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. Lotte Kopecky won the most recent edition in 2023.
Björn Leukemans is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. During 2008 Leukemans was suspended for doping with artificial testosterone. In 2009 he joined the Vacansoleil team. Leukemans joined Wanty–Groupe Gobert for the 2014 season, after his previous team – Vacansoleil–DCM – folded at the end of the 2013 season. Leukemans retired in 2015.
The Muur van Geraardsbergen is a steep, narrow road with cobblestones in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. It is also known as Kapelmuur, Muur-Kapelmuur or simply Muur. The hill starts near the river Dender at 18 m and reaches the top of the Oudenberg at 110 m after 1,075 m at 9.3 per cent. This climb is often part of the Tour of Flanders professional cycling race.
Michel Van Aerde was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Van Aerde became national champion in 1961, and won two stages in the Tour de France, in 1960 and 1961.
Ferdi Van Den Haute is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer competing from 1976 to 1987.
The 88th Tour of Flanders bicycle race in Belgium was held on 4 April 2004. It was the second leg of the UCI Road World Cup. German Steffen Wesemann won the monument classic ahead of Belgians Leif Hoste and Dave Bruylandts.
The 2012 Tour of Flanders was the 96th edition of the Tour of Flanders single-day "Monument" cycling race. It was held on 1 April 2012 over a distance of 256.9 kilometres – between Bruges and Oudenaarde – and was the eighth race of the 2012 UCI World Tour season.
Kenneth Vanbilsen is a Belgian former cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2011 to 2022. He was named in the start list for the 2015 Tour de France, winning the combativity award on stage ten.
The 57th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 1 April 1973. Belgian Eric Leman won the classic ahead of Freddy Maertens and Eddy Merckx. The race started in Ghent and finished for the first time in Meerbeke (Ninove). 37 out of 174 riders arrived.
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 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 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 72nd running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on 3 April 1988. It was won by Eddy Planckaert in a two-man sprint with Australian Phil Anderson. 88 of 197 starters finished the race.
The 35th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on Sunday, 1 April 1951. Italian Fiorenzo Magni won the race with a five-and-a-half minute lead over Frenchman Bernard Gauthier. It was Magni's third consecutive victory in the Tour of Flanders; the first and to date only rider to achieve this feat. 30 of 196 riders finished.
The 36th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling classic was held on Sunday, 6 April 1952. Belgian Roger Decock won the race in a three-man sprint before Loretto Petrucci and Briek Schotte. 43 of 210 riders finished.
The 2016 Pajot Hills Classic was the first edition of the Pajot Hills Classic, a women's bicycle race in Belgium. It was held on 30 March 2016 over a distance of 122.4 kilometres starting and finishing in Gooik. It was rated by the UCI as a 1.2 category race.
The 2017 Tour of Flanders was the 101st edition of the Tour of Flanders, a one-day cycling classic, that took place on 2 April 2017. It was the second monument race of the 2017 cycling season and the thirteenth event of the 2017 UCI World Tour. The race marked the pinnacle of the Flemish Cycling Week.
Bart Lemmen is a Dutch racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Visma–Lease a Bike.
Aloïs Persijn (BEL)
