| Race details | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 7 April 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Stages | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 264 km (164.0 mi) | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 6h 53' 00" | ||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
The 86th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 7 April 2002. It was the second leg of the 2002 UCI Road World Cup. Italian Andrea Tafi won the monument classic ahead of Johan Museeuw and Peter Van Petegem. [1] [2] The race started in Bruges and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
Erwin Thijs was in the front for almost 200 km. After the Koppenberg, 55 km from the finish, eight riders broke away. Five of them, Johan Museeuw, George Hincapie, Peter Van Petegem, Andrea Tafi and Daniele Nardello, stayed ahead after Museeuw attacked on the Muur van Geraardsbergen. Museeuw and Van Petegem tried to break clear, but they thwarted each other's attempts. When Andrea Tafi attacked, 4 km before the finish, the rest hesitated and the Italian pushed on until the finish. Museeuw beat Van Petegem in the sprint for second place. Mario Cipollini won the sprint for ninth ahead of Erik Zabel at 2' 27". French newspaper L'Équipe called the race's finale "the most beautiful breakaway of the year".
The edition saw the re-introduction of the Koppenberg, 15 years after its previous appearance in 1987. In total, there were 16 categorized climbs:
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andrea Tafi (ITA) | Mapei–Quick Step | 6h 53' 00" |
| 2 |  Johan Museeuw (BEL) | Domo–Farm Frites | + 21" |
| 3 | Peter Van Petegem (BEL) | Lotto–Domo | + 21" |
| 4 |  George Hincapie (USA) | US Postal | + 21" |
| 5 | Daniele Nardello (ITA) | Mapei–Quick Step | + 21" |
| 6 |  Rolf Sörensen (DEN) | Landbouwkrediet–Colnago | + 1' 12" |
| 7 | Enrico Cassani (ITA) | Domo–Farm Frites | + 1' 12" |
| 8 | Gabriele Missaglia (ITA) | Lampre–Daikin | + 1' 12" |
| 9 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) | Acqua & Sapone | + 2' 27" |
| 10 |  Erik Zabel (GER) | Team Telekom | + 2' 27" |
The Tour of Flanders, also known as De Ronde, is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and organized by Flanders Classics. Its nickname is Vlaanderens Mooiste. First held in 1913, the Tour of Flanders had its 100th edition in 2016.
Johan Museeuw is a retired Belgian professional road racing cyclist who was a professional from 1988 until 2004. Nicknamed The Lion of Flanders, he was particularly successful in the cobbled classics of Flanders and Northern France and was considered one of the best classic races specialists of the 1990s.
Andrea Tafi is an Italian former road bicycle racer who retired from his professional career in 2005. Tafi's propensity to perform best in the harder races earned him the nickname "Il Gladiatore".
The Tour of Flanders, formerly the Tour of Flanders for Women, is an annual road bicycle racing event in Flanders, Belgium, held in early April. It is held on the same day as the men's race, on much of the same roads but at a shorter distance. Dutch riders Mirjam Melchers, Annemiek van Vleuten, Belgian Lotte Kopecky and German Judith Arndt hold the record with two wins each. Elisa Longo Borghini won the most recent edition in 2024.
The 2004 Paris–Roubaix was the 102nd running of the Paris–Roubaix single-day cycling race, often known as the Hell of the North. It was held on 11 April 2004 over a distance of 261 kilometres. Among the participating favorites were 1996, 2000 and 2002 winner Johan Museeuw and 2003 winner Peter Van Petegem. The race was part of the UCI Road World Cup.
The 69th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race took place on 7 April 1985. It was won by Belgian Eric Vanderaerden in an average speed of 39,605 km/h. The race was affected by abysmal weather, when a storm accompanied by wind and torrential rainfall, broke in the afternoon. Only 24 of 173 participants arrived.
The 61st running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on 3 April 1977. Belgian Roger De Vlaeminck won in a two-man sprint before Freddy Maertens, although the latter was later disqualified for an illegal bike change. The race started in Sint-Niklaas and finished in Meerbeke.
The 60th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 4 April 1976. Belgian Walter Planckaert won before Francesco Moser and Marc Demeyer. It was the last time the race started in its original starting place, Ghent. The finish was in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 78th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 3 April 1994. Italian Gianni Bugno won in a four-man sprint ahead of Johan Museeuw and Andrei Tchmil. The race started in Sint-Niklaas and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 79th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 2 April 1995. It was the second leg of the 1995 UCI Road World Cup. Belgian Johan Museeuw won his second victory in the monument classic. The race started in Sint-Niklaas and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 80th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 7 April 1996. Italian Michele Bartoli won the monument classic ahead of Fabio Baldato and Johan Museeuw. The race started in Sint-Niklaas and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 82nd running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 5 April 1998. Belgian Johan Museeuw won his third victory in the monument classic. The race started in Bruges for the first time and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 83rd running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 4 April 1999. It was the second leg of the UCI Road World Cup. Belgian Peter Van Petegem won his first victory in the monument classic. The race started in Bruges and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 87th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 6 April 2003. Belgian Peter Van Petegem won his second victory in the monument classic. The race started in Bruges and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 84th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 2 April 2000. It was the second leg of the 2000 UCI Road World Cup. Naturalized Belgian Andrei Tchmil won the monument classic ahead of Dario Pieri and Romāns Vainšteins. The race started in Bruges and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 81st running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 6 April 1997. It was the second leg of the 1997 UCI Road World Cup. Rolf Sørensen won the race, becoming the first Danish winner of the monument classic. The race started in Sint-Niklaas and finished in Meerbeke (Ninove).
The 77th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 4 April 1993.
The 70th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race was held on 6 April 1986. It was won by Dutch rider Adrie van der Poel in a four-man sprint before Ireland's Sean Kelly.
The 71st running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race was held on 5 April 1987. It was won by Claude Criquielion after a 10 km solo breakaway. 88 of 233 starters finished the race.
The 75th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on Sunday, 7 April 1991. Edwig Van Hooydonck won the race, his second after 1989. The race was the second leg of the UCI Road World Cup. 102 of 194 riders finished.
