| Race details | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 2 April 1939 | |||||||||
| Stages | 1 | |||||||||
| Distance | 230 km (142.9 mi) | |||||||||
| Winning time | 6h 32' 00" | |||||||||
| Results | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
The 23rd edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 2 April 1939. [1] Belgian Karel Kaers won the Monument. Of the 169 starting cyclists, 47 reached the finish. [2]
The race started in Ghent and covered 230 km on the way to the finish in Wetteren. [3]
The course featured 3 categorized climbs:
Karel Kaers, the youngest road world champion in history, won the race unintentionally. [4] For him, the race was intended as training for Paris-Roubaix. [5] He drove to Kwaremont near Kluisbergen, parked his car and rode 40 km with his bicycle to the start in Ghent. His plan was to start the race with his usual training partner, stop the race when he got to his car and then head home. Knowing that he wasn't going to run the whole race, Kaers broke away from the peloton to train on his own, and reached Kwaremont with a one-minute lead. [6] Meanwhile, his manager had parked his car further back to force Kaers to continue. With his car gone and still feeling great, Kaers continued the race and won. [7]
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Karel Kaers (BEL) | Alcyon–Dunlop | 6h 32' 00" |
| 2 | Romain Maes (BEL) | Individual | + 10" |
| 3 | Edward Vissers (BEL) | Alcyon–Dunlop | s.t. |
| 4 | Roger van den Driessche (BEL) | Essor | + 1' 15" |
| 5 | Auguste Toubeau (BEL) | Essor | + 2' 30" |
| 6 | Frans Spiessens (BEL) | Helyett–Hutchinson | s.t. |
| 7 | Sylvain Grysolle (BEL) | Dilecta–Wolber | + 2' 40" |
| 8 | Joseph Moerenhout (BEL) | Colin | s.t. |
| 9 | Frans Bonduel (BEL) | Dilecta–Wolber | s.t. |
| 10 | Albert Hendrickx (BEL) | Labor–Dunlop | s.t. |
The 10th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 21 March 1926. Belgian Denis Verschueren won the Monument. Of the 76 starting cyclists, 26 reached the finish.
The 11th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 3 April 1927. Belgian Gerard Debaets won the Monument for a second time after his 1924 victory. Of the 96 starting cyclists, 41 reached the finish.
The 13th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 25 March 1928. Belgian Jan Mertens won the Monument. Of the 40 starting cyclists, 25 reached the finish.
The 13th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 17 March 1929. Belgian Jef Dervaes won the Monument. Of the 63 starting cyclists, 28 reached the finish.
The 14th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 14 April 1930. Belgian Frans Bonduel won the Monument. Of the 92 starting cyclists, 29 reached the finish.
The 15th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 2 March 1931. Belgian Romain Gijssels won the Monument for a first time. Of the 116 starting cyclists, 50 reached the finish.
The 16th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 13 March 1932. Belgian Romain Gijssels won the Monument for a second time. Of the 120 starting cyclists, 44 reached the finish.
The 17th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 2 April 1933. Belgian Alfons Schepers won the Monument. Of the 164 starting cyclists, 43 reached the finish.
The 18th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 18 March 1934. Belgian Gaston Rebry won the Monument. Of the 158 starting cyclists, 48 reached the finish.
The 19th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 14 April 1935. Belgian Louis Duerloo won the Monument. Of the 140 starting cyclists, 28 reached the finish.
The 20th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 5 April 1936. Belgian Louis Hardiquest won the Monument. Of the 170 starting cyclists, 28 reached the finish.
The 21st edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 21 March 1937. Belgian Michel d'Hooghe won the Monument. Of the 181 starting cyclists, 43 reached the finish.
The 22nd edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 10 April 1938. Belgian Edgard de Caluwé won the Monument. Of the 180 starting cyclists, 29 reached the finish.
The 24th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 31 March 1940. Belgian Achiel Buysse won the Monument for a first time. In total, 34 of 103 riders finished.
The 25th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 4 May 1941. Belgian Achiel Buysse won the Monument for a second time in a row. In total, 38 of 112 riders finished.
The 26th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 6 April 1942. Belgian Briek Schotte won the Monument for a first time. Of the 67 starting cyclists, 22 reached the finish.
The 27th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 19 April 1943. Belgian Achiel Buysse won the Monument for a third time. In total, 37 of 126 riders finished.
The 28th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on Sunday, 2 April 1944. Belgian Rik van Steenbergen finished as first. Aged 19, he still is the youngest cyclist ever to win this Monument. Of the 103 starting cyclists, 34 reached the finish
The 29th edition of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic race was held on Sunday, 10 June 1945. Belgian Sylvain Grysolle won the Monument. Of the 91 starting cyclists, 31 reached the finish.
The 30th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on Sunday, 14 April 1946. 21-year old Rik van Steenbergen, who also won the 1944 edition, arrived solo. Of the 219 starting cyclists, 37 reached the finish.
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