The 2017 edition was promoted to the UCI World Tour, cycling's highest tier of professional races. In 2018 Dwars door Vlaanderen was moved one week later on the calendar, from a position mid-week after Milan-San Remo to the Wednesday before the Tour of Flanders. At the same time the course was scaled down from 200 km to 180 km in length, and the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg climbs were cut from the race.