A Hoops Guide to The Classics
A Hoops Guide to The Classics
The Classics are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century and are held at roughly the same time each year.
The five most revered races are often described as the cycling monuments:
With 2020 being a bit of a write off year and uncertainty still in the air over when the world can go back to a form of ‘normal’, we take a look at the Classics, the unique characteristics of each race and the dates we can look forward to joining the incredible atmosphere of these races, be that in-person or online!
The Classics can be broken down into seasonal groups, within which we have sub categories such as the cobbled classics, the Ardennes and the Monuments.
- The Spring Classics
- The Summer Classics
- The Autumn Classics
The Spring Classics
These races are held in february, March and April and can be split into three groups:
- The Italian Spring Classics
- The Cobbled Classics
- The Ardennes Classics
The Italian Spring Classics
Strade Bianche
The Strade Bianche is a road bicycle race in Tuscany, Central Italy, starting and finishing in Siena. First held in 2007, it is raced annually on the first or second Saturday of March. Despite only starting in 2007 this race has quickly gained prestige. The name Strade Bianche stems from the historic white gravel roads in the Crete Senesi, which are a defining feature of the race.
Key info:
Date: Saturday 6th March 2021
Where: Tuscany, Italy
Distance: Men's – 184km / Women's – 136km. Both men's and women's include 50km+ of unpaved white roads.
Winners:
Men: Mathieu VAN DER POEL
Women: Chantal VAN DEN BROEK-BLAAK
Milan – San Remo
The first ‘true’ Classic of the year, its Italian name is La Primavera ("The Spring") or La classicissima. This race is normally held on the Saturday closest to the vernal equinox. First run in 1907. It is the longest classic by distance, and is often considered a 'sprinter's classic' despite a number of notable climbs, as it tends toward bunch sprint finishes.
From 1999 to 2005, a women's race, the Primavera Rosa, was organized alongside the men's but at a shorter distance, this has since been cancelled.
Key info:
Date: Saturday 20th March 2021
Where: Milan and San Remo, North-west Italy
Distance: 298 km
Winner: Men: Jasper Stuyven
The Cobbled Classics
E3 Harelbeke
This is technically the first of the "Spring Classics". First held in 1953, this race is in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 kilometres, mainly in the Flemish Ardennes. This race is often used by riders as a warm-up for the more prestigious Tour of Flanders which takes place a couple of weeks later.
Key info:
Date: Friday 26th March 2021
Where: Flanders, Belgium
Distance: 203KM
Winners : TBC
Gent–Wevelgem
Another Flemish race, held annually since 1934 the Gent - Wevelgem is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, always run in late March on the last Sunday before the Tour of Flanders. Although the event is often called a sprinters classic due to its flat finishing terrain, its early-season date means riders are often tested by wind and rain, as well as several climbs, including two ascents of the steep and fully cobbled Kemmelberg.
Key info:
Date: Sunday 28th March 2021
Where: Gent - Wevelgem, Belgium
Distance: Men's - 240km / Women's - 115km
Tour of Flanders
First held in 1913, the Tour of Flanders has built itself a reputation as a favourite for both spectators and riders alike due to the electric atmosphere as the riders wind their way through the lanes of Flanders. Starting in Antwerp the race heads towards the town of Oudenaarde, and after a couple of preliminary cobbled sectors, the race starts a sequence of circuits. One of the classics not to be missed!
Key info:
Date: Sunday 4th April 2021
Where: Antwerp to Oudenaarde, Flanders, Belgium
Distance: Men’s 260km / Women’s 135km
Paris–Roubaix
La Reine "Queen of the Classics" or l'Enfer du Nord "The Hell of the North is traditionally held one week after the Tour of Flanders, and was first raced in 1896 making it one of the oldest bike races in the world.
Arguably, Paris - Roubaix is the most iconic of all the classics, dominated by multiple pave (cobbled) sections, and ends in a circuit of the Roubaix Velodrome. It's taken until 2021 for a women's race to be organised. This should have debuted in 2020 but was cancelled along with the men's race due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Paris - Roubaix remains one of the most prestigious victories to take in pro bike racing.
Key info:
Date: Sunday 11th April 2021
Where: Paris - Roubaix France
Distance: Men's – 259km / Women's – 116km
The Ardennes Classics
Amstel Gold Race
First run in 1966 the Amstel Gold race is normally held mid-April, it is the first of the three Ardennes Classics or hill classics. Held in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the spring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing the cobbled classics riders as the favorites.
Key info:
Date: Sunday 18th April 2021
Where: Limburg, Netherlands
Distance: 250km
La Flèche Wallonne
The ‘Walloon Arrow’ is the second race of the Ardennes Classics. First run in 1936 La Flèche Wallonne was created to boost the sales of a newspaper Les Sports during the 1930s. This men’s only race is held in the province of Liège, Belgium and sees the riders do three laps of a tough circuit including the steep Mur de Huy (The wall of Huy) climb, with several sections steeper than 15% and up to 26% on one section.
Key info :
Date: Wednesday 21st April 2021
Where: Wallonia, Belgium
Distance: Men's – 199.5km / Women's – 188.5km
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The oldest Classic, this race first started in 1892. It is the third Ardennes Classic, held in late April, one week after the Amstel Gold Race. A race characterized by multiple short, steep climbs, it is often considered the most physically arduous of the classics, rewarding stamina and explosiveness.
Key info:
Date: Sunday 25th April 2021
Where: Liege to Bastogne and back again, Belgium
Distance: Men's – 260km / Women's – 135km
The Summer Classics.
Held between July and September these are the races to look out for this Summer.
Clásica de San Sebastián
Also known as the Donostia–Donostia in this race is held since since 1981 in San Sebastien, Spain. This is traditionally a climbers' race, with several famous Grand Tour stars claiming the race.
Clásica de San Sebastián is known for its winding, undulating terrain which favours aggressive riding including the tough Alto de Jaizkibel climb at around the 200 kilometre mark.
Key info:
Date: Saturday 31st July 2021
Where: San Sebastian, Spain
Distance: 220KM
EuroEyes Cyclassics
These races were formerly known as the HEW Cyclassics and Vattenfall Cyclassics and are also known as the Hamburg Cyclassics. An important part of the Cyclassics is the Jedermannrennen the “race for everyone” , a cyclosportive for amateurs that takes place on the same day and on the same roads as the professional race. Participants can participate in courses of 55 km, 100 km or 155 km. . The number of participants is limited to 22,000 fans and tickets must be booked months in advance
Key info:
Date: Sunday 22nd August 2021
Where: Hamburg, Germany
Distance: 250km
Trittico Lombardo
These are three separate races in Lombardy, traditionally in August but since 2014 they have now moved to September: Coppa Ugo Agostoni - held on Saturday Coppa Bernocchi - held on Sunday. Tre Valli Varesine – the Three valleys of Varese, held on Tuesday
The winner is the rider who has the best overall results in his three races.
Key info:
Date:
Where: Lombardy, Italy
Bretagne Classic
This late August race is held on a circuit near the small Breton village of Plouay, traditionally known as Grand Prix Ouest France - Plouay. Created in 1931 this race starts in the small village of Plouay, in the heartland of French cycling. The course consists of eight laps of a demanding 27 km circuit and one 14-km lap in the backdrop of Brittany. The circuit is known for its high rate of attrition, featuring climbs and technical descents.
Since 2002, a women's event, the GP Plouay–Bretagne is organized on Saturday, the day before the men's race. Supporting events have grown over the years and now include BMX races, track racing and a mass-participation ride, as part of a four–day festival in the last summer weekend in Brittany.
Key info:
Date: 29th August 2021
Where: West France
Distance: 235km
Grand Prix de Fourmies
Held since 1928 in Northern France, this race also counts for the French Cycling Cup. The route climbs north and crossing the hilly bocage of Avesnois, the riders are kept on their toes during the 200 km of the event on roads that are never flat, with many false flats and short steeper climbs, but few ‘real’ climbs. On paper this type of course gives every type of cyclist a chance although in recent years the win has often been a sprinter!
Key info:
Date: Sunday 12th September 2021
Where: Fourmies, France
Distance: 205km
The Autumn Classics
And to round off the racing season, these Autumn classics are held from September to November.
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Paris–Brussels
First held in 1893, since 2013 renamed the Brussels Cycling Classic and only run on Belgian territory, this race started as an amateur event over a distance of 397 km and is one of the oldest classics.
Key info:
Date: 28th August 2021
Where: Belgium
Distance: 203km
Paris–Tours
This race is also known as the "Sprinters' Classic". First started in 1896, the Paris - Tours is held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200 m, at Le Gault-du-Perche. It’s name the ‘Sprinters classic’ is because for several decades the race arrived on the 2.7 km long Avenue de Grammont, one of cycling's best-known finishing straits.
Key info:
Date: Sunday 10th October 2021
Where: Paris, France
Distance: 250km
Giro del' Emilia
This has got to be one of the hardest Classics on the calendar, with the famous San Luca, Bologna circuit. This race generally takes a tour of Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park and ends in Bologna with 5 reps on the brutal climbing ring (Orfanelle climb, Montalbano climb and Casaglia downhill) of Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. It is considered one of the most important and historical classic bicycle races of the calendar,
Key info:
Date: 2nd October 2021
Where: Bologna, Italy
Distance: 207km
Trittico di Autunno
These three Italian races take place in the week after the World Championships.
Milano–Torino – First run in 1876, the race had some continuity problems due to financial problems but has returned to the UCI calendar in 2012.
Giro del Piemonte – First run in 1906.
Giro di Lombardia – Also known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves", first held in 1905 as Milano–Milano. Considered the biggest Autumn Classic in cycling, and the only post-Spring Monument, it is often referred to as the 'climber's classic' in comparison to the early spring 'sprinter's classic', Milan-San Remo, with significant long climbs throughout, including the iconic Madonna del Ghisallo.
Key info:
Date: Saturday 9th October
Where: Milan, Italy
Distance: 185km
Japan Cup
Starting in 1992, at the end of October, this race is held at a circuit around the Utsunomiya Forest Park where the 1990 UCI Road World Championships took place.
Key info:
Date: Sunday 17th October
Where: Utsunomiya, Japan
Distance: 144km
