The five Monuments are the Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and the Giro di Lombardia. The races are often held on the same course each year,
Monuments are characterized by their long history and tradition, as well as their challenging routes and demanding terrain. They are typically over 200 kilometers long and often include steep hills, cobbled sections, and other challenging features, making them a true test of a rider’s endurance and skill.
Milan-San Remo
- Date : 18 March 2023
- Start : Milan, Italy
- Finish : San Remo, Italy
- Distance : 298km
- Most wins : Eddy Merckx, 7 times (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975 and 1976)
- 2023 winner : Mathieu van der Poel
The Milan-San Remo, also known as La Primavera (The Spring), is a race that covers 298 kilometers from Milan to San Remo, Italy. It is one of the biggest cycling races in Italy besides the Giro d’Italia.
It is the longest Monument, and it is known for its flat terrain and the long, straight finishing stretch on the Via Roma.
More reading : Milan-San Remo Past Winners and Records
Tour of Flanders
- Date : 2 April 2023
- Start : Antwerp, Belgium
- Finish : Oudenaarde, Belgium
- Distance : 273km
- Most wins : 3
- Achiel Buysse (1940, 1941, 1943)
- Fiorenzo Magni (1949, 1950, 1951)
- Eric Leman (1970, 1972, 1973)
- Johan Museeuw (1993, 1995, 1998)
- Tom Boonen (2005, 2006, 2012)
- Fabian Cancellara (2010, 2013, 2014)
- 2023 winner : Tadej Pogacar
The Tour of Flanders, also known as De Ronde is the biggest bike race in Belgium. The race covers 273km from Antwerp to Oudenaarde, Belgium.
It is known for its cobbled roads and steep climbs and is considered one of the toughest races in professional cycling.
More reading : Tour of Flanders Past Winners and Records
Paris-Roubaix
- Date : 9 April 2023
- Start : Compiègne, France
- Finish : Roubaix, France
- Distance : 257km
- Most wins : 4
- Roger De Vlaeminck (1972, 1974, 1975, 1977)
- Tom Boonen (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012)
- 2023 winner : Mathieu van der Poel
Paris-Roubaix, also known as The Hell of the North, is a race that covers 257km from Compiègne to Roubaix, France. It is the biggest one-day race in France, aside from the 3-week long Tour de France.
It is known for its rough cobbled roads, which make it one of the most physically demanding races in the sport.
More reading : Paris-Roubaix Past Winners and Records
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
- Date : 23 April 2023
- Start/finish : Liege, Belgium
- Distance : 254km
- Most wins : Eddy Merckx, 5 times (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975)
- 2023 winner : Remco Evenepoel
Liege-Bastogne-Liege, also known as La Doyenne (The Old Lady), is a race that covers 254km from Liege to Bastogne and back to Liege, Belgium.
It is known for its challenging climbs and is considered one of the world’s most prestigious one-day races.
More reading : Liège-Bastogne-Liège Past Winners and Records
Giro di Lombardia
- Date : 7 October 2023
- Start : Bergamo, Italy
- Finish : Como, Italy
- Distance : 253km
- Most wins : Fausto Coppi, 5 times (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954)
- 2023 winner : Tadej Pogacar
The Giro di Lombardia (Tour of Lombardy), also known as Il Lombardia, is a race that covers over 240km from Bergamo to Como, Italy.
It is known for its beautiful scenery and challenging climbs and is the final Monument of the season.
More reading : Giro di Lombardia Past Winners and Records
Alex Lee is the founder and editor-at-large of Mr. Mamil. Coming from a professional engineering background, he breaks down technical cycling nuances into an easy-to-understand and digestible format here.
He has been riding road bikes actively for the past 12 years and started racing competitively in the senior category during the summer recently.