THE ICONIC ONE-DAY SPRING CLASSICS AND MONUMENTS GUIDE 2026

From Calendar to Cobbles: Meet the Classics

Now that you know when the races happen, here’s what makes each one unforgettable — the terrain, the tactics, and the moments that define cycling’s toughest one-day battles.

Strade Bianche: Tuscany’s Gravel Classic

Strade Bianche may not be a traditional northern Classic, but it has become one of the most loved one‑day races on the calendar. Set among Tuscany’s rolling hills, it combines paved roads with long sectors of white gravel, finishing with a brutal ramp into Siena’s Piazza del Campo.

Above: Riders tackle the famous white gravel roads of the Strade Bianche in Tuscany.

For 2026, both race distances and total gravel kilometres are slightly reduced. The men’s race covers 201 km with 64.1 km of gravel across 14 sectors, while the women's race covers 131 km with 33 km of gravel over 11 sectors. The race’s origins lie in the L’Eroica vintage cycling event, celebrating old‑style racing over the same rough terrain.

The sterrati (gravel stretches) reward bike handling, pacing, and calm decision‑making. Traction is limited on steep gravel climbs, making smooth seated efforts and wider tyres at lower pressure the preferred setup. Riders with cyclo‑cross skills and early‑season form usually thrive here.

Above: Ride in Tuscany on gravel roads in the Strade Bianche on ROUVY.

Milan–San Remo: The Longest One-Day Race

At nearly 300 km, Milan–San Remo is the longest race in professional cycling and the first Monument of the year. For hours, it feels deceptively easy, rolling steadily toward the Ligurian coast before exploding into action late.

The Cipressa and the Poggio decide everything. Neither climb is steep, but after almost seven hours of racing, even small accelerations can be decisive. The Poggio’s narrow descent, followed by a short flat run‑in, creates some of the most unpredictable finishes in cycling, where sprinters, attackers, and opportunists all have a chance.

Above: Ascending the Poggio, the final climb before the finish in Milan-San Remo.

Tour of Flanders: Cycling’s Ultimate Cobbled Monument

The Tour of Flanders is cycling’s most iconic cobbled Monument, weaving through narrow Flemish roads lined with roaring crowds. Short, vicious climbs over uneven cobbles define the race, none more infamous than the Koppenberg, with gradients reaching 22%.

The 2026 men’s race includes 16 climbs, with repeated ascents of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg shaping the finale. The women’s race features nine climbs, concluding with the classic sequence of Kwaremont and Paterberg. While the men return to an Antwerp start, the decisive final circuit remains unchanged.

This is a race won through positioning, repeated explosive efforts, and the ability to ride cobbles at speed when legs are already on the limit.

Above: Climbing on the cobbles in the Tour of Flanders on ROUVY.

Paris–Roubaix: The Hell of the North

Paris–Roubaix is cycling at its most savage. Flat roads, endless cobbled sectors, and almost no shelter combine into a race of survival rather than climbing prowess. After 100 km of paved roads, the peloton hits the pavé, and chaos follows.

Punctures, crashes, mechanical failures, and bone‑rattling impacts are constant companions. Riders fight to maintain momentum over stones that punish both body and bike, often at astonishing speeds. The iconic Trouée d’Arenberg remains the race’s most feared sector, with safety modifications retained for 2026.

The race concludes inside the Roubaix velodrome, where solo survivors or reduced groups deliver one of cycling’s most dramatic finishes.

Above: You can ride segments of Paris-Roubaix on ROUVY.

Above: A close-up view of a cobbled stretch of road that the pros must negotiate.

Amstel Gold Race: Twisting Roads and Punchy Climbs

The Amstel Gold Race is unlike any other Classic, zigzagging through the Limburg hills with more than 30 short climbs packed into a constantly changing route. Positioning and timing matter as much as raw power.

The Cauberg, short and steep, remains the race’s symbolic centrepiece. It has been decided in countless editions and continues to shape tactics late in the race. The Amstel rewards riders who can repeatedly accelerate and recover on narrow, twisting roads.

Above: Climb the decisive Cauberg in the Amstel Gold race on ROUVY.

La Flèche Wallonne: Ardennes Racing and the Mur de Huy

La Flèche Wallonne builds tension through repeated Ardennes climbs before delivering everything to the Mur de Huy. The 2026 edition marks the 90th running of the race, with the men starting in Herstal for the first time.

Above: The picturesque region of Wallonia in Belgium, where the La Flèche Wallonne is held.

The finale consists of repeated laps featuring the Côte d’Ereffe, Côte de Cherave, and the Mur itself — a 1.3 km wall with gradients touching 19%. Positioning at the base is critical, but only the strongest can survive the final ramp.

Above: One of the many steep climbs in Wallonia that you can experience on ROUVY.

Liège–Bastogne–Liège: La Doyenne, the Oldest Monument

First raced in 1892, Liège–Bastogne–Liège is the oldest Monument and the ultimate test of endurance among the Spring Classics. A relentless sequence of Ardennes climbs gradually strips the peloton down to its strongest riders.

The Côte de la Redoute and Roche‑aux‑Faucons remain decisive points, and new late‑race climbs in 2026 further harden the finale. Victories here are rarely flashy but earned through attrition, patience, and perfectly timed attacks.

Above: The Côte de la Redoute, a decisive climb in the Liège–Bastogne–Liège.