Tour of Flanders climbs: Kwaremont, Paterberg, Koppenberg and more

The Tour of Flanders changes its route regularly, but the Flemish Ardennes climbs remain the race’s defining feature. In 2026 the men’s race again finishes in Oudenaarde after roughly 270km, while the women’s race covers 164km. Both use the same decisive late sequence built around the Koppenberg, Taaienberg, Oude Kruisberg/Hotond and the final Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg combination.

The 2026 finale begins on the Koppenberg with around 45km remaining. Steenbeekdries is absent this year because of roadworks, but the riders still reach Taaienberg and Oude Kruisberg before the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg provide the final two major climbs. The top of the Paterberg comes only 13km from the finish.

This page is an evergreen directory of the climbs that have shaped modern editions of De Ronde rather than a count of how many times each has appeared. Routes change from year to year, so the useful information is the location, Strava segment and climb profile. The profiles below include the famous cobbled hellingen as well as paved climbs that have appeared in the race since 2010.

If you want to ride them yourself, the 2026 We Ride Flanders sportive offers 79km, 133km, 163km and 247km routes. All four include the Koppenberg, Taaienberg, Oude Kruisberg/Hotond, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, while the longest route starts in Antwerp like the men’s professional race. I rode the Tour of Flanders sportive in 2018, and the cobbles are every bit as awkward as they look on television.

The older finale through the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg still matters to the history of the race, even though the Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg pairing now defines the Oudenaarde finish.

For the wider history of the Classics, Peter Cossins’ The Monuments is available on Amazon UK.

Tour of Flanders climbs in 2026

Climb	2026 role
Oude Kwaremont	Three men’s ascents; final passage in the decisive closing combination
Koppenberg	Starts the finale with about 45km remaining
Taaienberg	Part of the late Flemish Ardennes sequence
Oude Kruisberg/Hotond	Last major climb before the final Kwaremont-Paterberg pair
Paterberg	Final climb, summit around 13km from Oudenaarde
Steenbeekdries	Omitted in 2026 because of roadworks