The Classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. In the last few years, the five most revered races are sometimes described as the 'Monuments'. Road bicycle racing is a popular bicycle racing sport held on roads (following the geography of the area), using racing bicycles. ... This is a list of important road bicycle racing events. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ...

From 2005, the Classics have formed part of the UCI ProTour run by the Union Cycliste Internationale. This event series also includes various stage races including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Paris-Nice and the Critérium de Dauphiné Libéré, and various non-Classic single day events. The ProTour replaced the UCI Road World Cup series which contained only one-day races. The UCI ProTour logo The UCI ProTour is a competition under the International Cycling Union (UCI). ... Entrance of UCI headquarter at Aigle (Switzerland) Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is a professional cycling union that oversees cycling events in the international community. ... The Tour de France is the worlds best known cycling race, a three week long road race that covers a circuit of most areas around France, and sometimes neighbouring countries. ... The Giro dItalia, also simply known as the Giro, is a long distance road bicycle race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May or early June in and around Italy. ... The Vuelta a España bicycle race is one of the three Grand Tours of Europe and, after the Tour de France and the Giro dItalia, is the third most important road cycling stage race in the world. ... Paris-Nice, nicknamed the race to the sun, is an annual professional cycling stage race held annually each March. ... The Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. ... The UCI Road World Cup was a season-long road bicycle racing competition comprised to ten one-day events. ...

The Classics

Professional races commonly regarded as Classics:

• Milan-Sanremo (  Italy) – the first true Classic of the year, its Italian name is La Primavera (the spring), this race is normally held in late March. First run in 1907.
• Ronde van Vlaanderen (  Belgium) – the first of the 'Spring Classics', is normally raced in early April. First held in 1913.
• Paris-Roubaix (  France) – the "Queen of the Classics" or l'Enfer du Nord ("Hell of the North") is traditionally one week after the Ronde van Vlaanderen, and was first raced in 1896
• Amstel Gold Race (  Netherlands) – normally held mid-April. First run in 1966
• La Flèche Wallonne (  Belgium) – The Walloon Arrow is traditionally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. First run in 1936.
• Liège-Bastogne-Liège (  Belgium) – late April. La Doyenne, the oldest Classic, was first held in 1892 as an amateur event; a professional edition following in 1894.
• Rund um den Henninger Turm (  Germany)
• Clásica de San Sebastián (San Sebastian Classic)(  Spain)
• Züri-Metzgete (Championship of Zürich) (  Switzerland)
• Paris-Brussels (  France/  Belgium)
• Paris-Tours (  France)
• Giro di Lombardia (  Italy) – also known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves", is normally held in October. Initially called the Milano-Milano in 1905, it became the Giro di Lombardia in 1907.

Some past Classics are no longer run. These include the gruelling 560km, partly motor-paced event, Bordeaux-Paris, run from 1891 to 1988. Milan - San Remo, nicknamed la primavera, is an annual cycling race between Milan and San Remo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Tour of Flanders (Dutch: Ronde van Vlaanderen) is a road cycling race held in Flanders, Belgium. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Begun in 1896, Paris-Roubaix, third of the ten UCI World Cup races, has become the most famous single-day bicycle road race. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle racing race held (mostly) in the southern part of the province of Limburg, The Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... La Flèche Wallonne is a major professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Liège-Bastogne-Liège, often called La Doyenne (the oldest woman), is one of the five Monuments of the European professional road cycling calendar, and the oldest. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) leads team mate Marcus Zberg into the final sprint of the 2005 race. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Clasica San Sebastian is a bicycle race held every summer since 1981 in the Basque region of Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... The Championship of Zürich is a classic cycling race, held in the month of October in Zürich. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Paris-Brussels is a semi classic European bicycle race. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Paris-Tours is a French single day classic cycling race which takes place in October towards the end of the European season. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The Tour of Lombardy (Italian: Giro di Lombardia) is an Italian cycling race. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Bordeaux-Paris professional cycle race was one of mainland Europes Classic cycle races, and the longest in the professional calendar, covering a distance of approximately 350 miles (560 kilometres) - more than twice the distance of most single day races. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The 'Monuments'

• Milan-Sanremo (  Italy) – the first true Classic of the year, its Italian name is La Primavera (the spring), this race is normally held in late March. First run in 1907.
• Ronde van Vlaanderen (  Belgium) – also known as the "Tour of Flanders", the first of the 'Spring Classics', is normally raced in early April. First held in 1913.
• Paris-Roubaix (  France) – the "Queen of the Classics" or l'Enfer du Nord ("Hell of the North") is traditionally one week after the Ronde van Vlaanderen, and was first raced in 1896
• Liège-Bastogne-Liège (  Belgium) – late April. La Doyenne, the oldest Classic, was first held in 1892 as an amateur event; a professional edition following in 1894.
• Giro di Lombardia (  Italy) – also known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves", is normally held in October. Initially called the Milano-Milano in 1905, it became the Giro di Lombardia in 1907.

Only three riders, all Belgians, have won all five 'Monument' one-day races during their careers: Roger De Vlaeminck, Rik Van Looy and Eddy Merckx. With victories in all the other Monuments, Seán Kelly almost joined this group, finishing second in the Ronde van Vlaanderen on three occasions (1984,1986,1987). Milan - San Remo, nicknamed la primavera, is an annual cycling race between Milan and San Remo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Tour of Flanders (Dutch: Ronde van Vlaanderen) is a road cycling race held in Flanders, Belgium. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Begun in 1896, Paris-Roubaix, third of the ten UCI World Cup races, has become the most famous single-day bicycle road race. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Liège-Bastogne-Liège, often called La Doyenne (the oldest woman), is one of the five Monuments of the European professional road cycling calendar, and the oldest. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... The Tour of Lombardy (Italian: Giro di Lombardia) is an Italian cycling race. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Roger De Vlaeminck at home on the cobbles of the Ronde van Vlaanderen Roger De Vlaeminck (born 24 August 1947) is a former Belgian professional cyclist. ... Rik (Henrik) Van Looy (born 20 December 1933) was one of the greatest Belgian professional cyclists of the post-war period, when he was nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals (after the small Belgian town where he lived). ... Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx (IPA: ) (born June 17, 1945, Meensel-Kiezegem, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium) is a retired Belgian professional cyclist. ... Seán Kelly (Irish: Seán Ó Ceallaigh) (born May 21, 1956) is a former professional road bicycle racer. ...

Milan - San Remo, nicknamed la primavera, is an annual cycling race between Milan and San Remo. ... The Tour of Flanders (Dutch: Ronde van Vlaanderen) is a road cycling race held in Flanders, Belgium. ... Begun in 1896, Paris-Roubaix, third of the ten UCI World Cup races, has become the most famous single-day bicycle road race. ... Liège-Bastogne-Liège, often called La Doyenne (the oldest woman), is one of the five Monuments of the European professional road cycling calendar, and the oldest. ... The Tour of Lombardy (Italian: Giro di Lombardia) is an Italian cycling race. ... Óscar Freire Gómez (born February 15, 1976 in Torrelavega, Cantabria) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team Rabobank. ... Alessandro Ballan (born November 6, 1979 in Castelfranco Veneto, Veneto) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team Lampre-Fondital. ... Stuart OGrady is an Australian cyclist, born on 6 August 1973 in Adelaide, South Australia. ... The requested page title was invalid, empty, or an incorrectly linked inter-language or inter-wiki title. ... The requested page title was invalid, empty, or an incorrectly linked inter-language or inter-wiki title. ... Filippo Pozzato (born September 10, 1981) is an Italian road cyclist with the Italian Liquigas professional cycling team. ... Tom Boonen (born on October 15, 1980 in Mol, Belgium) is one of the worlds best professional road bicycle racers and is the 2005 World Road Race Champion. ... Fabian Cancellara (born March 18, 1981) is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer. ... Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (born April 25, 1980 in Las Lumbreras, Murcia, Spain) is a Spanish cyclist. ... Paolo Bettini (born April 1, 1974 in Cecina, Livorno province, Italy) is an Italian road cyclist with the Belgian Quick. ... Alessandro Petacchi is a professional road cyclist born on January 3, 1974 in La Spezia, Italy. ... Tom Boonen (born on October 15, 1980 in Mol, Belgium) is one of the worlds best professional road bicycle racers and is the 2005 World Road Race Champion. ... Tom Boonen (born on October 15, 1980 in Mol, Belgium) is one of the worlds best professional road bicycle racers and is the 2005 World Road Race Champion. ... Alexander Vinokourov Alexander Vinokourov, also written Alexandre Vinokourov, (born 16 September 1973 in Petropavlovsk, Soviet Union, now Petropavl, Kazakhstan) is a Kazakh (ethnic Russian) professional road bicycle racer. ... Paolo Bettini (born April 1, 1974 in Cecina, Livorno province, Italy) is an Italian road cyclist with the Belgian Quick. ... Óscar Freire Gómez (born February 15, 1976 in Torrelavega, Cantabria) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team Rabobank. ... Wegmann at the 2005 Rund um den Henninger Turm. ... Magnus Bäckstedt (born 30 January 1975 in Linköping, Sweden) is a Swedish professional road bicycle racer whose greatest achievement was winning the Paris-Roubaix in 2004. ... Devide Rebellin is a cyclist, who was on the Gerolsteiner team in the Tour De France. ... Damiano Cunego (born in Cerro Veronese, Verona province, September 19, 1981) is a professional cyclist. ... Paolo Bettini (born April 1, 1974 in Cecina, Livorno province, Italy) is an Italian road cyclist with the Belgian Quick. ... Peter Van Petegam (born January 18, 1970 in Opbrakel, Belgium) is an elite professional road racing cyclist. ... Peter Van Petegam (born January 18, 1970 in Opbrakel, Belgium) is an elite professional road racing cyclist. ... Tyler Hamilton Tyler Hamilton (born March 1, 1971 in Marblehead, Massachusetts) is an American professional road bicycle racer. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Mario Cipollini. ... The name Andrea Tafi refers to more than one person: Andrea Tafi (active 1300–25) was an Italian artist. ... Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. ... Paolo Bettini (born April 1, 1974 in Cecina, Livorno province, Italy) is an Italian road cyclist with the Belgian Quick. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Erik Zabel (born July 7, 1970 in Berlin) is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour Team Milram. ... Gianluca Bortolami (born August 28, 1968) is an Italian cyclist. ... Servais Knaven (born March 6, 1971 in Lobith) is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for the UCI ProTour T-Mobile Team. ... Oscar Camenzind (born on September 12, 1971 in Schwyz, Switzerland) was a professional cyclist from Switzerland. ... Danilo di Luca, born on 1976 in Spoltore, is a professional Italian cyclist. ... Erik Zabel (born July 7, 1970 in Berlin) is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour Team Milram. ... Andrei Tchmil is a retired professional bicycle road racer. ... Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. ... Paolo Bettini (born April 1, 1974 in Cecina, Livorno province, Italy) is an Italian road cyclist with the Belgian Quick. ... Raimondas RumÅ¡as (born 14 January 1972 in Å ilutÄ—, Lithuania), a professional road bicycle racer since 1996, who came out of nowhere to rank third in the standings of the 2002 Tour de France. ... Andrei Tchmil is a retired professional bicycle road racer. ... Peter Van Petegam (born January 18, 1970 in Opbrakel, Belgium) is an elite professional road racing cyclist. ... The name Andrea Tafi refers to more than one person: Andrea Tafi (active 1300–25) was an Italian artist. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Mirko Celestino (born 19 March 1974 in Albenga) is a Italian professional road racing cyclist. ... Erik Zabel (born July 7, 1970 in Berlin) is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour Team Milram. ... Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. ... Franco Ballerini is a retired Italian cyclist born on December 11, 1964 in Florence. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Oscar Camenzind (born on September 12, 1971 in Schwyz, Switzerland) was a professional cyclist from Switzerland. ... Erik Zabel (born July 7, 1970 in Berlin) is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour Team Milram. ... Rolf Sørensen was born 20 April 1965 in Helsinge, Denmark. ... Frédéric Guesdon (born October 14, 1971 in Saint-Méen-le-Grand, Bretagne) is a French professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team Française des Jeux. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Photograph of Laurent Jalabert, present at the arrival of the Tour dAlsace at the Ballon dAlsace, France, 2005 // Biography Laurent Jalabert was born in France in 1968, a professional cyclist from 1989-2002. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. ... Pascal Richard (born March 16, 1964) is Swiss French-speaking former racing cyclist. ... The name Andrea Tafi refers to more than one person: Andrea Tafi (active 1300–25) was an Italian artist. ... Photograph of Laurent Jalabert, present at the arrival of the Tour dAlsace at the Ballon dAlsace, France, 2005 // Biography Laurent Jalabert was born in France in 1968, a professional cyclist from 1989-2002. ... Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. ... Franco Ballerini is a retired Italian cyclist born on December 11, 1964 in Florence. ... Mauro Gianetti is currently a directeur sportif and was a former rider in professional road bicycle racing from Switzerland. ... Gianni Bugno (born Brugg, Switzerland, February 14, 1964) was an Italian professional road racing cyclist. ... Andrei Tchmil is a retired professional bicycle road racer. ... Eugeni Berzin (born June 6, 1970 in Vyborg, Russia) is a Russian cyclist whose best year was 1994, when he won the Giro dItalia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. ... Maurizio Fondriest (born 15 January 1965) is a retired Italian road racing cyclist. ... Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. ... Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle is a former French professional road racing cyclist who was a specialist at the one-day classic cycling races and raced between 1977 and 1995. ... Rolf Sørensen was born 20 April 1965 in Helsinge, Denmark. ... Pascal Richard (born March 16, 1964) is Swiss French-speaking former racing cyclist. ... Seán Kelly (Irish: Seán Ó Ceallaigh) (born May 21, 1956) is a former professional road bicycle racer. ... Jacky Durand (born 10 February 1967) is a French cyclist. ... Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle is a former French professional road racing cyclist who was a specialist at the one-day classic cycling races and raced between 1977 and 1995. ... Tony Rominger (born 27 March 1961 in Velje, Denmark) is a Swiss cyclist who won major tours four times in his career—the Vuelta a España three consecutive years (1992, 1993, 1994) and Giro dItalia once (1995). ... Claudio Chiappucci (born 28 February 1963) had a great professional road cycling career without ever winning the Tour de France general classification - 2nd in 1990, 3rd in 1991 and 2nd again in 1992. ... Moreno Argentin (San Dona di Piave, December 17, 1960) is a former Italian professional cyclist (from 1981 to 1994). ... Seán Kelly (Irish: Seán Ó Ceallaigh) (born May 21, 1956) is a former professional road bicycle racer. ... Gianni Bugno (born Brugg, Switzerland, February 14, 1964) was an Italian professional road racing cyclist. ... Moreno Argentin (San Dona di Piave, December 17, 1960) is a former Italian professional cyclist (from 1981 to 1994). ...

See also

List of important cycling events This is a list of important road bicycle racing events. ...