Cycling Monuments

5 massive days

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Tradition is the product of great endeavour, or perhaps great pleasure.

Lining up for any one of the five great cycling monuments 200+ riders feel the weight of tradition on their shoulders - and feel the necessity to throw it off to leave their mark on the tradition.

The five monument races are five one day races, starting with Milan San Remo, then the Tour of Flanders, Paris Roubaix (Queen of the Classics), Liege Bastogne Liege, finishing with the Tour of Lombardy. These races are separated from the ‘normal’ classic one day race by history and distance.

Milan San Remo is the first and longest of the Monuments. Starting early and running south from Milan to the Italian Riviera, the route crosses the Passo del Turchino, the only real climb on the way to the coast. Following the coast road towards France the route takes a turn inland, up the narrow climbs and twisty descents of the Cipressa and the Poggio, which used to split the race. The recent addition of the Altopiano delle Manie was to encourage the race to split earlier. Particularly successful in 2012, which saw the race split after riders came down on wet roads, resulting in an all out battle to the finish, high octane chasing that only pro riders over 298km can provide. First run in 1907.

The Tour of Flanders criss-crosses the Flanders Ridge, over short, steep cobbled climbs. The race start is the main square of the medieval city of Bruges, and only reaches the first climb after 160km. Not only are the climbs short and steep, but they’re also narrow. This strings the riders out, and on a wet day when traction is at a premium on the muddy cobbles, if one wheel spins then those at the back are walking, the front of the race is long gone. A timely attack can soon create a gap and high speed chase through the lanes, and out on the wide run in to the finish. The Flemish are partisan in extreme on their home ground, a local win more than makes a career, it covers a multitude of sins. 256 of the most brutal Belgium kilometres for 2013. First run in 1913.

Paris Roubaix, the Queen of the Classics, covers cobbles and tarmac for 257.5km. Finishing in the velodrome in the industrial city of Roubaix. Bikes are destroyed and reputations born on the cobbles. Not the cobbles of a British market town, but of French farm tracks, closed for the day to become the focus the cycling world. Padded bar tape, two layers of, frames with flex, gel inserts, wider tyres, suspension forks, it’s all a crazy arms race to combat the assault of the cobbles on every part of the body. Falls are common, often fast and without apparent reason, where one rider hits the floor another follows. Overriding strength wins out, seemingly smoothing the cobbles, power and poise in equal measure. Tom Boonen and the Omega Pharma Quickstep squad were confident and ruthless in 2012, not a hard ride, more the ride of a lifetime. One week after Flanders, first run in 1896.

Liege Bastogne Liege, La Doyenne, loops between these two cities, and is the oldest of the Monuments, first ridden by professionals in 1894. 257.5km in the Ardennes. The hills here are longer than Flanders, and not cobbled, but steep nonetheless. The outskirts of Liege is where the race comes apart, the Cote de la Redoute stretches and snaps the peloton, which surges and reforms in small groups over the Cote de Roche aux Faucons. The final hammer is the Cote de Saint Nicolas averaging 11.1% for 1km. 2011 saw Philippe Gilbert match the Schleck brothers over the summit and they drove hard down into the streets of Liege, holding off a determined chase. With the race running past his front door, if Gilbert found himself in this situation, he was always going to take the sprint. First run in 1892 (amateurs).

The Tour of Lombardy is the scenic season closer around the hills and lakes of Northern Italy. Known as the race of the falling leaves, autumnal conditions are inevitable in mid-October. Littered with climbs and narrow descents the course’s most famous climb is the Madonna del Ghissalo. A race of attrition. 199 riders started in 2012, in less than ideal conditions. 251 km later 143 had abandoned, and the victory went to Joaquim Rodriguez, punchy and aggressive on short, steep climbs. The first Spanish win in 106 years of racing. First run in 1905.

These are the Monuments. Tradition built on endeavour. To watch, pure edge of the seat pleasure.

Le Sportif celebrates the 5 Monuments.