News

The Duracell Dwars door het Hageland was first held in 2001 as an amateur race and joined the professional circuit in 2010. However, the race was not held for several years (2013-2015) and seemed dead, but in 2016, it was revived thanks to a new impulse. Inspired by the Italian Strade Bianche, the race underwent a radical transformation and introduced several sections on unpaved dirt roads. Additionally, the finish line is also modeled after the classic Tuscany race, replacing the Via Santa Caterina de Siena with the Citadelle de Diest.

Route

The race covers a distance of 176 kilometers and includes 9 sections of variable-length gravel roads. The final climb to the finish line at the Citadelle de Diest (0.5 km at 4.5%) is paved with cobblestones and must be tackled four times.

Favorites

Mathieu Van Der Poel (1000) returns to a race he already won in 2017 and is the top favorite for a new victory. Rasmus Tiller (200), winner in 2021, is also on the starting list for this edition of the race. Alexander Kristoff (800), Giacomo Nizzolo (600), Yves Lampaert (400), Simon Clarke (200), Florian Vermeersch (200), Giani Vermeersch (200), Taco Van Der Horn (200), Casper Pedersen (200), Loïc Vliegen (200), and Axel Laurence (200) are other cyclists who can go for a good result.

Photo: © Duracell Dwars door het Hageland