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Great Spring Classics Races
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Liège Bastogne Liège
Liège Bastogne Liège (La Doyenne) is the oldest monument in cycling, with its first running in 1892. Although it was for amateurs at the time and Spa replaced Liège. 1894 saw professionals allowed to race for the first time and then bizarrely it wasn't held for another 14 years.
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Flèche Wallonne
The race began in 1936 but moved around a lot until settling on its modern Identity of finishing on the Mur de Huy. At various points the race started in Tournai, Mons, Charleroi, Liège, Verviers, Huy & Spa. For a while the race started from Charleroi (or nearby) and then headed east for a finishing circuit or two around Huy.
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Milan San Remo
La Classicicissima is another old old bike race, starting up in 1907 (and an amateur 2-day version in 1906). The soon to be 2-time Tour de France winner Lucien Petit-Breton won the first race.
The 1920s were dominated by Costante Girardengo who won the race 6 times and had 5 further podium places. The Italian dominance continued into the 1940s with heavyweights like Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali & Fausto Coppi all winning the race.
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Scheldeprijs
Despite its lower prestige, Scheldeprijs is in fact older than the Tour of Flanders. The first was in 1907, 6 years before De Ronde. The first editions would start and finish in Antwerp, with the finish being on the now demolished Zurenborg velodrome.
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Paris Roubaix
The 'Hell of the North' is one of cycling oldest still active race - the first edition taking place in 1896. The owners of Roubaix's new velodrome were looking for ways to increase business so began the race with Paris newspaper Le Vélo.
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Dwars Door Vlaanderen
Race Information & History
Race Type: Hilly classic with cobbles
Dwars Door Vlaanderen started life as a two-day stage race called Dwars Door België. The first...
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Strade Bianche
Compared to all of the other races in this series, Strade Bianche is the new kid. It started life as an amateur Gran Fondo in 1997 with the first pro edition in 2007. The following year it moved from October to March and quickly gained a cult following.
Men's Cycling
Greatest Spring Classics Races – Gent Wevelgem
Gent Wevelgem was first run in 1934 and is yet another race started by a newspaper. The race originally visited the Flemish Ardennes to create a hilly race but since the 1980s has become more of a sprinter's classic.