Dwars door Vlaanderen organizers hope for Wout van Aert at the start this year

The road season has now started, which means the focus can cautiously turn towards the classic spring races. The route for Dwars door Vlaanderen was presented on Friday. The organizers expressed hope about the possible lineup of participants.

For the men, Dwars door Vlaanderen hopes to have Wout van Aert at the start. Chairman Pavel Desmet reportedly received rumors that Van Aert might indeed race. The Belgian finished second last year in Dwars door Vlaanderen after Neilson Powless beat him in the sprint.

Participation from Tibor Del Grosso and Jasper Philipsen is considered a certainty by the organization, and they also hope for Mathieu van der Poel’s arrival. Van der Poel has won the race in 2019 and 2022 but hasn’t raced since his last victory.

On the women’s side, Dwars door Vlaanderen has been promoted to the WorldTour this season. Partly because of this, the race expects a strong field with participants like Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering, and defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini.