Cycling monument

List of monuments

The five monuments are:

• Italy 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. First held in 1907, it is by far the longest one-day race on the UCI calendar at nearly 300 km. 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. It is often described as "the easiest Monument to finish, but the hardest to win".
• Belgium Tour of Flanders – the Ronde van Vlaanderen in Dutch, or simply De Ronde ("the Tour"), is raced every first Sunday of April. First held in 1913 the race typically covers more than 270 km in the Flemish Ardennes and is known for its short, steep hills and cobbled sections. The course shifts from year to year, with the start switching between Antwerp and Bruges in recent years. A key point is the Oude Kwaremont, the longest climb of the race at 2.2 km long with a max gradient of 11%.
• France 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. The race is known for its long sections of pavé (cobblestone roads), with 30 cobbled sectors totaling over 50 km, including the difficult Trouée d'Arenberg before finishing in the Roubaix Velodrome. It is considered the toughest monument, as well as "arguably the most recognizable" one-day race on the cycling calendar.
• Belgium Liège–Bastogne–Liège – known as La Doyenne ("the old lady" or "the oldest"), 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. The 250 km course is considered a "war of attrition" due to its difficult hilly terrain, favouring climbers or even Grand Tour specialists.
• Italy 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. 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.

Origin

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".

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".

The term began being used more by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and cycling media at the end of the 20th century, 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.

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.

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.

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, with Cycling News stating in 2025 that "there is no longer any debate that Strade Bianche is cycling's sixth Monument". However, others have criticised that Strade Bianche does not have the length or longevity to be titled a monument, and rider Philippe Gilbert noted that Clásica de San Sebastián and Amstel Gold Race were more important historically.

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.

Monuments winners