The race is defined by repetition rather than a single defining climb. Riders face somewhere between thirty and forty short ascents, most under a kilometre, many steep enough to hurt but none long enough to create decisive selection on their own. The Cauberg, climbed multiple times in the closing circuits around Valkenburg, is the most famous, but it is rarely where the race is won outright. Instead, the cumulative fatigue and the narrow, twisting roads create a war of attrition in the final thirty kilometres.
Positioning becomes critical as the field splinters into small groups. The winner is usually someone who can survive the repeated accelerations, stay near the front through technical descents and tight corners, and still respond when the decisive move goes. Pure climbers often struggle with the stop-start rhythm, while classics specialists who can handle short power efforts tend to thrive. Weather, particularly wind or rain, can turn the race into a positioning lottery even earlier than usual.