A Belgian one-day race through the Hageland hills
Dwars door het Hageland
A sharp, punchy Belgian one-day race where positioning, timing, and the ability to handle repeated accelerations matter more than raw power.
- Location
- 🇧🇪 Belgium
- When
- Second Saturday in June
- Course
- One Day
- Most recent winner
- 🇫🇷 Paul Magnier (2025)
- Also known as
- Duracell Dwars door het Hageland
- Category
- Men’s Continental
About Dwars door het Hageland
Dwars door het Hageland, run in recent years as the Duracell Dwars door het Hageland, is a men's one-day bike race in Belgium's Hageland region, a rolling landscape east of Leuven known for short climbs, narrow roads, and agricultural patchwork that rewards tactical sharpness over sustained climbing. In 2026 it was not held on its own: the organizer made it part of the Belgium Tour.
Also known as: Duracell Dwars door het Hageland
This is the kind of race where the finale can ignite quickly after a controlled buildup, rewarding riders who can read positioning battles and respond to repeated accelerations. The Hageland terrain, neither flat nor mountainous, creates a tactical middle ground where classics specialists, puncheurs, and opportunistic breakaway riders all have a chance if they time it right.
Dwars door het Hageland winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 🇫🇷Paul Magnier |
| 2024 | 🇧🇪Gianni Vermeersch |
| 2023 | 🇳🇴Rasmus Tiller |
| 2022 | 🇳🇱Oscar Riesebeek |
| 2021 | 🇳🇴Rasmus Tiller |
2026 edition canceled
Dwars door het Hageland did not take place as a race of its own in 2026. The organizer announced in March that it would become part of the Belgium Tour.
Dwars door het Hageland route
The Hageland region delivers a succession of short, sharp climbs and narrow roads that fragment the peloton without offering a single decisive summit. Expect repeated accelerations rather than one defining climb, with positioning into the final hour often mattering as much as raw power. The race typically rewards riders who can handle the rhythm of Belgian one-day racing: quick changes in pace, tight corners, and the ability to stay near the front when the road tilts up. Weather, wind, and road surface can all shift the tactical balance, but the underlying pattern remains consistent: this is a race won by reading the moves and having the legs to follow when it matters.
What shapes the race
Flemish Brabant terrain
The race crosses the rolling hills of Flemish Brabant, with short, punchy climbs and narrow farm roads that reward positioning and explosive power.
Gravel and pave sections
Some editions include short unpaved or pave sections that add an element of bike handling and equipment risk to the rolling terrain.
Spring classics preparation
Held in March, the race serves as a tune-up for the Flemish classics, attracting riders testing early-season form on terrain similar to the Ronde.
Signature landmarks
- Rolling terrain
Hageland hills
The gentle hills of the Hageland region east of Leuven provide short, punchy climbs that splinter the field and reward explosive power.
- Terrain feature
Farm lanes
Narrow farm roads through the Flemish Brabant countryside create positioning battles and limit opportunities to chase back after losing contact.
History
Iconic victories
Rasmus Tiller
Two victories (2021, 2023) made Tiller the race most successful rider. His ability to win from breakaways and reduced groups on Flemish terrain defined how the race could be won.
Gianni Vermeersch
Won in 2024, bringing cyclocross bike-handling skills to a race that rewards technical riding on mixed terrain.
Eras and records
A Flemish spring race on the rolling hills of Brabant, where mixed terrain and punchy climbs create a miniature classics test.
First edition
First held in 2001, the race has grown from a regional Flemish event into a recognized continental race attracting international fields.
Most wins
Rasmus Tiller is the only rider to win twice (2021, 2023), reflecting a race with a varied and competitive winners list.