Ardennes classics

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File:2023 Fleche Wallonne Mur de Huy 2-02.jpg
Riders climbing the Mur de Huy during the 2023 La Flèche Wallonne Féminine

The Ardennes classics[1] are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Belgian Ardennes and southern Limburg in the Netherlands: Liège–Bastogne–Liège,[2] La Flèche Wallonne[3] and Amstel Gold Race.[4] First held in 1892, 1936 and 1966 respectively, the races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held closely following each other. Cyclists that are specialized in these hilly courses are known as puncheurs. In recent years, the three classics have been held within an 8-day timeframe.

Since the late 2010s, all three of the men's races have been joined by equivalent races on the women's circuit: Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes.

History

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Prior, there was already a points classification for the Belgian Ardennes classics, called Ardennes Weekend (combining La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège).

With the introduction of the Amstel Gold Race, originally between both races, the period between the Belgian classics was extended to a week and a half. Since then, the original points classification became unofficial.

The only male winners of the "triple" are Davide Rebellin in 2004 and Philippe Gilbert in 2011. Gilbert also won the Brabantse Pijl, another important hill classic in mid-April, winning the "quadruple" that year. Other riders to win all three races, though not in a single year, are Danilo Di Luca, Michele Bartoli, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Tadej Pogačar.

In 2017, women's races for all three of the Ardennes classics were held for the first time, with Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes making its debut alongside a revival of the Women's Amstel Gold Race, which had previously been held from 2001 to 2003, and La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, which has been held since 1998.[5][6][7] Anna van der Breggen immediately clinched the triple by winning all three races in 2017, being followed by team-mate Lizzie Deignan in second and Katarzyna Niewiadoma in third in all three events.[5]

There is no official competition connecting the three races, although there have been classifications in the past for the two Walloon races.

In recent years, these three hill classics are held in the second half of April, following a similar set of the Cobbled classics.

Later in the year, there are two similar 'trebles' in Italy: the Trittico Lombardo with the Tre Valli Varesine, Coppa Ugo Agostoni and Coppa Bernocchi in the Lombardy Region, and the Trittico di Autunno (Autumn Triptych) with Milano–Torino, Giro del Piemonte and Giro di Lombardia.

Winners

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Men's (since 1966)

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Year Amstel Gold Race La Flèche Wallonne Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1966 File:Flag of France.svg Jean Stablinski (FRA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Michele Dancelli (ITA) File:Flag of France.svg Jacques Anquetil (FRA)
1967 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie den Hartog (NED) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (1/10) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Walter Godefroot (BEL)
1968 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Harry Steevens (NED) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Rik Van Looy (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Valere Van Sweevelt (BEL)
1969 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Guido Reybrouck (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jos Huysmans (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (2/10)
1970 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Georges Pintens (BEL) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (3/10) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) (1/2)
1971 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Frans Verbeeck (BEL) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (4/10)
1972 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Walter Planckaert (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (5/10) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (6/10)
1973 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (7/10) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Dierickx (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (8/10)
1974 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrie Knetemann (NED) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Frans Verbeeck (BEL) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Georges Pintens (BEL) (2/2)
1975 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (9/10) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg André Dierickx (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Merckx (BEL) (10/10)
1976 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Freddy Maertens (BEL) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Joop Zoetemelk (NED) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Joseph Bruyère (BEL) (1/2)
1977 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Raas (NED) (1/5) File:Flag of Italy.svg Francesco Moser (ITA) File:Flag of France.svg Bernard Hinault (FRA) (1/5)
1978 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Raas (NED) (2/5) File:Flag of France.svg Michel Laurent (FRA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Joseph Bruyère (BEL) (2/2)
1979 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Raas (NED) (3/5) File:Flag of France.svg Bernard Hinault (FRA) (2/5) File:Flag of Germany.svg Dietrich Thurau (DEU)
1980 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Raas (NED) (4/5) File:Flag of Italy.svg Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) File:Flag of France.svg Bernard Hinault (FRA) (3/5)
1981 File:Flag of France.svg Bernard Hinault (FRA) (4/5) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Daniel Willems (BEL) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Josef Fuchs (SUI)
1982 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Raas (NED) (5/5) File:Flag of Italy.svg Mario Beccia (ITA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Silvano Contini (ITA)
1983 File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil Anderson (AUS) File:Flag of France.svg Bernard Hinault (FRA) (5/5) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Steven Rooks (NED) (1/2)
1984 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jacques Hanegraaf (NED) File:Flag of Denmark.svg Kim Andersen (DEN) File:Flag of Ireland.svg Sean Kelly (IRE) (1/2)
1985 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrie Knetemann (NED) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Claude Criquielion (BEL) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (1/7)
1986 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Steven Rooks (NED) (2/2) File:Flag of France.svg Laurent Fignon (FRA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (2/7)
1987 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Joop Zoetemelk (NED) (2/2) File:Flag of France.svg Jean-Claude Leclercq (FRA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (3/7)
1988 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jelle Nijdam (NED) File:Flag of Germany.svg Rolf Gölz (DEU) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Adri van der Poel (NED)
1989 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eric Van Lancker (BEL) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Claude Criquielion (BEL) File:Flag of Ireland.svg Sean Kelly (IRE) (2/2)
1990 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Adri van der Poel (NED) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (4/7) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eric van Lancker (BEL) (2/2)
1991 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Frans Maassen (NED) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (5/7) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (6/7)
1992 File:Flag of Germany.svg Olaf Ludwig (GER) File:Flag of Italy.svg Giorgio Furlan (ITA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Dirk de Wolf (BEL)
1993 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Rolf Järmann (SUI) (1/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Fondriest (ITA) File:Flag of Denmark.svg Rolf Sørensen (DEN)
1994 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) (7/7) File:Flag of Russia.svg Evgeni Berzin (RUS)
1995 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mauro Gianetti (SUI) File:Flag of France.svg Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (1/2) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mauro Gianetti (SUI)
1996 File:Flag of Italy.svg Stefano Zanini (ITA) File:Flag of the United States.svg Lance Armstrong (USA) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Pascal Richard (SUI)
1997 File:Flag of Denmark.svg Bjarne Riis (DEN) File:Flag of France.svg Laurent Jalabert (FRA) (2/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Michele Bartoli (ITA) (1/4)
1998 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Rolf Järmann (SUI) (2/2) File:Flag of Denmark.svg Bo Hamburger (DEN) File:Flag of Italy.svg Michele Bartoli (ITA) (2/4)
1999 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Michael Boogerd (NED) File:Flag of Italy.svg Michele Bartoli (ITA) (3/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Frank Vandenbroucke (BEL)
2000 File:Flag of Germany.svg Erik Zabel (GER) File:Flag of Italy.svg Francesco Casagrande (ITA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Paolo Bettini (ITA) (1/2)
2001 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Erik Dekker (NED) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Rik Verbrugghe (BEL) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Oscar Camenzind (SUI)
2002 File:Flag of Italy.svg Michele Bartoli (ITA) (4/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Mario Aerts (BEL) File:Flag of Italy.svg Paolo Bettini (ITA) (2/2)
2003 File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) (1/3) File:Flag of Spain.svg Igor Astarloa (ESP) File:Flag of the United States.svg Tyler Hamilton (USA)
2004 File:Flag of Italy.svg Davide Rebellin (ITA) (1/5) File:Flag of Italy.svg Davide Rebellin (ITA) (2/5) File:Flag of Italy.svg Davide Rebellin (ITA) (3/5)
2005 File:Flag of Italy.svg Danilo Di Luca (ITA) (1/3) File:Flag of Italy.svg Danilo Di Luca (ITA) (2/3) File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) (2/3)
2006 File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Fränk Schleck (LUX) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (1/9) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (2/9)
2007 File:Flag of Germany.svg Stefan Schumacher (GER) File:Flag of Italy.svg Davide Rebellin (ITA) (4/5) File:Flag of Italy.svg Danilo Di Luca (ITA) (3/3)
2008 File:Flag of Italy.svg Damiano Cunego (ITA) File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Kim Kirchen (LUX) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (3/9)
2009 File:Flag of Russia.svg Sergei Ivanov (RUS) File:Flag of Italy.svg Davide Rebellin (ITA) (5/5) File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Andy Schleck (LUX)
2010 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (1/6) File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cadel Evans (AUS) File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) (3/3)
2011 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (2/6) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (3/6) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (4/6)
2012 File:Flag of Italy.svg Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) (1/2) File:Flag of Spain.svg Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Maxim Iglinsky (KAZ)
2013 File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Roman Kreuziger (CZE) File:Flag of Spain.svg Daniel Moreno (ESP) File:Flag of Ireland.svg Dan Martin (IRL)
2014 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (5/6) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (4/9) File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Simon Gerrans (AUS)
2015 File:Flag of Poland.svg Michał Kwiatkowski (POL) (1/2) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (5/9) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (6/9)
2016 File:Flag of Italy.svg Enrico Gasparotto (ITA) (2/2) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (7/9) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Wout Poels (NED)
2017 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (6/6) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (8/9) File:Flag of Spain.svg Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (9/9)
2018 File:Flag of Denmark.svg Michael Valgren (DEN) File:Flag of France.svg Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) (1/3) File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Bob Jungels (LUX)
2019 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) File:Flag of France.svg Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) (2/3) File:Flag of Denmark.svg Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Hirschi (SUI) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Primož Roglič (SLO)
2021 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Wout Van Aert (BEL)[8] File:Flag of France.svg Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) (3/3) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (1/6)
2022 File:Flag of Poland.svg Michał Kwiatkowski (POL) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Dylan Teuns (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Remco Evenepoel (BEL) (1/2)
2023 File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (2/6) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (3/6) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Remco Evenepoel (BEL) (2/2)
2024 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Pidcock (GBR) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stephen Williams (GBR) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (4/6)
2025 File:Flag of Denmark.svg Mattias Skjelmose (DEN) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (5/6) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (6/6)
Year Amstel Gold Race La Flèche Wallonne Liège–Bastogne–Liège

Women's

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Year Amstel Gold Race for Women La Flèche Wallonne Féminine Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes
1998 Race not held File:Flag of Italy.svg Fabiana Luperini (ITA) (1/3) Race not held
1999 File:Flag of Germany.svg Hanka Kupfernagel (GER)
2000 File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Geneviève Jeanson (CAN)
2001 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Debby Mansveld (NED) File:Flag of Italy.svg Fabiana Luperini (ITA) (2/3)
2002 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Leontien van Moorsel (NED) File:Flag of Italy.svg Fabiana Luperini (ITA) (3/3)
2003 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicole Cooke (GBR) (1/4) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicole Cooke (GBR) (2/4)
2004 Race not held File:Flag of France.svg Sonia Huguet (FRA)
2005 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicole Cooke (GBR) (3/4)
2006 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicole Cooke (GBR) (4/4)
2007 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (1/7)
2008 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (2/7)
2009 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (3/7)
2010 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Emma Pooley (GBR)
2011 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (4/7)
2012 File:Flag of the United States.svg Evelyn Stevens (USA)
2013 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (5/7)
2014 File:Flag of France.svg Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA)
2015 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (1/10)
2016 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (2/10)
2017 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (3/10) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (4/10) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (5/10)
2018 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Chantal Blaak (NED) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (6/10) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (7/10)
2019 File:Flag of Poland.svg Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) (1/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (8/10) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) (1/2)
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (9/10) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lizzie Deignan (GBR)
2021 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (6/7) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED) (10/10) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Demi Vollering (NED) (1/4)
2022 File:Flag of Italy.svg Marta Cavalli (ITA) (1/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Marta Cavalli (ITA) (2/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) (2/2)
2023 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Demi Vollering (NED) (2/4) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Demi Vollering (NED) (3/4) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Demi Vollering (NED) (4/4)
2024 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (7/7) File:Flag of Poland.svg Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) (2/2) File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Grace Brown (AUS)
2025 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mischa Bredewold (NED) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Puck Pieterse (NED) File:Flag of Mauritius.svg Kimberley Le Court (MUS)
Year Amstel Gold Race for Women La Flèche Wallonne Féminine Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes

Statistics

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  • Active cyclists marked in bold.

Most Ardennes classics wins per male rider

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Rank Name Total wins Amstel Gold Race La Flèche Wallonne Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1 Eddy Merckx 10 2 (1973, 1975) 3 (1967, 1970, 1972) 5 (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975)
2 Alejandro Valverde 9 0 5 (2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) 4 (2006, 2008, 2015, 2017)
3 Moreno Argentin 7 0 3 (1990, 1991, 1994) 4 (1985, 1986, 1987, 1991)
4 Philippe Gilbert 6 4 (2010, 2011, 2014, 2017) 1 (2011) 1 (2011)
Tadej Pogačar 6 1 (2023) 2 (2023, 2025) 3 (2021, 2024, 2025)
6 Bernard Hinault 5 1 (1981) 2 (1979, 1983) 2 (1977, 1980)
Jan Raas 5 5 (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982) 0 0
Davide Rebellin 5 1 (2004) 3 (2004, 2007, 2009) 1 (2004)
9 Ferdi Kübler 4 0 2 (1951, 1952) 2 (1951, 1952)
Michele Bartoli 4 1 (2002) 1 (1999) 2 (1997, 1998)
11 Marcel Kint 3 0 3 (1943, 1945, 1945) 0
Léon Houa 3 0 0 3 (1892, 1893, 1894)
Alfons Schepers 3 0 0 3 (1929, 1931, 1935)
Stan Ockers 3 0 2 (1953, 1955) 1 (1955)
Fred De Bruyne 3 0 0 3 (1956, 1958, 1959)
Alexander Vinokourov 3 1 (2003) 0 2 (2005, 2010)
Danilo Di Luca 3 1 (2005) 1 (2005) 1 (2007)
Julian Alaphilippe 3 0 3 (2018, 2019, 2021) 0

Most Ardennes classics wins per female rider

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Rank Name Total wins Amstel Gold Race La Flèche Wallonne Féminine Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1 Anna van der Breggen 10 1 (2017) 7 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) 2 (2017, 2018)
2 Marianne Vos 7 2 (2021, 2024) 5 (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013) 0
3 Nicole Cooke 4 1 (2003) 3 (2003, 2005, 2006) 0
Demi Vollering 4 1 (2023) 1 (2023) 2 (2021, 2023)
5 Fabiana Luperini 3 0 3 (1998, 2001, 2002) 0
6 Annemiek van Vleuten 2 0 0 2 (2019, 2022)
Marta Cavalli 2 1 (2022) 1 (2022) 0
Katarzyna Niewiadoma 2 1 (2019) 1 (2024) 0

See also

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References

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