Dwars door Vlaanderen, Across Flanders, is the midweek race that links the opening weekend to the Tour of Flanders. First run in 1945, it crosses the short, steep Flemish bergs and cobbled sectors that define the region, on a course made for aggressive racing. It serves as a final tune-up before the Ronde, and a win here puts a rider squarely among the cobbled favourites. The race rarely produces a repeat champion, a sign of how open and unpredictable it can be. In 2026 Filippo Ganna won from the front, a powerful ride across the heart of Flanders. It is the last hard test before the biggest Sunday of the cobbled season.