# Cobbled classics

The cobbled classics are four cycling classics held in March and April. Cobblestones, like mountainous terrain, are important elements in courses of cycling. Many classic cycle races in northwestern Europe contain cobbled sections. The two Monuments of this race type are the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix, with over 20 cobbled sectors.

## History

The first race with cobbled sections is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, which traditionally opens the Belgian classics season, followed the next day by Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. Starting in late March, the Flemish Cycling Week (Vlaamse Wielerweek) kicks off the most important period for cobbled cycling classics. Currently it features the Driedaagse van De Panne on Wednesday (formerly a stage race, now a one-day event), the E3 Harelbeke on Friday, and Gent–Wevelgem on Sunday. The following week, Dwars door Vlaanderen keeps the riders busy, concluding with the Monument Tour of Flanders on Sunday. The Scheldeprijs on the following Wednesday prepare the riders for the historical Paris–Roubaix (another Monument), which ends the cobbled classics.
Among the cobbled cycling races, the three most historical are usually held on consecutive Sundays in March and April: Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. Gent–Wevelgem has lost a lot of its historical status due to the relatively ease of the route. The E3 Harelbeke is considered to be harder and thus better preparation for the Ronde and Roubaix. In 2012, both races received equal status on the UCI World Tour. In 2017, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe) and Dwars door Vlaanderen became World Tour races.
In 2012, Belgian rider Tom Boonen managed to win all four races in the same season, as the first and only rider to do so.
In the 2010s, some of the races have been joined by equivalent races for women – Gent–Wevelgem for Women, Tour of Flanders for Women and Paris–Roubaix Femmes.

## Winners
### Men's (since 1990)

| Year | E3 Harelbeke (BEL) | Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) | Tour of Flanders (BEL) | Paris–Roubaix (FRA) |
| 1990 | Søren Lilholt (DEN) | Herman Frison (BEL) | Moreno Argentin (ITA) | Eddy Planckaert (BEL) |
| 1991 | Olaf Ludwig (GER) | Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) | Edwig van Hooydonck (BEL) | Marc Madiot (FRA) |
| 1992 | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (1/8) | Mario Cipollini (ITA) (1/4) | Jacky Durand (FRA) | Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA) (1/2) |
| 1993 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) (2/4) | Mario Cipollini (ITA) (3/4) | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (2/8) | Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA) (1/2) |
| 1994 | Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (1/4) | Wilfried Peeters (BEL) | Gianni Bugno (ITA) | Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (2/4) |
| 1995 | Bart Leysen (BEL) | Lars Michaelsen (DEN) | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (3/8) | Franco Ballerini (ITA) (1/2) |
| 1996 | Carlo Bomans (BEL) | Tom Steels (BEL) (1/2) | Michele Bartoli (ITA) | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (4/8) |
| 1997 | Hendrik Van Dijck (BEL) | Philippe Gaumont (FRA) | Rolf Sørensen (DEN) | Frédéric Guesdon (FRA) |
| 1998 | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (5/8) | Frank Vandenbroucke (BEL) | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (6/8) | Franco Ballerini (ITA) (2/2) |
| 1999 | Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (1/4) | Tom Steels (BEL) (2/2) | Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (2/4) | Andrea Tafi (ITA) (1/2) |
| 2000 | Sergei Ivanov (RUS) | Geert Van Bondt (BEL) | Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (3/4) | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (7/8) |
| 2001 | Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (4/4) | George Hincapie (USA) | Gianluca Bortolami (ITA) | Servais Knaven (NED) |
| 2002 | Dario Pieri (ITA) | Mario Cipollini (ITA) (4/4) | Andrea Tafi (ITA) (2/2) | Johan Museeuw (BEL) (8/8) |
| 2003 | Steven de Jongh (NED) | Andreas Klier (GER) | Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (3/4) | Peter Van Petegem (BEL) (4/4) |
| 2004 | Tom Boonen (BEL) (1/15) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (2/15) | Steffen Wesemann (GER) | Magnus Bäckstedt (SWE) |
| 2005 | Tom Boonen (BEL) (3/15) | Nico Mattan (BEL) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (4/15) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (5/15) |
| 2006 | Tom Boonen (BEL) (6/15) | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (7/15) | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (1/9) |
| 2007 | Tom Boonen (BEL) (8/15) | Marcus Burghardt (GER) | Alessandro Ballan (ITA) | Stuart O'Grady (AUS) |
| 2008 | Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR) | Óscar Freire (ESP) | Stijn Devolder (BEL) (1/2) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (9/15) |
| 2009 | Filippo Pozzato (ITA) | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Stijn Devolder (BEL) (2/2) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (10/15) |
| 2010 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (2/9) | Bernhard Eisel (AUT) | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (3/9) | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (4/9) |
| 2011 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (5/9) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (11/15) | Nick Nuyens (BEL) | Johan Vansummeren (BEL) |
| 2012 | Tom Boonen (BEL) (12/15) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (13/15) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (14/15) | Tom Boonen (BEL) (15/15) |
| 2013 | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (6/9) | Peter Sagan (SVK) (1/6) | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (7/9) | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (8/9) |
| 2014 | Peter Sagan (SVK) (2/6) | John Degenkolb (GER) (1/2) | Fabian Cancellara (SUI) (9/9) | Niki Terpstra (NED) (1/3) |
| 2015 | Geraint Thomas (GBR) | Luca Paolini (ITA) | Alexander Kristoff (NOR) (1/2) | John Degenkolb (GER) (2/2) |
| 2016 | Michał Kwiatkowski (POL) | Peter Sagan (SVK) (3/6) | Peter Sagan (SVK) (4/6) | Mathew Hayman (AUS) |
| 2017 | Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (1/3) | Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (2/3) | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (1/2) | Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) (3/3) |
| 2018 | Niki Terpstra (NED) (2/3) | Peter Sagan (SVK) (5/6) | Niki Terpstra (NED) (3/3) | Peter Sagan (SVK) (6/6) |
| 2019 | Zdeněk Štybar (CZE) | Alexander Kristoff (NOR) (2/2) | Alberto Bettiol (ITA) | Philippe Gilbert (BEL) (2/2) |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Mads Pedersen (DEN) (1/2) | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (1/6) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Kasper Asgreen (DEN) (1/2) | Wout van Aert (BEL) (1/3) | Kasper Asgreen (DEN) (2/2) | Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) |
| 2022 | Wout van Aert (BEL) (2/3) | Biniam Girmay (ERI) | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (2/6) | Dylan van Baarle (NED) |
| 2023 | Wout van Aert (BEL) (3/3) | Christophe Laporte (FRA) | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (3/6) |
| 2024 | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) (4/6) | Mads Pedersen (DEN) (2/2) | Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) (5/6) | Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) (6/6) |
| Year | E3 Harelbeke (BEL) | Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) | Tour of Flanders (BEL) | Paris–Roubaix (FRA) |

### Women's (since 2004)

| Year | Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) | Tour of Flanders for Women (BEL) | Paris–Roubaix Femmes (FRA) |
| 2004 | Race not held | Zoulfia Zabirova (RUS) | Race not held |
| 2005 | Race not held | Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel (NED) | Race not held |
| 2006 | Race not held | Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel (NED) | Race not held |
| 2007 | Race not held | Nicole Cooke (GBR) | Race not held |
| 2008 | Race not held | Judith Arndt (GER) (1/2) | Race not held |
| 2009 | Race not held | Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER) | Race not held |
| 2010 | Race not held | Grace Verbeke (BEL) | Race not held |
| 2011 | Race not held | Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) (1/2) | Race not held |
| 2012 | Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) (1/3) | Judith Arndt (GER) (2/2) | Race not held |
| 2013 | Kirsten Wild (NED) (1/2) | Marianne Vos (NED) (2/2) | Race not held |
| 2014 | Lauren Hall (USA) | Ellen van Dijk (NED) | Race not held |
| 2015 | Floortje Mackaij (NED) | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) (1/2) | Race not held |
| 2016 | Chantal Blaak (NED) (1/2) | Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) (2/3) | Race not held |
| 2017 | Lotta Lepistö (FIN) | Coryn Rivera (USA) | Race not held |
| 2018 | Marta Bastianelli (ITA) (1/2) | Anna van der Breggen (NED) | Race not held |
| 2019 | Kirsten Wild (NED) (2/2) | Marta Bastianelli (ITA) (2/2) | Race not held |
| 2020 | Jolien D'Hoore (BEL) | Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (NED) (2/2) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Marianne Vos (NED) (2/2) | Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) (2/2) | Lizzie Deignan (GBR) (3/3) |
| 2022 | Elisa Balsamo (ITA) | Lotte Kopecky (BEL) (1/2) | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) (2/2) |
| 2023 | Marlen Reusser (SUI) | Lotte Kopecky (BEL) (2/2) | Alison Jackson (CAN) |
| 2024 | Lorena Wiebes (NED) | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) (2/2) | Lotte Kopecky (BEL) |
| Year | Gent–Wevelgem (BEL) | Tour of Flanders for Women (BEL) | Paris–Roubaix Femmes (FRA) |

## Statistics

* Active cyclists marked in bold.

### Most cobbled classics wins per male rider

| Rank | Name | Total wins | E3 Harelbeke | Gent–Wevelgem | Tour of Flanders | Paris–Roubaix |
| 1 | Tom Boonen | 15 | 5 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) | 3 (2004, 2011, 2012) | 3 (2005, 2006, 2012) | 4 (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012) |
| 2 | Rik Van Looy | 12 | 4 (1964, 1965, 1966, 1969) | 3 (1956, 1957, 1962) | 2 (1959, 1962) | 3 (1961, 1962, 1965) |
| 3 | Fabian Cancellara | 9 | 3 (2010, 2011, 2013) | 0 | 3 (2010, 2013, 2014) | 3 (2006, 2010, 2013) |
| 4 | Eddy Merckx | 8 | 0 | 3 (1967, (1970, (1973) | 2 (1969, 1975) | 3 (1968, 1970, 1973) |
| 4 | Johan Museeuw | 8 | 2 (1992, 1998) | 0 | 3 (1993, 1995, 1998) | 3 (1996, 2000, 2002) |

### Most cobbled classics wins per women rider

| Rank | Name | Total wins | Gent–Wevelgem | Tour of Flanders | Paris–Roubaix |
| 1 | Lizzie Deignan | 3 | 1 (2012) | 1 (2016) | 1 (2021) |
| 1 | Elisa Longo Borghini | 3 | 0 | 2 (2015, 2024) | 1 (2022) |
| 1 | Lotte Kopecky | 3 | 0 | 2 (2022, 2023) | 1 (2024) |