Spring Classics 2024
Latest News from the Race
-
7 conclusions from Opening Weekend 2024 – Invincibility, long-range deciders and triumphant returns
Taking a closer look at the key themes emerging from the cobbled curtain-raisers -
Women's E3 Saxo Classic called off as organisers fear financial hit
Mid-week classic one of only a few without a women's race, organiser saying the 'model for women's competitions is sputtering' -
10 conclusions from the 2023 Spring Classics
Beyond super teams and seemingly unbeatable riders, the Classics offered countless insights into the WorldTour
Spring Classics 2024
Date | Event | Class | 2024 Winner | Header Cell - Column 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 24 | Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Women | 1.WWT | Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) | ↓ |
February 24 | Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Men | 1.UWT | Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike) | ↓ |
February 25 | Omloop van het Hageland | 1.1 | Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) | ↓ |
February 25 | Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne | 1.Pro | Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) | ↓ |
February 27 | Le Samyn Women | 1.1 | Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ Suez) | ↓ |
February 27 | Le Samyn Men | 1.1 | Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty) | ↓ |
March 2 | Strade Bianche Women | 1.WWT | Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) | ↓ |
March 2 | Strade Bianche Men | 1.UWT | Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) | ↓ |
March 9 | Ronde van Drenthe | 1.WWT | Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) | ↓ |
March 13 | Nokere Koerse Women | 1.Pro | Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) | ↓ |
March 13 | Nokere Koerse Men | 1.Pro | Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quickstep) | ↓ |
March 13 | Milano - Torino | 1.Pro | Alberto Bettiol (EF-EasyPost) | ↓ |
March 14 | Grand Prix de Denain - Porte du Hainaut | 1.Pro | Jannik Steimle (Q36.5) | ↓ |
March 16 | Milan-San Remo | 1.UWT | Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) | ↓ |
March 17 | Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Comune di Cittiglio | 1.WWT | Row 14 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 20 | Classic Brugge-De Panne Men | 1.UWT | Row 15 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 21 | Classic Brugge-De Panne Women | 1.WWT | Row 16 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 22 | E3 Saxo Bank Classic | 1.UWT | Row 17 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 24 | Gent-Wevelgem Men | 1.UWT | Row 18 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 24 | Gent-Wevelgem Women | 1.WWT | Row 19 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 27 | Dwars door Vlaanderen Women | 1.Pro | Row 20 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 27 | Dwars door Vlaanderen Men | 1.UWT | Row 21 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 31 | Tour of Flanders Women | 1.WWT | Row 22 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
March 31 | Tour of Flanders Men | 1.UWT | Row 23 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 3 | Scheldeprijs Women | 1.1 | Row 24 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 3 | Scheldeprijs Men | 1.Pro | Row 25 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 6 | Paris-Roubaix Women | 1.WWT | Row 26 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 7 | Paris-Roubaix Men | 1.UWT | Row 27 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 10 | De Brabantse Pijl Women | 1.Pro | Row 28 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 10 | De Brabantse Pijl Men | 1.Pro | Row 29 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 14 | Amstel Gold Race Women | 1.WWT | Row 30 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 14 | Amstel Gold Race Men | 1.UWT | Row 31 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 17 | La Flèche Wallonne Women | 1..WWT | Row 32 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 17 | La Flèche Wallonne Men | 1.UWT | Row 33 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 21 | Liège-Bastogne-Liège Men | 1.UWT | Row 34 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
April 21 | Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes Women | 1.WWT | Row 35 - Cell 3 | ↓ |
The Spring Classics mark the thaw of winter and the end to training rides, coffee stops and team presentations as riders start to dig into the meat of the 2024 season.
The opening weekend is not the first race day of the year but the start of the traditional Belgian Classics, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne for men and Omloop van het Hageland for women.
Strade Bianche is the next major race after the intervening Le Samyn races and typically provides warmer, more pleasant racing conditions in which to tackle the unique challenge of racing over the 'white roads' of Tuscany.
The Women's WorldTour continues afterward at the Ronde van Drenthe, which has some cobbled sections and the selective and steep VAM Berg, a climb built over a former waste dump.
Next comes Nokere Koerse, a race that is based around the cobbled Nokereberg climb, with the finish coming atop a final ascent.
Milano-Torino is a new addition to the spring calendar in 2022. It used to take place in the autumn but now leads up to Milan-San Remo and uses a flatter course.
An alternative to the Italian semi-classic is the GP de Denain which serves as a small taste of the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.
The first Monument of the season, Milan-San Remo is a venerable race that dates back to 1907. Also known as La Classicissima (the big classic) and La Primavera (the spring), it is the most important day in Italian cycling.
There is no women's version of Milan-San Remo. Instead, the Women's WorldTour heads to Cittiglio for the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, which dates back to 1974.
Racing then heads back to Belgium for the Classic Brugge-De Panne. A Women's Classic Brugge-De Panne was added in 2018. Both start in Bruges before heading into the windswept swamp plains of De Moeren, before heading for the finish in De Panne. If the race hasn't been broken apart in the wind, it's a likely bunch sprint.
Another warm-up race, the E3 Saxo Classic, a mini-Tour of Flanders, is exclusively for the men. It leads into Gent-Wevelgem, another historic Flandrien Classic that uses features of Brugge-De Panne and the climbs of West Flanders, along the French border including the iconic and decisive Kemmelberg.
The men's race was first held in 1934 while the Women's Gent-Wevelgem was created in 2012 and now acts as the fifth event on the WorldTour calendar.
Dwars door Vlaanderen occupies the Wednesday before the Tour of Flanders. A Women's Dwars door Vlaanderen was established in 2012.
The calendar culminates with the Tour of Flanders is one of the most iconic days on the cycling calendar.
Since 2004, there has also been a women's Tour of Flanders. The courses have changed over the years but the current iteration uses circuits that include the Oude Kwaremont and super-steep Paterberg, both serving as the grand finale ahead of the 13km run-in.
The sprinters get to shine in the Scheldeprijs, known as the 'world championship for sprinters'. The race takes its name from the Schelde river up near Antwerp in the east of Flanders, and there can be a threat of wind before the races heads to Schoten for laps of a finishing circuit.
The men's race was created in 1907 while a women's Scheldeprijs was introduced in 2021.
The Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix is the only French Classic but it is arguably the most important of the entire spring, with riders fighting across 50+ kilometres of rough cobbled roads to hoist the cobblestone trophy. The men's race was first held back in 1896, while a women's Paris-Roubaix was only introduced in 2021.
Between the cobbled and Ardennes Classics comes De Babantse Pijl which takes place between Flanders and Wallonia. First held in 1961 and the women's Brabantse Pijl since 2016, both races feature a variety of climbs both cobbled and paved.
The Amstel Gold Race, first held in 1966, is one of the three Ardennes Classics, even if it takes place in Limburg, the Netherlands. Named after a beer, it's a snaking and undulating ride through the hills of Limburg, with climbs like the Cauberg make for a chaotic finale.
A women's Amstel Gold Race was added in 2001 and both take place on the same day and start and finish near Valkenburg.
La Flèche Wallonne comes midweek with the annual showdown on the Mur de Huy. The men's race was first held in 1936 and the women's La Flèche Wallonne in 1998, and the winner invariably comes from a large group splintering into pieces on the steep climb in Huy.
The oldest of the Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège was first held in 1892. The women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège was set up by Tour de France organisers ASO in 2017.
The races start and finishes in Liège, heading south to Bastogne before returning back. A previous finale in Ans became too predictable so organisers moved the finish back to Liège.
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How to watch
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Most of the Spring Classics will be aired on television during the day across Europe and the rest of the world.
With the end of GCN+, watching cycling via live streaming became more complicated and expensive.
If you're in the UK, or any one of numerous European countries, the race will be aired live and in full on Eurosport. Live streaming will generally be available via Discovery+.
It is unclear which races will be included in the standard subscription, which costs £6.99/$9.15 per month, or £39.99/year and which will be a part of the "premium" tier that includes TNT Sports for an additional £29.99/month.
Some of the races will be broadcast via Warner Bros. Max streaming service via the TNT Sports package, which costs $29.99/month on top of the Max subscription fee of $9.99/month with ads or $19.99/month without.
In the USA, Canada, and Australia, Flobikes is the option for some of the races while Peacock will show Paris-Roubaix, the Amstel Gold races, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
A year-long subscription to Flobikes will set you back $150 in the USA and $209.99 in Canada, while Peacock can be had for just $5.99/month or $11.99 for ad-free premium viewing.
Home broadcasters Sporza and RTBF will be airing the races in Flanders and Wallonia if you fancy taking in the action with a Flemish or French soundtrack.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
It was a third year in a row that Visma-Lease a Bike claimed the title at the first European-based WorldTour race of the season, but it was an unexpected candidate, Jan Tratnik, who claimed the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad win from a late two man break.
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) made it clear that she was back in full force after artery surgery when she lined up for her first Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and then promptly added the Women's WorldTour race victory to her already lengthy palmares by outsprinting the in-form favourite, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx).
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
The Opening Weekend celebrations continued for Visma-Lease a Bike, this time with Wout van Aert claiming the victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, outsprinting Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) and Oier Lazkano (Movistar).
Omloop van het Hageland
Kristen Faulkner delivered an emphatic victory for new team EF Education-Cannondale at Tielt-Winge after flying solo for 50km at Omloop van het Hageland and finishing with a gap of 1:41 to second-placed Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime).
Le Samyn Women
The mid-week Le Samyn went to Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez) who out-paced breakaway companions Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility). The trio held off the chasing peloton by only a few seconds.
Le Samyn Men
Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty) claimed his first pro win in a photo finish over neo-pro Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates) after a crash split the peloton on the run-in.
Strade Bianche Women
Lotte Kopecky soloed to victory in Strade Bianche after dispatching Elisa Longo Borghini on the final climb.
Strade Bianche Men
Tadej Pogačar won Strade Bianche, responding to the additional circuit by attacking on the same Santa Maria sector that has been decisive in the past editions, soloing for 80 kilometres to victory, 30 kilometres more than in his 2022 win.
Ronde van Drenthe
Lorena Wiebes notched up her fourth straight win in the Ronde van Drenthe, riding away from Elisa Balsamo and Puck Pieterse on the VAMberg.
Nokere Koerse Women
Lotte Kopecky repeated her 2023 performance, soloing to the win in Nokere Koerse.
Nokere Koerse Men
Tim Merlier sprinted from the bottom to the top of the Nokereberg to claim his third straight win in Nokere Koerse.
Milano-Torino
Alberto Bettiol (EF-EasyPost) soloed for 30 kilometres to the win in Milano-Torino.
Grand Prix de Denain - Porte du Hainaut
Jannik Steimle (Q36.5) won a crash-filled edition of the 'mini-Paris-Roubaix', GP de Denain.
Milan-San Remo
Jasper Philipsen won a thrilling edition of Milan-San Remo, edging out Michael Matthews to snag his first Monument.
If you live outside a broadcast zone or are on holiday outside your country and find that the live streams are geo-restricted, you can get around this by getting access to them by simulating being back in your home country via a 'virtual private network', or VPN, for your laptop, tablet or mobile.
TechRadar tested hundreds of VPNs and recommends the number-one VPN currently available as Express VPN. With ExpressVPN, you can watch on many devices at once including Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phone, iPads, tablets, etc.
Races
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Spring Classics 20243 February 2024 | Various
Latest Content on the Race
7 conclusions from Opening Weekend 2024 – Invincibility, long-range deciders and triumphant returns
By Daniel Ostanek, Kirsten Frattini, Simone Giuliani published
Analysis Taking a closer look at the key themes emerging from the cobbled curtain-raisers
Women's E3 Saxo Classic called off as organisers fear financial hit
By Laura Weislo published
News Mid-week classic one of only a few without a women's race, organiser saying the 'model for women's competitions is sputtering'
10 conclusions from the 2023 Spring Classics
By Patrick Fletcher, Laura Weislo, Daniel Ostanek, Jackie Tyson, Peter Stuart published
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How to watch La Flèche Wallonne – live streaming
By Daniel Ostanek last updated
News All the action from the leg-busting Mur de Huy
How to watch Amstel Gold Race – live streaming
By Daniel Ostanek last updated
News Cavalli, Pogacar, Van Vleuten, Pidcock among the riders doing battle in the Limburg hills
'We just raced like juniors' – Van der Poel savours fourth Monument at Paris-Roubaix
By Daniel Ostanek published
News A whole lot of strength and a touch of luck saw the Dutchman race to his first Hell of the North title
How to watch Paris-Roubaix – live streaming
By Daniel Ostanek last updated
News Catch all the action from the Queen of the Classics this weekend
Ragusa, Truyen surprise themselves with Paris-Roubaix Femmes podium
By Lukas Knöfler published
News Joining the early breakaway paid off with podium spots in the velodrome
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