Cycling Spring Classics & Monuments 2024: Race Dates, How To Watch, And Essential Info

Elite racer Quentin Deby provides a summary of all of 2024's Spring Classics

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Considered by many cycling purists to be the most exciting part of the professional calendar, the Spring Classics offer both a thrilling spectacle for viewers and a challenging experience for participants.

These iconic cycling events, often referred to as the Spring Classics, the Cobbled Classics, or simply the Classics, include the majority of the most prestigious one-day races in the sport. They primarily take place in Northern Europe during the spring season.

This guide is your comprehensive resource on the Classics. It includes an overview of the key races, details on live TV coverage, insights into the famed Monuments, and an appreciation for the legendary cobbled routes.

We’ve listed the races in chronological order.

Let’s dive in!

Cyclists riding the cobbles at the 2024 Spring Classics.
© A.S.O./Pauline Ballet

What Are The Cycling Spring Classics?

There’s often a lively discussion about which races should be categorized as a Classic.

In this guide, we include a broad range, from the prestigious Monuments to the lesser-known “semi-Classics” tackled by elite WorldTour teams.

Essentially, any race that highlights the prowess of Classics specialists, or those events that serve as precursors to the marquee Classics, falls under our definition of a Classic.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Key Info

  • Type: Cobbled Classic
  • When: February 24th, 2024
  • Where: Gent, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 125 miles (202 km) / Women’s 79 miles (127 km)
  • Most Wins: 3 – Ernest Sterckx, Joseph Bruyère, Peter Van Petegem / 2 – Suzanne de Goede, Emma Johansson, Anna van der Breggen, Annemiek van Vleuten
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Dylan van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma) /  Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx)

Marking the commencement of the Classics season, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad takes place on Saturday, February 24th, 2024.

The men’s race spans 125 miles (202 km) and the women’s 79 miles (127 km), both starting and finishing in Gent, Belgium.

Featuring steep, Belgian cobbled climbs, the race is typically marked by its early-season cold weather.

The ferocious pavé cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.
© A.S.O./Pauline Ballet

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Key Info

  • Type: Cobbled Classic
  • When: February 25th, 2024
  • Where: Kuurne, Belgium
  • Distance: 122 miles (196 km)
  • Most Wins: 3 – Tom Boonen
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winner: Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Vimsa)

Scheduled for the day following Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, does not stretch to Brussels as it did in its inception in 1946, despite retaining the name.


This 122-mile (196 km) race, more favorable for sprinters due to the restriction of climbs to the early part of the route, is unique in that no rider has won it and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the same weekend.

Strade Bianche

Key Info

  • Type: Gravel Classic
  • When: March 2nd, 2024
  • Where: Sienna, Italy
  • Distance: Men’s 134 miles (215 km) / Women’s 85 miles (137 km)
  • Most Wins: 3 – Fabian Cancellara / 2 – Annemiek van Vleuten
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport
  • 2023 Winners: Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) / Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

The term ‘Strade Bianche’ translates to “White Roads” in Italian, referring to the historic white gravel roads that are a hallmark of the race.

Set for March 2nd, 2024, the men’s race is 134 miles (215 km) and the women’s 85 miles (137 km). Both include over 31 miles (50 km) of unpaved white gravel roads, making it one of the most exciting and visually dramatic of the Classics.

Beginning and ending in Siena, Tuscany, the race culminates with a stunning finish at Piazza del Campo.

Milan-San Remo

Cycling Spring Classics & Monuments 2024: Race Dates, How To Watch, And Essential Info 1
Credit: Claudio Martino, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Edited from the original.

Key Info

  • Type: Monument
  • When: March 16th, 2024
  • Where: San Remo, Italy
  • Distance: 185 miles (298 km)
  • Most Wins: 7 – Eddy Merckx
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport
  • 2023 Winner: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck)

Known as “La Classicissima”, Milan-San Remo is the longest one-day race on the UCI cycling calendar, covering a whopping 185 miles (298 km) from Milan to San Remo, ending on the famous Via Roma.

With few climbs, it often favors sprinters and demands energy conservation over its nearly 7-hour duration.

Milan-San Remo is the first of the cycling calendar’s five Monument races, considered the most prestigious in cycling.

E3 Saxo Bank Classic

Key Info

  • Type: Cobbled Classic
  • When: March 22nd, 2024
  • Where: Harelbeke, Belgium
  • Distance: 125 miles (200 km)
  • Most Wins: 5 – Tom Boonen
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport
  • 2023 Winner: Wout van Aert (Jumbo–Visma)

Formerly E3 Harelbeke, the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, a 125 miles (200 km) race around Harelbeke, has rapidly gained prestige and traditionally signals the start of the Flemish Cycling Week. 

Known for its cobbled roads, steep climbs, and narrow, windy paths, it embodies the essence of Flemish classic races.

Controversially, the 2024 women’s race has been canceled, leaving E3 as one of the few Spring Classics with only a men’s edition.

Gent-Wevelgem

Key Info

  • Type: Sprinter’s Classic
  • When: March 24th, 2024
  • Where: Wevelgem, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 157 miles (253 km) / Women’s 106 miles (171 km)
  • Most Wins: 3 – Robert Van Eenaeme, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Mario Cipollini, Tom Boonen, Peter Sagan / 2 – Kirsten Wild
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Christophe Laporte (Jumbo–Visma) / Marlen Reusser (SD Worx)

Often labeled a Cobbled Classic, Gent–Wevelgem actually features only about 1.3 miles (2 km) of cobbles, including the famous Kemmelberg. The men’s race is 157 miles (253 km) and the women’s 106 miles (171 km).

Weather, particularly crosswinds, plays a significant role in this race, which traverses Belgium and northern France.

Dwars Door Vlaanderen

Key Info

  • Type: Cobbled Classic
  • When: March 27th, 2024
  • Where: Waregem, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 117 miles (188 km) / Women’s 81 miles (130 km)
  • Most Wins: 2 – André Rosseel, Raymond Impanis, Briek Schotte, Walter Godefroot, Daniel Van Ryckeghem, Walter Planckaert, Eric Vanderaerden, Jelle Nijdam, Johan Museeuw, Tristan Hoffman, Niko Eeckhout, Niki Terpstra, Yves Lampaert, Mathieu van der Poel / 3 – Amy Pieters
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Christophe Laporte (Jumbo–Visma) / Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

A mid-week race, Dwars Door Vlaanderen, covering 117 miles (188 km) for men and 81 miles (130 km) for women, serves as an indicator of form for the Tour of Flanders. Featuring several challenging cobbled climbs, it is a precursor to the larger Spring Races.

Tour of Flanders

The peloton climbs the cobbles of the Koppenberg at the 2009 Tour of Flanders.
The peloton climbs the cobbles of the Koppenberg at the 2009 Tour of Flanders.
Credit: CtankcyclesCC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Key Info

  • Type: Monument
  • When: 31st March, 2024
  • Where: Oudenaarde, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 160 miles (257 km) / Women’s 97 miles (156 km)
  • Most Wins: 3 – Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx)

The season’s second Monument race, the Tour of Flanders is a major event in the cycling world, famous for its history and cobbled terrain.

The men’s race covers 160 miles (257 km) and the women’s 97 miles (156 km) across Flanders.

The course includes 18 cobbled climbs, some exceeding 20% gradient, requiring luck, team support, and strength for a victory.

Scheldeprijs

Key Info

  • Type: Sprinter’s Classic
  • When: April 3rd, 2024
  • Where: Schoten, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 127 miles (205 km) / Women’s 86 miles (138 km)
  • Most Wins: 5 – Marcel Kittel / 3 – Lorena Wiebes
  • Live TV coverage: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck), Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx)

One of the oldest races in cycling, Scheldeprijs spans 127 miles (205 km) around the Antwerp area in Belgium.

Its flat nature typically results in a sprint finish, with Marcel Kittel holding the record for most wins at five.

Paris-Roubaix

Cycling cobbles at the Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2023.
© A.S.O./Fabien Boukla

Key Info

  • Type: Monument
  • When: April 7th, 2024
  • Where: Roubaix, France
  • Distance: Men’s 160 miles (257 km) /  Women’s 90 miles (145 km)
  • Most Wins: 4 – Roger De Vlaeminck, Tom Boonen / 1 – Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo Borghini
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck), Alison Jackson (EF Education–Tibco–SVB)

Dubbed the “Queen of the Classics”, Paris-Roubaix is a grueling 160 miles (257 km) race with 34 miles (55 km) of historic cobbles across 29 sectors.

Organizers and an army of volunteers take pride in seeking out every patch of cobbles they can find in the farmlands of northern France. Starting near Paris and finishing in the Roubaix Velodrome, it’s known as “The Hell of the North”.

Weather conditions, including wet cobbles and mud, can make this Monument race extremely challenging, requiring luck, tactical nous, power, and skill for success.

Brabantse Pijl

Key Info

  • Type: Cobbled/Ardennes Classic
  • When: April 10th, 2024
  • Where: Overijse, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 127 miles (205 km) / Women’s 88 miles (141 km)
  • Most Wins: 4 – Edwig Van Hooydonck / 1 – Marianne Vos, Annette Edmondson, Marta Bastianelli, Sofie De Vuyst, Grace Brown, Ruth Winder, Demi Vollering, Silvia Persico
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Dorian Godon (AG2R Citroën Team), Silvia Persico (UAE Team Emirates)

De Brabantse Pijl, a semi-classic cycling race in Belgium, is characterized by a route that winds through the provinces of Flemish and Walloon Brabant, southwest of Brussels.

The race features a challenging mix of climbs, including the Alsemberg, Bruine Put, Lindenberg, the Moskesstraat, the Ijskelderlaan and the Hagaard, culminating in a finish just past the Schavei.

This circuit has become a key feature of the race, testing riders with its hilly terrain and establishing De Brabantse Pijl as a precursor to the Ardennes Classics season.

Amstel Gold Race

Key Info

  • Type: Ardennes Classic
  • When: April 14th, 2024
  • Where: Valkenburg, Netherlands
  • Distance: Men’s 149 miles (240 km) / Women’s 96 miles (155 km)
  • Most Wins: 5 – Jan Raas / 1 – Debby Mansveld, Leontien van Moorsel, Nicole Cooke, Anna van der Breggen, Chantal Blaak, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Marianne Vos, Marta Cavalli, Demi Vollering
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

The Amstel Gold Race, known for its thrilling finishes such as the 2019 edition, takes place in Limburg, Netherlands.

Covering 149 miles (240 km) for men and 96 miles (155 km) for women, it is the first of the three Ardennes Classics, characterized by narrow roads and short, steep climbs.

It’s sponsored by Dutch beer brewer Amstel.

Flèche Wallonne

Cyclists climbing a steep hill at the 2023 Fleche Wallone.
© A.S.O/Maxime Delobel

Key Info

  • Type: Ardennes Classic
  • When: April 17th, 2024
  • Where: Huy, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 122 miles (196 km) / Women’s 79 miles (127 km)
  • Most Wins: 5 – Alejandro Valverde / 7 – Anna van der Breggen
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

The second Ardennes Classic, Flèche Wallonne features a 122 miles (196 km) race for men and 79 miles (127 km) for women. Held in Belgium, it’s famous for the steep Mur de Huy climb, often determining the race’s outcome.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

The peloton climbs a steep hill in a village at the 2023 Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
© A.S.O/Maxime Delobel

Key Info

  • Type: Monument
  • When: April 21st, 2024
  • Where: Liège, Belgium
  • Distance: Men’s 160 miles (258 km) / Women’s 88 miles (142 km)
  • Most Wins: 5 – Eddy Merckx / 2 – Anna van der Breggen, Annemiek van Vleuten
  • Live TV Coverage 2024: Discovery+, Eurosport, FloBikes
  • 2023 Winners: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step), Demi Vollering (SD Worx)

As the oldest Monument and the last of the Ardennes Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège occurs on Sunday, April 21st. The race is among the most historic and prestigious in all of cycling.

Covering 160 miles (258 km) for men and 88 miles (142 km) for women, it’s a demanding race, with steep climbs throughout, testing the riders’ endurance.

2024 Cycling Spring Classics Are Coming

The Spring Classics and Monuments are the heart and soul of cycling, each one packed with its own kind of drama, grit, and glory. Cobbles, dust, and legendary climbs make them a cycling fan’s dream, and often a pro cyclist’s nightmare.

So, which race has you marking calendars and setting reminders?

Is it the bone-rattling Paris-Roubaix, with its infamous cobbles that turn mere mortals into legends? Or maybe the scenic but savage Liège-Bastogne-Liège is more your style, with climbs that will test even the best?

And let’s talk about your favorites. Is there a rider you’re betting on to smash the cobbles or dominate those climbs?

Drop your picks and predictions in the comments below! Which race are you buzzing about, and who do you think will be the one to watch?

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Quentin's background in bike racing runs deep. In his youth, he won the prestigious junior Roc d'Azur MTB race before representing Belgium at the U17 European Championships in Graz, Austria. Shifting to road racing, he then competed in some of the biggest races on the junior calendar, including Gent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders, before stepping up to race Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Paris-Roubaix as an U23. With a breakthrough into the cut-throat environment of professional racing just out of reach, Quentin decided to shift his focus to embrace bike racing as a passion rather than a career. Now writing for BikeTips, Quentin's experience provides invaluable insight into performance cycling - though he's always ready to embrace the fun side of the sport he loves too and share his passion with others.

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