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]

History

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File:Boonen GW2011.JPG
Tom Boonen is the only rider to win all cobbled classics in a single 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 its relatively easy route.[citation needed] 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

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Men's (since 1990)

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Year File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg E3 Harelbeke (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tour of Flanders (BEL) File:Flag of France.svg Paris–Roubaix (FRA)
1990  Søren Lilholt (DEN) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Herman Frison (BEL) File:Flag of Italy.svg Moreno Argentin (ITA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Eddy Planckaert (BEL)
1991 File:Flag of Germany.svg Olaf Ludwig (GER) File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Edwig van Hooydonck (BEL) File:Flag of France.svg Marc Madiot (FRA)
1992 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (1/8) File:Flag of Italy.svg Mario Cipollini (ITA) (1/4) File:Flag of France.svg Jacky Durand (FRA) File:Flag of France.svg Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA) (1/2)
1993 File:Flag of Italy.svg Mario Cipollini (ITA) (2/4) File:Flag of Italy.svg Mario Cipollini (ITA) (3/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (2/8) File:Flag of France.svg Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA) (1/2)
1994 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (1/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Wilfried Peeters (BEL) File:Flag of Italy.svg Gianni Bugno (ITA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (2/4)
1995 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bart Leysen (BEL)  Lars Michaelsen (DEN) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (3/8) File:Flag of Italy.svg Franco Ballerini (ITA) (1/2)
1996 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Carlo Bomans (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Steels (BEL) (1/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Michele Bartoli (ITA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (4/8)
1997 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Hendrik Van Dijck (BEL) File:Flag of France.svg Philippe Gaumont (FRA)  Rolf Sørensen (DEN) File:Flag of France.svg Frédéric Guesdon (FRA)
1998 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (5/8) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Frank Vandenbroucke (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (6/8) File:Flag of Italy.svg Franco Ballerini (ITA) (2/2)
1999 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (1/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Steels (BEL) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (2/4) File:Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Tafi (ITA) (1/2)
2000 File:Flag of Russia.svg Sergei Ivanov (RUS) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Geert Van Bondt (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (3/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (7/8)
2001 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (4/4) File:Flag of the United States.svg George Hincapie (USA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Gianluca Bortolami (ITA) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Servais Knaven (NED)
2002 File:Flag of Italy.svg Dario Pieri (ITA) File:Flag of Italy.svg Mario Cipollini (ITA) (4/4) File:Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Tafi (ITA) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Museeuw (BEL) (8/8)
2003 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Steven de Jongh (NED) File:Flag of Germany.svg Andreas Klier (GER) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (3/4) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (4/4)
2004 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (1/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (2/15) File:Flag of Germany.svg Steffen Wesemann (GER) File:Flag of Sweden.svg Magnus Bäckstedt (SWE)
2005 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (3/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Nico Mattan (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (4/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (5/15)
2006 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (6/15) File:Flag of Norway.svg Thor Hushovd (NOR) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (7/15) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (1/9)
2007 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (8/15) File:Flag of Germany.svg Marcus Burghardt (GER) File:Flag of Italy.svg Alessandro Ballan (ITA) File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stuart O'Grady (AUS)
2008 File:Flag of Norway.svg Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR) File:Flag of Spain.svg Óscar Freire (ESP) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stijn Devolder (BEL) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (9/15)
2009 File:Flag of Italy.svg Filippo Pozzato (ITA) File:Flag of Norway.svg Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stijn Devolder (BEL) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (10/15)
2010 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (2/9) File:Flag of Austria.svg Bernhard Eisel (AUT) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (3/9) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (4/9)
2011 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (5/9) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (11/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Nick Nuyens (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johan Vansummeren (BEL)
2012 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (12/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (13/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (14/15) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tom Boonen (BEL) (15/15)
2013 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (6/9) File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Peter Sagan (SVK) (1/6) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (7/9) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (8/9)
2014 File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Peter Sagan (SVK) (2/6) File:Flag of Germany.svg John Degenkolb (GER) (1/2) File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (9/9) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Niki Terpstra (NED) (1/3)
2015 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Geraint Thomas (GBR) File:Flag of Italy.svg Luca Paolini (ITA) File:Flag of Norway.svg Alexander Kristoff (NOR) (1/2) File:Flag of Germany.svg John Degenkolb (GER) (2/2)
2016 File:Flag of Poland.svg Michał Kwiatkowski (POL) File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Peter Sagan (SVK) (3/6) File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Peter Sagan (SVK) (4/6) File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mathew Hayman (AUS)
2017 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (1/3) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (2/3) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (3/3)
2018 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Niki Terpstra (NED) (2/3) File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Peter Sagan (SVK) (5/6) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Niki Terpstra (NED) (3/3) File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Peter Sagan (SVK) (6/6)
2019  Zdeněk Štybar (CZE) File:Flag of Norway.svg Alexander Kristoff (NOR) (2/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Bettiol (ITA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (2/2)
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic  Mads Pedersen (DEN) (1/3) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (1/8) Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021  Kasper Asgreen (DEN) (1/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Wout van Aert (BEL) (1/3)  Kasper Asgreen (DEN) (2/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Sonny Colbrelli (ITA)
2022 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Wout van Aert (BEL) (2/3) File:Flag of Eritrea.svg Biniam Girmay (ERI) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (2/8) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dylan van Baarle (NED)
2023 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Wout van Aert (BEL) (3/3) File:Flag of France.svg Christophe Laporte (FRA) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (1/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (3/8)
2024 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (4/8)  Mads Pedersen (DEN) (2/3) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) (5/8) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) (6/8)
2025 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (7/8)  Mads Pedersen (DEN) (3/3) File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Tadej Pogačar (SLO) (2/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (8/8)
Year File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg E3 Harelbeke (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tour of Flanders (BEL) File:Flag of France.svg Paris–Roubaix (FRA)

Women's (since 2004)

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Year File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tour of Flanders for Women (BEL) File:Flag of France.svg Paris–Roubaix Femmes (FRA)
2004 Race not held File:Flag of Russia.svg Zoulfia Zabirova (RUS) Race not held
2005 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel (NED) (1/2)
2006 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel (NED) (2/2)
2007 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicole Cooke (GBR)
2008 File:Flag of Germany.svg Judith Arndt (GER) (1/2)
2009 File:Flag of Germany.svg Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)
2010 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Grace Verbeke (BEL)
2011 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) (1/2)
2012 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) (1/3) File:Flag of Germany.svg Judith Arndt (GER) (2/2)
2013 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Kirsten Wild (NED) (1/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (2/2)
2014 File:Flag of the United States.svg Lauren Hall (USA) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Ellen van Dijk (NED)
2015 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Floortje Mackaij (NED) File:Flag of Italy.svg Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) (1/3)
2016 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Chantal Blaak (NED) (1/2) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) (2/3)
2017 File:Flag of Finland.svg Lotta Lepistö (FIN) File:Flag of the United States.svg Coryn Rivera (USA)
2018 File:Flag of Italy.svg Marta Bastianelli (ITA) (1/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anna van der Breggen (NED)
2019 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Kirsten Wild (NED) (2/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Marta Bastianelli (ITA) (2/2)
2020 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jolien D'Hoore (BEL) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (NED) (2/2) Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marianne Vos (NED) (2/2) File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) (2/2) File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lizzie Deignan (GBR) (3/3)
2022 File:Flag of Italy.svg Elisa Balsamo (ITA) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Lotte Kopecky (BEL) (1/4) File:Flag of Italy.svg Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) (2/3)
2023 File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marlen Reusser (SUI) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Lotte Kopecky (BEL) (2/4) File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alison Jackson (CAN)
2024 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Lorena Wiebes (NED) (1/2) File:Flag of Italy.svg Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) (3/3) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Lotte Kopecky (BEL) (3/4)
2025 File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Lorena Wiebes (NED) (2/2) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Lotte Kopecky (BEL) (4/4) File:Flag of France.svg Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA)
Year File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tour of Flanders for Women (BEL) File:Flag of France.svg Paris–Roubaix Femmes (FRA)

Statistics

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  • Active cyclists marked in bold.

Most cobbled classics wins per male rider

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Rank Name Total wins E3 Harelbeke Gent–Wevelgem Tour of Flanders Paris–Roubaix
1 Tom Boonen 15 5 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) 3 (2004, 2011, 2012) 3 (2005, 2006, 2012) 4 (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012)
2 Rik Van Looy 12 4 (1964, 1965, 1966, 1969) 3 (1956, 1957, 1962) 2 (1959, 1962) 3 (1961, 1962, 1965)
3 Fabian Cancellara 9 3 (2010, 2011, 2013) 0 3 (2010, 2013, 2014) 3 (2006, 2010, 2013)
4 Eddy Merckx 8 0 3 (1967, (1970, (1973) 2 (1969, 1975) 3 (1968, 1970, 1973)
Johan Museeuw 8 2 (1992, 1998) 0 3 (1993, 1995, 1998) 3 (1996, 2000, 2002)
Mathieu van der Poel 8 2 (2024, 2025) 0 3 (2020, 2022, 2024) 3 (2023, 2024, 2025)

Most cobbled classics wins per women rider

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Rank Name Total wins Gent–Wevelgem Tour of Flanders Paris–Roubaix
1 File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Lotte Kopecky (BEL) 4 0 3 (2022, 2023, 2025) 1 (2024)
2 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lizzie Deignan (GBR) 3 1 (2012) 1 (2016) 1 (2021)
File:Flag of Italy.svg Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) 3 0 2 (2015, 2024) 1 (2022)

See also

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References

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