Dwars door Vlaanderen
| Date | Late March |
|---|---|
| Region | Flanders, Belgium |
| English name | Across Flanders |
| Local name(s) | Dwars door Vlaanderen (Dutch) |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI World Tour |
| Type | Semi-classic one-day race |
| Organiser | Flanders Classics |
| First edition | 1945 |
| Editions | 71 (as of 2016) |
| First winner |
 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL)
|
| Most wins | 12 riders with 2 wins |
| Most recent |
Jens Debusschere (BEL)
|
| First edition | 2012 |
| Editions | 5 (as of 2016) |
| First winner |
 Monique van de Ree (NED)
|
| Most wins |
Amy Pieters (NED) (3 wins)
|
| Most recent |
Amy Pieters (NED)
|
Dwars door Vlaanderen (English: Across Flanders) is a semi-classic road bicycle race in Belgium, held annually since 1945. The race starts in Roeselare and finishes in Waregem, both in West Flanders. As from 2017 the event will be included in the UCI World Tour.
Held in late March, the event traditionally marks the start of the Flemish Cycling Week, which also includes E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, the Three Days of De Panne, and the Tour of Flanders. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, four days after Italy's monument race Milan–San Remo and a week and a half before the Tour of Flanders.
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. Both events are organized by Flanders Classics.
The race was first run in 1945 from Sint-Truiden to Waregem and was named Dwars door België (English: Across Belgium) – a name it kept until 1999. Belgian cycling icon Rik Van Steenbergen won the inaugural race. From 1946 to 1964 the event was run as a stage race over two days – with the exception of 1948. The first stage started in Waregem and finished in the eastern Belgian provinces of Limburg or Liège; from which it returned to Waregem the next day. In 1948 and since 1965, it has been held as a one-day race. One edition, in 1971, was cancelled.
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