The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most revered races are often described as the cycling monuments. For the 2005 to 2007 seasons, some classics formed part of the UCI ProTour run by the Union Cycliste Internationale. This event series also included various stage races including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España,

Paris–Nice Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlookin ...

, and the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. The UCI ProTour replaced the UCI Road World Cup series (1989–2004) which contained only one-day races. Many of the classics, and all the Grand Tours, were not part of the UCI ProTour for the 2008 season because of disputes between the UCI and the ASO, which organizes the Tour de France and several other major races. Since 2009, many classic cycle races are part of the UCI World Tour.

Problems with definition

Although cycling fans and sports media eagerly use the term "classic", there is no clear consensus about what constitutes a classic cycling race. UCI, the international governing body of cycling, has no mention at all of the term in its rulings. This poses problems to define the characteristics of these races and makes it impossible to make precise lists. Several criteria are used to denote the importance of a cycling race: date of creation, historical importance and tradition, commercial importance, location, level of difficulty, level of competition field, etc. However, many of these paradigms tend to shift over time and are often opinions of a personal nature. One of the few objective criteria is the official categorization of races as classified by the UCI, although this is not a defining feature either, as many fans dispute the presence of some of the highest-categorized races and some older races are not included in the UCI World Tour. Because of the growing

ambiguity Ambiguity is the type of meaning in which a phrase, statement or resolution is not explicitly defined, making several interpretations plausible. A common aspect of ambiguity is uncertainty. It is thus an attribute of any idea or statement ...

and inflation of the term "classic", the much younger term "monument" was introduced in the 21st century to denote the five most revered of the classic cycling races.

Classic cycle races

Until the 1980s there were originally eight recognised classics, the five Monuments (see Cycling Monuments below) plus La Flèche Wallonne, Paris–Brussels and

Paris–Tours Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race 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, ...

. Due to various traffic and organizational problems these events came and went in various guises (for example, Paris–Tours became Blois–Chaville, before returning in its current form). Paris–Brussels disappeared altogether between 1967 and 1976. Flèche Wallonne was always on the Saturday before Liege–Bastogne–Liege (it was known as The Ardennes Weekend), before being shortened and moved to the preceding Wednesday. The remaining five then became known as the 'Monuments'. Rik van Looy is the only rider to win all eight. Eddy Merckx and Roger de Vlaeminck both won seven, both missing out at Paris–Tours. * Monuments highlighted in bold.

Spring classics

Together, Strade Bianche, Milan–San Remo, the Cobbled classics and the Ardennes classics make up the "Spring Classics", all held in March and April.

Italian spring classics

* Strade Bianche – race that includes sections of ''strade bianche'' gravel roads. Despite its relatively short history, the Strade Bianche has quickly gained prestige. First held in 2007. *

Milan–San Remo Milan–San Remo (in Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km (~185.2 miles) it is t ...

– 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 Spring equinox or vernal equinox or variations may refer to: * March equinox, the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere * September equinox, the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere Other uses * Nowruz, Persian/Iranian new year which be ...

. 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.

Cobbled classics

* E3 Harelbeke – the first of the "Spring Classics" in Flanders, first held in 1958. * Gent–Wevelgem – first raced in 1934, in recent years held on the Sunday between Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. * Tour of Flanders – (''Ronde van Vlaanderen'') is normally raced in early April, first held in 1913. * 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. Arguably the most iconic of all the classics, the race is dominated by multiple

pavé A sett, also known as a block or Belgian block, is a broadly rectangular quarry, quarried Rock (geology), stone used in Road surface, paving roads and walkways. Formerly in widespread use, particularly on steeper streets because setts provided ...

sections, and ends in a circuit of the Roubaix Velodrome.

Ardennes classics

* Amstel Gold Race – normally held mid-April, it is the first of the three ''Ardennes Classics'' or ''hill classics'', one week after Paris–Roubaix. First run in 1966. * La Flèche Wallonne – the ''Walloon Arrow'' is the second Ardennes Classic, since 2004 held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. First run in 1936. * Liège–Bastogne–Liège – ''La Doyenne'', the oldest Classic, was first raced 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.

Summer classics

The summer classics are held from July to September. * Clásica de San Sebastián – known as ''Donostia–Donostia'' in Spain * EuroEyes Cyclassics, formerly HEW Cyclassics and Vattenfall Cyclassics – also known as the '' Hamburg Cyclassics'' *

Trittico Lombardo The "" (Italian for "Lombardy Region Triptych"), usually also called ''Trittico Lombardo'', is a cycling competition which includes three cycling races held around the region of Lombardy on three consecutive days. These races are Tre Valli Varesine, ...

– three separate races in

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

, traditionally in August but since 2014 moved to September: ** Coppa Ugo Agostoni - held on Saturday ** Coppa Bernocchi - held on Sunday a day after Coppa Ugo Agostoni ** Tre Valli Varesine – the ''Three valleys of Varese'', held on Tuesday 4 days before Giro di Lombardia since 2015 * Bretagne Classic – held on a Sunday in late August on a circuit near the small

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

village of Plouay, traditionally known as Grand Prix Ouest France - Plouay * Grand Prix de Fourmies – held since 1928 in Northern France, held on a Sunday in the first half of September since 1976, a week or two after Bretagne Classic * ''Laurentian Classics'' – two one-day races in Canada, named after the Saint Lawrence River that runs through Quebec, organized since 2010 ** Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec – raced on a Friday in early September ** Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal – held on Sunday two days after the Grand Prix de Québec

Autumn classics

The autumn classics are held from September to November. * Paris–Brussels – First held in 1893, since 2013 renamed the ''Brussels Cycling Classic'' and only run on Belgian territory *

– known as the "Sprinters' Classic", first race in 1896 * Giro dell'Emilia – one week before the Giro di Lombardia, one of the hardest Classics on the calendar, with the famous

San Luca, Bologna The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca is a basilica church in Bologna, northern Italy, sited atop a forested hill, Colle or Monte della Guardia, some 300 metres above the city plain, just south-west of the historical centre of the city. While ...

, circuit. *

Trittico di Autunno The Trittico di Autunno is an unofficial trio of cycling classics held in October in northern Italy. It is not an official competition like its counterpart, the Trittico Lombardo. Three one day races, Milano–Torino, Giro del Piemonte and Giro di L ...

– three Italian races in the week after the World Championship late September: ** 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',

, with significant long climbs throughout, including the iconic

Madonna del Ghisallo Madonna del Ghisallo is a hill in Magreglio, close to Lake Como in Italy. It is named after an alleged Marian apparition. According to the legend, the Medieval count Ghisallo was travelling by the hamlet of Magréglio when he was attacked by ba ...

. * Japan Cup – held since 1992, at the end of October, around Utsunomiya

Season openers

Season openers are usually not regarded as highly as other classics, but receive a lot of attention because of their position early in the season, typically in February. * Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – opening the Belgian cycling season, forming a double header with Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne which is held the following day *

Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise Grand Prix Cycliste La Marseillaise, formerly known as the Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in February around the city of Marseille, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event ...

– opening the French cycling season * Trofeo Laigueglia – opening the Italian cycling season * Trofeo Pollença – opening the Spanish cycling season as part of the Vuelta a Mallorca

Past classics

Some Classics have disappeared, often because of financial problems. These include: *

Paris–Brest–Paris Paris–Brest–Paris (PBP) is a long-distance cycling event. It was originally a 1,200 km () bicycle race from Paris to Brest and back to Paris in 1891. The last time it was run as a race was 1951. The most recent edition of PBP was held on 18� ...

– an exceptionally long event (ca. 1200 km), held once every 10 years from 1891 to 1951 as a professional race * Bordeaux–Paris – the gruelling 560 km, partly motor-paced event, run from 1891 to 1988 * Wincanton Classic – held from 1989 to 1997, the most important British race in the 1990s *

Porto–Lisboa Porto–Lisbon (''Portuguese: Porto–Lisboa'') was an annual road cycling race held in Portugal on 10 June in celebration of Portugal Day. Covering a distance of approximately 330-340 kilometres, the race was the longest on the professional calen ...

– held from 1911 to 2004 (the longest one-day classic from 1989 until it was cancelled) * Züri–Metzgete – also known as the Championship of Zürich, held from 1914 to 2006; in its heyday considered the sixth ''Monument'' * Giro del Lazio – held from 1933 to 2008 (The race returned briefly in 2013 and 2014 as the ''Roma Maxima'') * Giro della Romagna – held from 1911 to 2011 (the race merged with the

Memorial Marco Pantani The Memorial Marco Pantani is a professional road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. History The race has been organized since 2004 and serves as a memory of Marco Pantani. The race starts in Cesenatico, Pantani's hometown, ...

in 2013, as they were both held in

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)

Cycling monuments

The Monuments are generally considered to be the oldest, hardest and most prestigious one-day events in cycling. They each have a long history and specific individual characteristics. They are currently the one-day races in which most points can be earned in the UCI World Tour. *

– the first major Classic of the year, its Italian name is ''La Primavera'' (the spring), because it is held in late March. First run in 1907, it is notable for being considered the sprinter's classic. This race is particularly long (ca. ) though mostly flat along the Ligurian coast, enabling sprinters to compete. * Tour of Flanders – the ''Ronde van Vlaanderen'' in Dutch/ Flemish, the first of the Cobbled classics, is raced every first Sunday of April. It was first held in 1913, making it the youngest of the five Monuments. Notable for the narrow short hills (hellingen) in the Flemish Ardennes, usually steep and cobbled, the route forces the best riders to continually fight for space at the front. The course changes slightly every year: since

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

the race starts in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

and since

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

finishes in Oudenaarde. * Paris–Roubaix – the ''Queen of the Classics'' or ''l'Enfer du Nord'' ("The Hell of the North") is raced traditionally one week after the Tour of Flanders and is the last of the cobbled races. It was first organized in 1896. Its decisive sites are the many long sections of ''pavé'' (roads of cobblestones) making it uniquely hard on the racers' bodies. It is considered by many to be the most heroic one-day cycling event of the year. The race finishes on the iconic Roubaix Velodrome. At the end of the race, riders are usually covered in dirt or mud in what is considered one of the most brutal tests of mental and physical endurance in all of cycling. * Liège–Bastogne–Liège – held in late April. ''La Doyenne'', the oldest Classic, is the last of the Ardennes classics and usually the last of the spring races. It was first organized in 1892 as an amateur event; a professional edition followed in 1894. It is a long and arduous race notable for its many sharp hills in the

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

and uphill finish in the industrial suburbs of

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

, favouring climbers and even grand tour specialists. * Giro di Lombardia – the ''Autumn Classic'' or the ''Race of the Falling Leaves'', is held in October or late September. Initially organized as ''Milano–Milano'' in 1905, it was called the ''Giro di Lombardia'' (Tour of

) in 1907 and ''Il Lombardia'' in 2012. It is notable for its hilly and varied course around the

Como Lake Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...

with a flat finish in

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...

or a hilly finish in Como. In

it had a new, earlier date at the end of September, one week after the World Championship. From 2013 to 2017 it was held in the first week of October. Since 2018 it has been held on a Saturday in the second week of October. It is often won by climbers with a strong sprint finish.

Women's events

Since the early 2000s, many classic events have started women's races, now part of the UCI Women's World Tour. These events are often held on the same day or on the same weekend of the men's races. Three of the five cycling 'monuments' have equivalent races: Tour of Flanders for Women (first held in 2004), Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes (first held in 2017) and Paris–Roubaix Femmes (first held in 2021). A women's version of Milan–San Remo, named Primavera Rosa, was initiated in 1999, but cancelled after 2005. Other major races include La Flèche Wallonne Féminine (first held in 1998),

Women's Amstel Gold Race The Women's Amstel Gold Race is the women's event of the Amstel Gold Race, the most important annual road cycling event in the Netherlands. Held in mid-April, it is organized on the same day as the men's race at approximately half the distance. ...

(first held in 2001) and

Strade Bianche Donne The Strade Bianche Donne ''(Strade Bianche Women)'', also named Strade Bianche Rosa by Italian media, is an annual professional list of women's road bicycle races, women's road bicycle racing event in Tuscany, Italy. Roughly a quarter of the rou ...

(first held in 2015).