driedaagse

Driedaagse is a Dutch term meaning three-day event and is used in Dutch-speaking regions to describe an activity or competition that takes place over three consecutive days. The expression is general and can refer to sports, fairs, or cultural festivals, with the duration being the defining feature rather than a fixed format.

In sports, driedaagse most often denotes multi-day competitions such as stage races or events that award an overall standing by cumulative performance over three days. In professional cycling, several three-day races carry the designation in their names. Notable examples include the Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde, a Belgian stage race on the professional calendar, and the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, held in the West Flanders region. These races typically consist of three stages over three days, sometimes including a short prologue or an individual time trial. The overall winner is determined by total time, with possible secondary classifications such as points or mountains.

Beyond cycling, driedaagse can describe non-sport events that run across three days, such as fairs, markets, or cultural programs. The term emphasizes the duration and can accommodate various program elements across the three-day period.

Etymology and usage: driedaagse is a compound of drie (three) and dagen (days). It is commonly written as one word in Dutch and is widely used in the Netherlands and Belgium to describe events lasting three days.