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Cycling monument
Five classic road cycling races From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Monuments are five classic cycle races generally considered to be the oldest, hardest, longest and most prestigious one-day events in men's road cycling, with distances between 240 and 300 km.[1][2][3]
Each has a long history and specific individual characteristics. They are currently the one-day races in which most points can be earned in the UCI World Tour and the only 3rd categorized UCI races, only behind Grand Tour races; Tour de France (1st category) and Giro and Vuelta (both 2nd category). As of 2025[update], four of the five monuments hold women's races as part of the UCI Women's World Tour, with only Giro di Lombardia not having a women's race.
Eddy Merckx is by far the most successful monument rider with 19 wins in total. He is also one of two cyclists in history to win three monuments in one season, a feat he achieved in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1975. Tadej Pogacar is the other rider to do this in 2025.
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List of monuments
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The five monuments are:
Milan–San Remo – also called La Primavera (the spring classic) or La Classicissima (the classic of classics), it is the first major classic of the season.[4] First held in 1907, it is by far the longest one-day race on the UCI calendar at nearly 300 km (190 mi). Due to its flat profile, it is considered a sprinter's classic, but the famous finishing climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio give other types of cyclists a chance to win.[4][5] It is often described as "the easiest Monument to finish, but the hardest to win".[5][6]
Tour of Flanders – the Ronde van Vlaanderen in Dutch, or simply De Ronde ("the Tour"),[7] is raced every first Sunday of April.[8] First held in 1913[7] the race typically covers more than 270 km (170 mi) in the Flemish Ardennes and is known for its short, steep hills and cobbled sections.[8][9] The course shifts from year to year, with the start switching between Antwerp and Bruges in recent years.[8] A key point is the Oude Kwaremont, the longest climb of the race at 2.2 km (1.4 mi) long with a max gradient of 11%.[9]
Paris–Roubaix – also called "the Queen of the Classics" or "the Hell of the North", it is raced one week after the Tour of Flanders and is the final cobbled classic. First organized in 1896, the race started in Paris up to 1967, before switching to the current start in Compiègne.[10] The race is known for its long sections of pavé (cobblestone roads), with 30 cobbled sectors totaling over 50 km (31 mi), including the difficult Trouée d'Arenberg before finishing in the Roubaix Velodrome. It is considered the toughest monument,[11] as well as "arguably the most recognizable" one-day race on the cycling calendar.[10][12]- Liège–Bastogne–Liège – known as La Doyenne ("the old lady"[13] or "the oldest"[14]), it is the final Ardennes classic, usually held in late April as the last of the spring one-day races. First organized in 1892, it is the oldest monument.[notes 1][15] The 250 km (160 mi) course is considered a "war of attrition" due to its difficult hilly terrain, favouring climbers or even Grand Tour specialists.[15][16]
- Giro di Lombardia – also called the classica delle foglie morte ("race of the falling leaves"), it is the final monument of the season, held in late September or October.[11] First held in 1905, it was initially organized as Milano–Milano. The course switches between starting and finishing in Como and Bergamo, and is known for its hilly terrain around Lake Como. Similar to Liège–Bastogne–Liège, it is considered a climber's classic, ascending difficult hills such as Madonna del Ghisallo.[17]
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Origin
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The expression "cycling monument" has been used since the early days of cycle racing. In 1904, Henri Desgrange wrote in L'Auto that "The "Tour de France" is over and its second edition will, I fear, have also been the last. […] And yet, it seemed to us and it still seems to us that we had built with this great event the most lasting and most imposing monument to the sport of cycling".[18]
In 1949, French sports journalist Albert Baker d'Isy wrote about the 47th edition of the Paris–Roubaix race, titling his article in the French newspaper Ce soir "Paris–Roubaix: "monument" du cyclisme". The term was used again by journalist Jacques Goddet in 1950, writing about Fausto Coppi's victory at Paris–Roubaix – "Monument of international cycling, Paris-Roubaix crushed the riders with its legend as well as its diabolical difficulties".[19]
The term began being used more by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and cycling media at the end of the 20th century,[20][21] with the term designating the five most prestigious classic cycle races, namely Milan–San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Giro di Lombardia.[20][21]
Since 2010, the races are considered by the Union Cycliste Internationale to be more prestigious than other one-day races that are raced by the professional peloton, with only the Grand Tour stage races gaining more ranking points for the winner.[19]
In 2017, L'Équipe wrote that the five monuments were "the oldest one-day races, the most famous, the most unique" and that they had "prestigious entry fields" of champion riders.[19]
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Future monuments
Media and riders have discussed whether other classic cycling races meet the criteria of a cycling monument. By the 2020s, Strade Bianche – an Italian one-day race first held in 2007, defined by its use of white gravel roads – was considered to be the most likely candidate,[22][23][24] with Cycling News stating in 2025 that "there is no longer any debate that Strade Bianche is cycling's sixth Monument".[25] However, others have criticised that Strade Bianche does not have the length or longevity to be titled a monument,[26] and rider Philippe Gilbert noted that Clásica de San Sebastián and Amstel Gold Race were more important historically.[27][20]
In the women's tour, media have suggested that Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio (the oldest one-day race on the women's calendar) and Strade Bianche Donne may be worthy of the "monument" moniker.[22][24][28]
Monuments winners
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Statistics
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Most monuments wins
Only three riders have won all five monument races during their careers: Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, all three Belgians, and only Eddy Merckx won each of them more than once.
Six riders won four different monuments. With multiple victories in all the other monuments, Sean Kelly almost joined the top group, finishing second in the Tour of Flanders on three occasions (1984, 1986 and 1987). Kelly is the only other rider, after Merckx, to win four different monuments on multiple occasions.
Tadej Pogačar is the first rider to achieve a podium finish in all 5 monuments in the same season in 2025: MSR(3rd), TOF(1st), PR(2nd), LBL(1st), GDL(1st).
Tadej Pogačar is also the first rider ever to win the same monument 5 years in a row with his winning streak at Giro di Lombardia going from 2021 to 2025, eclipsing the previous record held by Fausto Coppi since 1949 in the same race.
2025 was also the first time ever 2 riders won all 5 monuments in a single season between them with Tadej Pogačar winning Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Tour of Flanders and Giro di Lombardi, whilst Mathieu van der Poel won Milan-San-Remo and Paris-Roubiax.
Dutch rider Hennie Kuiper won each monument except Liège–Bastogne–Liège, in which he finished second in 1980. Frenchman Louison Bobet also won all but Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Belgian rider Fred De Bruyne came close as well, finishing second in the Giro di Lombardia in 1955 and winning the other four races during his career. Germain Derycke also won four, all except the Giro di Lombardia. Philippe Gilbert is the most recent rider to win four different monuments, all except Milan–San Remo, in which he finished third twice.[29]
Eddy Merckx also holds the record of most victories in a single Monument, winning Milan-San Remo seven times.[30]
Riders in blue are still active. Riders in green have won all five monuments. Number of wins in gold indicates the current record holder(s).
Winners by nationality
Most wins per monument
Winners of three monuments in a single year
Eddy Merckx and Tadej Pogačar have won three monuments in a single year:
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Winners of two monuments in a single year
26 different riders (including Merckx and Pogačar) have managed to win two Monuments in the same year. The most common "double" consists of the two cobbled classics (Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix), which have been won by the same rider in the same year on 13 occasions. The Italian "double" (Milan–San Remo and Giro di Lombardia) has been achieved 11 times. All 10 possible doubles have been achieved by multiple riders with the exception of the Milan-San Remo and Tour of Flanders double, which has only been achieved by Merckx. Below the list of all doubles with years in bold indicating that they were part of a triple of monument wins (see the section above).
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Women's events
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Unlike the men's events, the women's editions do not have a higher points status above other one-day races. Media have therefore discussed other races that may be worthy of the "monument" title, including Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio (the oldest one-day race on the women's calendar) and Strade Bianche Donne.[28][31][32]
As of 2025[update], four of the five monuments hold women's races as part of the UCI Women's World Tour. Since 2017, at least two monuments have had women's races in each calendar year. As of 2025[update], Giro di Lombardia is the only monument without an equivalent race for women.[33]
- Milan–San Remo Women – a women's version of Milan–San Remo, named Primavera Rosa, was first held in 1999, but cancelled after 2005. Since 2025, the race takes place as Milano–San Remo Donne, on the same day and over a shorter course as the men's race.[34]
- Tour of Flanders – a women's edition of the Tour of Flanders has been held continuously since 2004. The first of the cobbled classics takes place on the same day as the men's event over a shorter route.
- Paris–Roubaix Femmes – First held in October 2021, after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race takes place the day before the men's event over a shorter route.
- Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes – First held in 2017. The last of the Ardennes classics is held on the same day and over a shorter course as the men's race.[35]
In 2021, British rider Lizzie Deignan became the first women's rider to win more than two of these events, having won 2016 Tour of Flanders for Women, 2020 Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes and 2021 Paris–Roubaix Femmes.[36] Two riders have won two of them in one year – Zulfiya Zabirova in 2004 and Anna van der Breggen in 2018.[37][38]
From 2026, the UCI will award more ranking points to the four races compared to other one-day races in the UCI Women's World Tour – thereby officially designating them as monuments.[39][40]
Winners
Most monuments wins
Winners by nationality
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Notes
- The result in 1949 took several months and two international conferences to sort out. André Mahé was first but his win was challenged because he took the wrong course. Mahé was in a break of three that reached Roubaix velodrome in the lead, but he was misdirected by officials and entered the track by the wrong gate. Mahé was declared winner but a few minutes later other riders arrived using the correct route and Serse Coppi, brother of famous Fausto, won the sprint for what was assumed to be the minor placings. After a protest and several months, Serse Coppi was named joint winner with Mahé.
- Two riders shared the 1957 race. Germain Derijcke was first over the line, but because he crossed a closed rail crossing, the second-place rider, Frans Schoubben, was promoted to first as well. Derijcke was not disqualified, because he had won by three minutes advantage; judges felt he had not gained that much time from illegally crossing the railway.
- The 2020 Paris–Roubaix was initially moved to October and subsequently cancelled in its entirety due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
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References
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