At 200 kilometres and with 13 climbs in the "hill zone", the course is challenging and arduous. Additionally, there are several flat stretches of cobbles. Despite annual changes, some of the regular climbs in the "Omloop" are the Leberg, Berendries, Taaienberg, Muur van Geraardsbergen, Eikenberg and Molenberg. Due to its hilly course in the Flemish Ardennes, the race is similar in nature to the Tour of Flanders, and is often used in preparation for the bigger event five weeks later. The 2016 race featured one new climb, Boembekeberg, as a replacement for the Molenberg, which was skipped because of road works. This was reversed for the 2017 race.