start in Roeselare leads into an opening 50 kilometers which virtually flat, with no major difficulties. This initial stretch favours the formation of the day’s break and allows the favourites’ teams to keep things in check without excessive cost.
From km 47.5 the first climb, Hellestraat (1.3 km at 3.7%), signals the beginning of a phase of gradual wear. It is not selective on its own, but it changes the rhythm. Shortly after come Volkegemberg (1.1 km at 4.0%) and Berg Ten Houte (1 km at 5.8%), raising the bar and forcing riders to fight for position.
The key section sits between Km 90 and 115. Several tougher climbs are packed into this segment:
- Knokteberg - Trieu (1.1 km at 7.7%), one of the hardest of the day.
- Hotond (1.2 km), which adds duration to the effort.
- Ladeuze (1.4 km at 6.9%), which prolongs accumulated fatigue.
- Berg Ten Houte (1 km at 5.9%), a second passage.
This block is crucial because it combines difficulty and tight sequencing, which can force the first serious splits if the pace is high or the wind picks up. Even so, there is still a long way to the finish, which tempers all-out moves.
After a brief relative lull, the second decisive point arrives between km 130 and 145:
- Another pass over Knokteberg - Trieu.
- Hotond (1.2 km at 3.3%).
- Eikenberg (1.2 km at 5.0%).
This sequence, closer to the finish, is the prime spot for major tactical moves. The repetition of climbs already tackled deepens muscle fatigue and sharpens the selection in the front group.
The final 40 kilometers are gentler, though not entirely flat. Nokereberg (0.4 km at 2.8%) and the final rise to Nokere (0.7 km at 4.0%) within the last 10 km stand out. These climbs are not decisive by gradient, but they can spring late attacks or trim the bunch before the finale.
The run-in to Waregem is favourable and relatively flat, which opens several scenarios:
- A small group finish if the race fractures on the second block of climbs.
- Partial regrouping and a sprint from a reduced selection.
- A late attack after Nokere, exploiting accumulated fatigue.
Overall, the profile does not feature extremely long climbs or very steep gradients, but it does pack a high density of short, repeated efforts. That dynamic rewards resistance to intermittent efforts and the ability to hold power after multiple accelerations.
The Favourites
Visma - The team had it all last year with a perfectly timed and executed attack, but threw it all away as they looked to give Wout Van Aert the victory. That won't be forgotten, the same tactic cannot possibly be repeated, but it's also unlikely that this can happen again.
Visma have Van Aert in top form and without Mathieu van der Poel or Tadej Pogacar, he does stand a chance of winning. He will have to attack for this, but Visma can actually do this and have Christophe Laporte, Per Strand Hagenes and who knows, maybe Matthew Brennan as well covering attacks or making their own throughout the day. They have the cards and are perhaps the strongest team. But despite having good riders, they cannot try and make a sprint happen.
Tobias Lund Andresen - Decathlon should unapologetically put all their efforts into controlling the race and forming alliances to bring things back to a sprint. Tobias Lund Andresen has been on storming form this year and looks to be in top condition everywhere he goes. A sprinter, but also a very capable classics rider, and his second place at Middelkerke - Wevelgem confirms he is still in great form. He can go with attacks but in any group scenario, he is a threat. Out of the sprinters, he is the best equipped to win from an attack over the climbs.
In a race without the difficult climbs we certainly must expect Florian Vermeersch, Alec Segaert and Jonas Abrahamsen to battle with the very best, if they are not the very best themselves of course. Here, Filippo Ganna should have freedom to do his thing and is clearly on good form.
Tim van Dijke and Laurence Pithie for BORA can definitely aim for a win as well, they are talented enoug for it; There are the experienced names such as Dylan van Baarle, Matej Mohoric and Michael Valgren; and others such as Romain Grégoire, Aimé de Gendt and Brent van Moer who stand a chance of performing here.
If it comes down to a sprint, which is well possible, there's plenty fish in the sea. Visma and Andresen definitely are options but there's plenty more. In Wevelgem we've seen how a coordinated chase can bring back even the strongest, and this race is less difficult. It is a matter of there being the right group and the right alliances. Alpecin definitely have reasons to put all their chips into a sprint as Jasper Philipsen is leading the way, and in great form. But he can find support from Lidl-Trek who have Jonathan Milan but also mainly Mads Pedersen who isn't a defensive rider but also doesn't have his best form.
Arnaud de Lie for Lotto, Paul Magnier for Quick-Step, Biniam Girmay for NSN - these are teams that are likely to dedicate themselves fully to these men as they are their best chance of taking a top result. Within reason, if attacks fail, other teams such as Uno-X (Soren Waerenskjold) and INEOS (Ben Turner or Sam Watson) could also change and deploy their classics specialists in service of their sprinters. Luca Mozzato, Fred Wright, Max Kanter, Anthony Turgis, Lukas Kubis and Ivan García Cortina are other riders to take into consideration for this scenario.
Prediction Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026:
*** Wout Van Aert, Tobias Lund Andresen, Jasper Philipsen
** Christophe Laporte, Mads Pedersen, Florian Vermeersch, Jonas Abrahamsen
* Per Strand Hagenes, António Morgado, Tim van Dijke, Alec Segaert, Filippo Ganna, Dylan van Baarle, Romain Grégoire, Biniam Girmay, Jonathan Milan, Paul Magnier, Arnaud de Lie
** Christophe Laporte, Mads Pedersen, Florian Vermeersch, Jonas Abrahamsen
* Per Strand Hagenes, António Morgado, Tim van Dijke, Alec Segaert, Filippo Ganna, Dylan van Baarle, Romain Grégoire, Biniam Girmay, Jonathan Milan, Paul Magnier, Arnaud de Lie
Pick: Tobias Lund Andresen
How: Small group sprint.
Original: Rúben Silva
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Different times indeed. In 1975 the traditional cycling nations of Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, and Italy represented 45 out of the top 50 riders. In 2025 those same nations contributed just 21 of the top 50. In 1975 only 9 nations had any riders in the top 50, in 3025 there were 22 nations with riders in the top 50mobk30-03-2026
- The Volta would have been way more interesting if the Vallter 2000 summit finish was there. There is only one team at fault - Bahrain-Victorious. They did not send Attila Valter, who'd have been a top notch mountain domestique for Lenny Martinez No Valter = No Vallter
Rafionain-Glas30-03-2026 - I'm not saying that Jonas's defensive riding was a bad thing, but: Stage 1- controlled on the descent and didn't contest the sprint "I'm not going to risk life and limb to go for the win" Stage 3- refused to work with Evenepoel and passed on the opportunity of the stage win Stage 5- attacked and dropped everyone (nothing to say there) Stage 6- attacked on the final climb but not before (the race would've been more selective if he had) Stage 7- rode defensively, marking attacks and not doing much himself. Nothing wrong with that, but Evenepoel and Red Bull could have got more success if Vingegaard was more aggressive. And Vingegaard wouldn't have lost anything that he achieved with his defensive riding. A harder race could've seen Florian Lipowitz drop Lenny Martinez to finish 2nd and Remco Evenepoel take two stage wins (3 and 7) while Vingegaard wouldn't lose anything.Rafionain-Glas30-03-2026
- Yes it is called tactics Remco that is why he is a 2 time TDF winner and leaves you for dead on the climbs . Or am I missing something. Suprised he thinks Vin was riding defensive when he smashed the field and won a few stagespaultryan200230-03-2026
- Paolo Bettini, disgruntled old pro, reflects... 😁
leedorney30-03-2026 - Where the race was really decided???? Remco, stop your BS and phlisophical analysis... your arguments are garbage and never ending excuses. The race was decided in the mountains, where you stink, where you were never good at...and NEVER will be. Capish? Stick to ITT and one day races... but make sure Pogi and MVDP aren't there. That's going to be your cycling legacy: Remco Evenepoel won manny many races in his career, second and third class races. Ad acta.Mou-Cro-HR30-03-2026
- Interesting, seems like Pozzovizo misses racing too much. The Tour of the Alps is his favourite race and he'll try for a breakaway stage win. The GC favourite is Giulio Pellizzari (Pozzovizo's successor) who is 11 years his junior. It'll be interesting what happens if we have Pellizzari's GC attack vs Pozzovizo's attempt at the breakawayRafionain-Glas30-03-2026
- There are only 7 non-European riders in the top 50 of the PCS ranking Isaac Del Toro Jay Vine Brandon McNulty Matteo Jorgenson Michael Storer Biniam Girmay Corbin Strong 5 are of European originRafionain-Glas30-03-2026
- I feel like Lipo just has to sit back and let Remco make the case for why he (Lipo) should lead their TDF squad via fumbling mountain stages and crashing into.. any solid surface like Wile E Coyote.antipodeanpedalfan30-03-2026
- maybe remco shouldn't worry about jonas or pogi, better worry about lipo ...Ketterechts30-03-2026
Loading
Write a comment