Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet crash during 2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cees Bal wins the Tour of Flanders in 1974 (Image credit: AFP)
Fabian Cancellara dwarfed by the Belgian flags in the 2010 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2015 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2015 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff wins 2015 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff wins 2015 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff wins 2015 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff and Niki Terpstra fight it out at the 2015 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan takes solo win at 2016 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan wins 2016 Tour of Flanders, gets a hug from Fabian Cancellara on the podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara at the 2016 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan wins 2016 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan wins 2016 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan wins 2016 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet crash during 2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Philippe Gilbert wins 2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Philippe Gilbert wins 2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Philippe Gilbert wins 2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Philippe Gilbert over the cobbles at the 2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2017 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michele Bartoli goes clear on the Muur in 1996. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen demonstrates his strength in the 2004 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Paolo Bettini in the 2004 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Steffan Wesemann (T-Mobile) won the 2004 Tour of Flanders over Leif Hoste (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Van Petegem wins the Tour of Flanders ahead of a very annoyed Frank Vandenbroucke in 1999 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrei Tchmil defied expectations to solo to the win in the 2000 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrei Tchmil defeated the powerhouse Quickstep squad in the 2000 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The previous year's winner Andrei Tchmil led the chase group home in 9th in 2001 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Italian champ Daniele Nardello celebrates his teammate Andrea Tafi's victory as Johan Museeuw takes second (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
World Cup leader Oscar Freire in 2004 (Image credit: AFP)
George Hincapie leads a chase group in the 2004 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
George Hincapie (US Postal) never managed to win Flanders (Image credit: AFP)
Rolf Sörensen on the cobbles in 1997 (Image credit: AFP)
Peter Van Petegem wins his first title in 1999 (Image credit: AFP)
Peter Van Petegem wins in the 2003 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stuart O'Grady brings home the chase group in 2003 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frank Vandenbroucke was strong in the 2003 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Van Petegem leads up the Kapelmuur in the 2003 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A very disappointed Frank Vandenbroucke misses his last chance to win Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrea Tafi celebrates his win in the 2002 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen claims his first Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Heinrich Haussler powers away finish second 2009 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara powers up the Kapelmuur (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A disappointed Tom Boonen finishes second after chasing since the Kapelmuur (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara with Sylvain Chavanel and Nick Nuyens in the 2011 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sylvain Chavanel and Tom Boonen were the strongest in the 2011 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
… but Nick Nuyens was the smartest and won the 2011 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen tops Filippo Pozzato to win the 2012 Tour of Flanders on the new course (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara dejected after breaking his chain on the Koppenberg. Don't worry, he made up for it in 2010 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Nick Nuyens and Juan Antonio Flecha rounded out the podium in 2008 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen powers away in the 2005 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Boonen hammers up the Kapelmuur in 2005 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lance Armstrong rode the Tour of Flanders in 2005 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen wins the 2006 Tour of Flanders as world champion (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Leif Hoste on his way to a second second place in 2006 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The world champion's stripes stand out in the Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alessandro Ballan demonstrate the joy at Tour of Flanders victory can bring in 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stijn Devolder leaves the rest behind in the 2008 Tour of Flanders (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Oude Kwaremont became 'the' berg of the new Tour of Flanders route (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The late Frank Vandenbroucke and Filippo Pozzato (Image credit: AFP)
Stijn Devolder soloed to his second Tour of Flanders in 2009 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Johan Museeuw wins his second title in 1995 (Image credit: AFP)
Leif Hoste leads Tom Boonen in 2006 (Image credit: AFP)
Fabian Canellara crashes out in 2012 (Image credit: AFP)
Nick Nuyens wins one of the most exciting editions of Flanders in 201 (Image credit: AFP)
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov after the finish of the 1994 Tour of Flanders, won by his Polti teammate Gianni Bugno. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Gianni Bugno reminded everyone of his class with a nail-biting win in 1994 ahead of the fancied Johan Museeuw. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Belgian champion Johan Museeuw takes the first of three Tours of Flanders in 1993. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Jacky Durand was the last French winner in 1992. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Eddy Bosberg: Edwig Van Hooydonck wins the second of his Tours of Flanders in 1992. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Greg Lemond at the start of the 1992 Tour of Flanders. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Jacky Durand grinds clear for a shock win in 1992. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Max Sciandri (Motorola) leads TVM's Jesper Skibby at the 1992 Tour of Flanders. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Mario Cipollini tackles De Ronde in 1993. (Image credit: Sirotti)
George Hincapie at the 1994 Tour of Flanders in Motorola colours. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Bjarne Riis in his Gewiss days, working for Moreno Argentin. Their team controversially dominated the 1994 spring classics, although they couldn't stop Gianni Bugno in Flanders. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Gianni Bugno heads for the podium in 1994. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Fabio Baldato after the 1994 Tour of Flanders, when Gianni Bugno shocked Johan Museeuw and all of Belgium. (Image credit: Sirotti)
The late Frank Vandenbroucke looked to be the strongest man in 1999, but a crash and dramatic chase to the winning break meant that he had nothing left for the finishing sprint. (Image credit: AFP)
Johan Museeuw won comfortably in 1998. (Image credit: AFP)
Johan Museeuw was rampant in 1995. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Rolf Sorensen had been knocking on the door for a long time before his Flanders win in 1997. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Johan Museeuw attacked on the smooth Tenbosse then stretched his lead over the Muur and Bosberg to win in 1998. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Belgian champion Stijn Devolder wins in 2008. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Alessandro Ballan sparkled to win in Flanders in 2007. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen won the Tour of Flanders as world champion in 2006. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Tom Boonen was untouchable in 2005. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Steffen Wesemann outsprinted Leif Hoste and Dave Bruylandts to win in 2004. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Peter Van Petegem took his second Ronde in 2003. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Michele Bartoli awaits the start of the 1996 Tour of Flanders. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Michele Bartoli was dominant in 1996. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Stijn Devolder wins in 2009. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Stijn Devolder en route to Ronde number two in 2009. (Image credit: Sirotti)
While the other contenders watched one another, Andrea Tafi took his chance in 2002. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Gianluca Bortolami was a surprising winner in 2001 after the favourites allowed his dangerous break stay clear. (Image credit: Sirotti)
1999 was an all Belgian affair. Peter Van Petegem beats Frank Vandenbroucke and Johan Museeuw in the sprint. (Image credit: Sirotti)
A royal escape in 1999. Peter Van Petegem leads Frank Vandenbroucke and Johan Museeuw. (Image credit: AFP)
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) blows the Tour of Flanders to bits on the Molenberg (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Boonen and Van Petegem lead the break on Muur during the 2005 Ronde. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) surges towards the top of the Muur at Flanders, having just distanced Tom Boonen (Quick Step) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Rain, hail or shine, the Tour of Flanders always produces worthy winners and iconic images. The hellingen of West Flanders provide a natural amphitheatre in which hundreds of thousands of passionate fans gather every year, and the riders are faced with a wall of noise on every climb and key point of the gruelling course.
De Ronde has seen its share of memorable battles and controversial moments, as the biggest Classics names of the era have tested themselves in one of cycling’s true heartlands.
We've searched our photographers' archives, of more than two decades of images, to remember some of the names that have marked the season's second Monument.
Some of the most memorable performance were Edwig Van Hooydonck's triumph in 1991, Fabian Cancellara's dominance in 2013 and 2014, Peter Sagan's victory in 2016 and Philippe Gilbert's winning performance in the 2017 edition. In between, there was Johan Museeuw's consistency in the 1990s, Gianni Bugno's shock win in 1994, Michele Bartoli's stylish triumph in 1996, and the more recent multiples by Peter Van Petegem, Stijn Devolder and Tom Boonen.
The enduring spirit of the Tour of Flanders lives on, regardless of the course, the riders or the weather. We expect no less from the 2018 Tour of Flanders set to take place on April 1.
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.
