[5] Since 2012, a women's edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen is held on the same day as the men's race, starting and finishing on the same location, of approximately 130 kilometres distance.Held in late March, the event traditionally marked the start of the Flemish Cycling Week, which also includes E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem,[7] the Three Days of De Panne,[8] and the Tour of Flanders.[4] Dwars door Vlaanderen was contested mid-week, four days after Italy's monument race Milan–San Remo and a week and a half before the Tour of Flanders.The 2016 edition nearly had to be cancelled as it was scheduled one day after the 2016 Brussels bombings, causing security alert to be raised to the highest level in all of Belgium.Due to its hilly course in the Flemish Ardennes, the race is similar in nature to the Tour of Flanders, and is often used in preparation for the bigger event four days later.
Since 2018 the
Côte de Trieu
in
Mont-de-l'Enclus
features three times in Dwars door Vlaanderen. The third ascent comes as one of the last climbs in the race, at 33 km from the finish, acting as a decisive launchpad.