Flanders Classics is an official cooperation among the organizers of the classic cycle races held in Flanders, Belgium. It was founded in 2009 [1] and comprises seven races, of which the Tour of Flanders, one of the Monuments of cycling classics, is considered the most prestigious.
The mission of the Flanders Classics is to ensure the position of the Flemish Classics in the international cycling calendar. By doing this the organization improves the stature of the smaller Flemish races. The cooperation has already achieved a better date for three of the races: Gent–Wevelgem will now be held on the Sunday between Milan–San Remo and the Ronde van Vlaanderen; the Scheldeprijs will be held between the Ronde and Paris–Roubaix; and, the Brabantse Pijl will be held before the Ardennes classics, which consist of the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
Apart from the road Classics, Flanders Classics also organizes cyclo-cross events inside and outside Belgium. Since 2018 Superprestige series have been organized by Flanders Classics in Belgium. Under the auspices of UCI, Flanders Classics also organizes the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup which takes place in various venues worldwide.
Cooperating races are:
Race | Route | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | Ghent - Ninove | Late February | First race of the Belgian cycling season. |
Gent–Wevelgem | Ghent - Wevelgem | Late March | The first of the three Sunday cobbled classics, held on the Sunday between Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Flanders. |
Dwars door Vlaanderen | Roeselare - Waregem | Late March | Until 2017 the first race of the Flemish Cycling Week; since 2018 held between Gent–Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders. |
Tour of Flanders | Antwerp - Oudenaarde | Early April | The pinnacle of the Flemish Cycling Week and the only Flemish race of the five Cycling monuments, held on the first Sunday of April. |
Scheldeprijs | Terneuzen - Schoten | Early April | This race is held between the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. |
Brabantse Pijl | Leuven - Overijse | Mid April | This race is now held before the Ardennes classics. |
Amstel Gold Race | Limburg, Netherlands | Mid/late April | only Flanders Classics race out of Belgium (from 2025) [2] |
Brussels Cycling Classic | Brussels - Geraardsbergen - Brussels | Early June | Known until 2012 as Paris–Brussels. |
Tour de Suisse | Switzerland | Mid June | only partnership [3] |
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.
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