Cobbled classics

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The cobbled classics are four cycling classics held in March and April. Cobblestones, like mountainous terrain, are important elements in courses of cycling. Many classic cycle races in northwestern Europe contain cobbled sections. The two Monuments of this race type are the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix, with over 20 cobbled sectors. [1]

Contents

History

Tom Boonen is the only rider to win all cobbled classics in 1 season (2012) Boonen GW2011.JPG
Tom Boonen is the only rider to win all cobbled classics in 1 season (2012)

The first race with cobbled sections is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, which traditionally opens the Belgian classics season, followed the next day by Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. Starting in late March, the Flemish Cycling Week (Vlaamse Wielerweek) kicks off the most important period for cobbled cycling classics. Currently it features the Driedaagse van De Panne on Wednesday (formerly a stage race, now a one-day event), the E3 Harelbeke on Friday, and Gent–Wevelgem on Sunday. The following week, Dwars door Vlaanderen keeps the riders busy, concluding with the Monument Tour of Flanders on Sunday. The Scheldeprijs on the following Wednesday prepare the riders for the historical Paris–Roubaix (another Monument), which ends the cobbled classics.

Among the cobbled cycling races, the three most historical are usually held on consecutive Sundays in March and April: Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. Gent–Wevelgem has lost a lot of its historical status due to the relatively ease of the route. The E3 Harelbeke is considered to be harder and thus better preparation for the Ronde and Roubaix. In 2012, both races received equal status on the UCI World Tour. In 2017, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe) and Dwars door Vlaanderen became World Tour races.

In 2012 Belgian rider Tom Boonen managed to win all four races in the same season, as the first and only rider to do so. [2]

In the 2010s, some of the races have been joined by equivalent races for women - Gent–Wevelgem for Women, Tour of Flanders for Women and Paris–Roubaix Femmes.

Winners

Men's (since 1990)

YearFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  E3 Harelbeke  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Gent–Wevelgem  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tour of Flanders  (BEL)Flag of France.svg  Paris–Roubaix  (FRA)
1990Flag of Denmark.svg  Søren Lilholt  (DEN)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Herman Frison  (BEL)Flag of Italy.svg  Moreno Argentin  (ITA)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Eddy Planckaert  (BEL)
1991Flag of Germany.svg  Olaf Ludwig  (GER)Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov  (UZB)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Edwig van Hooydonck  (BEL)Flag of France.svg  Marc Madiot  (FRA)
1992Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(1/8)Flag of Italy.svg  Mario Cipollini  (ITA)(1/4)Flag of France.svg  Jacky Durand  (FRA)Flag of France.svg  Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle  (FRA)(1/2)
1993Flag of Italy.svg  Mario Cipollini  (ITA)(2/4)Flag of Italy.svg  Mario Cipollini  (ITA)(3/4)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(2/8)Flag of France.svg  Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle  (FRA)(1/2)
1994Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Andrei Tchmil  (BEL)(1/4)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Wilfried Peeters  (BEL)Flag of Italy.svg  Gianni Bugno  (ITA)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Andrei Tchmil  (BEL)(2/4)
1995Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Bart Leysen  (BEL)Flag of Denmark.svg  Lars Michaelsen  (DEN)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(3/8)Flag of Italy.svg  Franco Ballerini  (ITA)(1/2)
1996Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Carlo Bomans  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Steels  (BEL)(1/2)Flag of Italy.svg  Michele Bartoli  (ITA)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(4/8)
1997Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Hendrik Van Dijck  (BEL)Flag of France.svg  Philippe Gaumont  (FRA)Flag of Denmark.svg  Rolf Sørensen  (DEN)Flag of France.svg  Frédéric Guesdon  (FRA)
1998Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(5/8)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Frank Vandenbroucke  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(6/8)Flag of Italy.svg  Franco Ballerini  (ITA)(2/2)
1999Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Peter Van Petegem  (BEL)(1/4)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Steels  (BEL)(2/2)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Peter Van Petegem  (BEL)(2/4)Flag of Italy.svg  Andrea Tafi  (ITA)(1/2)
2000Flag of Russia.svg  Sergei Ivanov  (RUS)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Geert Van Bondt  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Andrei Tchmil  (BEL)(3/4)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(7/8)
2001Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Andrei Tchmil  (BEL)(4/4)Flag of the United States.svg  George Hincapie  (USA)Flag of Italy.svg  Gianluca Bortolami  (ITA)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Servais Knaven  (NED)
2002Flag of Italy.svg  Dario Pieri  (ITA)Flag of Italy.svg  Mario Cipollini  (ITA)(4/4)Flag of Italy.svg  Andrea Tafi  (ITA)(2/2)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Museeuw  (BEL)(8/8)
2003Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Steven de Jongh  (NED)Flag of Germany.svg  Andreas Klier  (GER)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Peter Van Petegem  (BEL)(3/4)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Peter Van Petegem  (BEL)(4/4)
2004Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(1/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(2/15)Flag of Germany.svg  Steffen Wesemann  (GER)Flag of Sweden.svg  Magnus Bäckstedt  (SWE)
2005Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(3/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Nico Mattan  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(4/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(5/15)
2006Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(6/15)Flag of Norway.svg  Thor Hushovd  (NOR)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(7/15)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(1/9)
2007Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(8/15)Flag of Germany.svg  Marcus Burghardt  (GER)Flag of Italy.svg  Alessandro Ballan  (ITA)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Stuart O'Grady  (AUS)
2008Flag of Norway.svg  Kurt Asle Arvesen  (NOR)Flag of Spain.svg  Óscar Freire  (ESP)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Stijn Devolder  (BEL)(1/2)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(9/15)
2009Flag of Italy.svg  Filippo Pozzato  (ITA)Flag of Norway.svg  Edvald Boasson Hagen  (NOR)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Stijn Devolder  (BEL)(2/2)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(10/15)
2010Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(2/9)Flag of Austria.svg  Bernhard Eisel  (AUT)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(3/9)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(4/9)
2011Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(5/9)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(11/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Nick Nuyens  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Johan Vansummeren  (BEL)
2012Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(12/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(13/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(14/15)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tom Boonen  (BEL)(15/15)
2013Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(6/9)Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK)(1/6)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(7/9)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(8/9)
2014Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK)(2/6)Flag of Germany.svg  John Degenkolb  (GER)(1/2)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Fabian Cancellara  (SUI)(9/9)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Niki Terpstra  (NED)(1/3)
2015Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Geraint Thomas  (GBR)Flag of Italy.svg  Luca Paolini  (ITA)Flag of Norway.svg  Alexander Kristoff  (NOR)(1/2)Flag of Germany.svg  John Degenkolb  (GER)(2/2)
2016Flag of Poland.svg  Michał Kwiatkowski  (POL)Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK)(3/6)Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK)(4/6)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Mathew Hayman  (AUS)
2017Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Greg Van Avermaet  (BEL)(1/3)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Greg Van Avermaet  (BEL)(2/3)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Philippe Gilbert  (BEL)(1/2)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Greg Van Avermaet  (BEL)(3/3)
2018Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Niki Terpstra  (NED)(2/3)Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK)(5/6)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Niki Terpstra  (NED)(3/3)Flag of Slovakia.svg  Peter Sagan  (SVK)(6/6)
2019Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Zdeněk Štybar  (CZE)Flag of Norway.svg  Alexander Kristoff  (NOR)(2/2)Flag of Italy.svg  Alberto Bettiol  (ITA)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Philippe Gilbert  (BEL)(2/2)
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic Flag of Denmark.svg  Mads Pedersen  (DEN)(1/2)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)(1/6)Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021Flag of Denmark.svg  Kasper Asgreen  (DEN)(1/2)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Wout van Aert  (BEL)(1/3)Flag of Denmark.svg  Kasper Asgreen  (DEN)(2/2)Flag of Italy.svg  Sonny Colbrelli  (ITA)
2022Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Wout van Aert  (BEL)(2/3)Flag of Eritrea.svg  Biniam Girmay  (ERI)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)(2/6)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Dylan van Baarle  (NED)
2023Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Wout van Aert  (BEL)(3/3)Flag of France.svg  Christophe Laporte  (FRA)Flag of Slovenia.svg  Tadej Pogačar  (SLO)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)(3/6)
2024Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mathieu van der Poel  (NED)(4/6)Flag of Denmark.svg  Mads Pedersen  (DEN)(2/2)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mathieu Van Der Poel  (NED)(5/6)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mathieu Van Der Poel  (NED)(6/6)
YearFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  E3 Harelbeke  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Gent–Wevelgem  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tour of Flanders  (BEL)Flag of France.svg  Paris–Roubaix  (FRA)

Women's (since 2004)

YearFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Gent–Wevelgem  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tour of Flanders for Women  (BEL)Flag of France.svg  Paris–Roubaix Femmes  (FRA)
2004Race not heldFlag of Russia.svg  Zoulfia Zabirova  (RUS)Race not held
2005Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel  (NED)
2006Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel  (NED)
2007Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Nicole Cooke  (GBR)
2008Flag of Germany.svg  Judith Arndt  (GER)(1/2)
2009Flag of Germany.svg  Ina-Yoko Teutenberg  (GER)
2010Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Grace Verbeke  (BEL)
2011Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Annemiek van Vleuten  (NED)(1/2)
2012Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Lizzie Armitstead  (GBR)(1/3)Flag of Germany.svg  Judith Arndt  (GER)(2/2)
2013Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Kirsten Wild  (NED)(1/2)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Marianne Vos  (NED)(2/2)
2014Flag of the United States.svg  Lauren Hall  (USA)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Ellen van Dijk  (NED)
2015Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Floortje Mackaij  (NED)Flag of Italy.svg  Elisa Longo Borghini  (ITA)(1/2)
2016Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Chantal Blaak  (NED)(1/2)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Lizzie Armitstead  (GBR)(2/3)
2017Flag of Finland.svg  Lotta Lepistö  (FIN)Flag of the United States.svg  Coryn Rivera  (USA)
2018Flag of Italy.svg  Marta Bastianelli  (ITA)(1/2)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anna van der Breggen  (NED)
2019Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Kirsten Wild  (NED)(2/2)Flag of Italy.svg  Marta Bastianelli  (ITA)(2/2)
2020Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Jolien D'Hoore  (BEL)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Chantal van den Broek-Blaak  (NED)(2/2)Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Marianne Vos  (NED)(2/2)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Annemiek van Vleuten  (NED)(2/2)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Lizzie Deignan  (GBR)(3/3)
2022Flag of Italy.svg  Elisa Balsamo  (ITA)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Lotte Kopecky  (BEL)(1/2)Flag of Italy.svg  Elisa Longo Borghini  (ITA)(2/2)
2023Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Marlen Reusser  (SUI)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Lotte Kopecky  (BEL)(2/2)Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Alison Jackson  (CAN)
YearFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Gent–Wevelgem  (BEL)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Tour of Flanders for Women  (BEL)Flag of France.svg  Paris–Roubaix Femmes  (FRA)

Statistics

Most cobbled classics wins per male rider

RankNameTotal winsE3 HarelbekeGent–WevelgemTour of FlandersParis–Roubaix
1 Tom Boonen 155 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012)3 (2004, 2011, 2012)3 (2005, 2006, 2012)4 (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012)
2 Rik Van Looy 124 (1964, 1965, 1966, 1969)3 (1956, 1957, 1962)2 (1959, 1962)3 (1961, 1962, 1965)
3 Fabian Cancellara 93 (2010, 2011, 2013)03 (2010, 2013, 2014)3 (2006, 2010, 2013)
4 Eddy Merckx 803 (1967, (1970, (1973)2 (1969, 1975)3 (1968, 1970, 1973)
Johan Museeuw 82 (1992, 1998)03 (1993, 1995, 1998)3 (1996, 2000, 2002)

See also

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References

  1. "Cobbled Classics". CyclingWeekly.com.
  2. "Tom Boonen". FirstCycling.com. 2022.