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The classic cycle races are the most important one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar (list of races)

All of the races are run in western Europe. Most of the events have been on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. In the last few years, the five top races are sometimes described as the 'Monuments'.

From 2005, the Classics have formed part of the UCI ProTour run by the Union Cycliste Internationale. This event series also includes various stage races including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Paris-Nice and the Critérium de Dauphiné Libéré, and various non-Classic single day events. The ProTour replaced the UCI Road World Cup series which contained only one-day races.

The Classics

Race	Country	Started	Notes
Milan-Sanremo	Italy	1907	The first true Classic of the year, its Italian name is La Primavera (the spring), this race is normally held in late March. .
Ronde van Vlaanderen	Belgium	1913	The first of the 'Spring Classics', is normally raced in early April.
Paris-Roubaix	France	1896	La Reine ("Queen of the Classics") or l'Enfer du Nord ("Hell of the North") is traditionally one week after the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Amstel Gold Race	Netherlands	1966	Normally held mid-April.
La Flèche Wallonne	Belgium	1936	The Walloon Arrow is traditionally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège	Belgium	1892	late April. La Doyenne, the oldest Classic, was first held in 1892 as an amateur event; a professional edition following in 1894.
Rund um den Henninger Turm	Germany
Clásica de San Sebastián	Spain		San Sebastian Classic
Züri-Metzgete	Switzerland		Championship of Zürich
Paris-Brussels	France/ Belgium
Paris-Tours	France
Giro di Lombardia	Italy	1905	Also known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves", is normally held in October. First called the Milano-Milano (Milan to Milan) in 1905, it became the Giro di Lombardia in 1907.

Some races that were Classics are no longer run. These include the gruelling (very hard) 560km, Derny event, Bordeaux-Paris, run from 1891 to 1988.

The 'Monuments'

Five of the classic races are sometimes called "the Monuments"

Only three riders have won all five 'Monument' one-day races during their careers: Roger De Vlaeminck, Rik Van Looy and Eddy Merckx. All were from Belgium.

Seán Kelly of Ireland won four Monuments but only finished second in the Ronde van Vlaanderen on three occasions (1984,1986,1987).

Monument winners since 1960
Year	Milan – San Remo	Tour of Flanders	Paris–Roubaix	Liège–Bastogne–Liège	Giro di Lombardia
1960	René Privat (FRA)	Arthur De Cabooter (BEL)	Pino Cerami (BEL)	Albertus Geldermans (NED)	Emile Daems (BEL)
1961	Raymond Poulidor (FRA)	Tom Simpson (GBR)	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Vito Taccone (ITA)
1962	Emile Daems (BEL)	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Jef Planckaert (BEL)	Jo de Roo (NED)
1963	Joseph Groussard (FRA)	Noel Foré (BEL)	Emile Daems (BEL)	Frans Melckenbeeck (BEL)	Jo de Roo (NED)
1964	Tom Simpson (GBR)	Rudi Altig (GER)	Peter Post (NED)	Willy Blocklandt (BEL)	Gianni Motta (ITA)
1965	Arie den Hartog (NED)	Jo De Roo (NED)	Rik van Looy (BEL)	Carmine Preziosi (ITA)	Tom Simpson (GBR)
1966	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Edward Sels (BEL)	Felice Gimondi (ITA)	Jacques Anquetil (FRA)	Felice Gimondi (ITA)
1967	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Dino Zandegù (ITA)	Jan Janssen (NED)	Walter Godefroot (BEL)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
1968	Rudi Altig (GER)	Walter Godefroot (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Walter Van Sweefelt (BEL)	Herman van Springel (BEL)
1969	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Walter Godefroot (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Jean-Pierre Monseré (BEL)
1970	Michele Dancelli (ITA)	Eric Leman (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
1971	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Evert Dolman (NED)	Roger Rosiers (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)
1972	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Eric Leman (BEL)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)
1973	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Eric Leman (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Felice Gimondi (ITA)
1974	Felice Gimondi (ITA)	Kees Bal (NED)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Georges Pintens (BEL)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)
1975	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Francesco Moser (ITA)
1976	Eddy Merckx (BEL)	Walter Planckaert (BEL)	Marc Demeyer (BEL)	Joseph Bruyère (BEL)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)
1977	Jan Raas (NED)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Bernard Hinault (FRA)	Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA)
1978	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Walter Godefroot (BEL)	Francesco Moser (ITA)	Joseph Bruyère (BEL)	Francesco Moser (ITA)
1979	Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Jan Raas (NED)	Francesco Moser (ITA)	Dietrich Thurau (GER)	Bernard Hinault (FRA)
1980	Pierino Gavazzi (ITA)	Michel Pollentier (BEL)	Francesco Moser (ITA)	Bernard Hinault (FRA)	Fons De Wolf (BEL)
1981	Fons De Wolf (BEL)	Hennie Kuiper (NED)	Bernard Hinault (FRA)	Josef Fuchs (SUI)	Hennie Kuiper (NED)
1982	Marc Gomez (FRA)	René Martens (BEL)	Jan Raas (NED)	Silvano Contini (ITA)	Giuseppe Saronni (ITA)
1983	Giuseppe Saronni (ITA)	Jan Raas (NED)	Hennie Kuiper (NED)	Steven Rooks (NED)	Sean Kelly (IRL)
1984	Francesco Moser (ITA)	Johan Lammerts (NED)	Sean Kelly (IRL)	Sean Kelly (IRL)	Bernard Hinault (FRA)
1985	Hennie Kuiper (NED)	Eric Vanderaerden (BEL)	Marc Madiot (FRA)	Moreno Argentin (ITA)	Sean Kelly (IRL)
1986	Sean Kelly (IRL)	Adri van der Poel (NED)	Sean Kelly (IRL)	Moreno Argentin (ITA)	Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA)
1987	Erich Mächler (SUI)	Claude Criquielion (BEL)	Eric Vanderaerden (BEL)	Moreno Argentin (ITA)	Moreno Argentin (ITA)
1988	Laurent Fignon (FRA)	Eddy Planckaert (BEL)	Dirk Demol (BEL)	Adri van der Poel (NED)	Charly Mottet (FRA)
1989	Laurent Fignon (FRA)	Edwig van Hooydonck (BEL)	Jean-Marie Wampers (BEL)	Sean Kelly (IRL)	Tony Rominger (SUI)
1990	Gianni Bugno (ITA)	Moreno Argentin (ITA)	Eddy Planckaert (BEL)	Eric van Lancker (BEL)	Gilles Delion (FRA)
1991	Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)	Edwig van Hooydonck (BEL)	Marc Madiot (FRA)	Moreno Argentin (ITA)	Sean Kelly (IRL)
1992	Sean Kelly (IRL)	Jacky Durand (FRA)	Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA)	Dirk de Wolf (BEL)	Tony Rominger (SUI)
1993	Maurizio Fondriest (ITA)	Johan Museeuw (BEL)	Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA)	Rolf Sørensen (DEN)	Pascal Richard (SUI)
1994	Giorgio Furlan (ITA)	Gianni Bugno (ITA)	Andrei Tchmil (UKR)	Evgeni Berzin (RUS)	Viatcheslav Bobrik (RUS)
1995	Laurent Jalabert (FRA)	Johan Museeuw (BEL)	Franco Ballerini (ITA)	Mauro Gianetti (SUI)	Gianni Faresin (ITA)
1996	Gabriele Colombo (ITA)	Michele Bartoli (ITA)	Johan Museeuw (BEL)	Pascal Richard (SUI)	Andrea Tafi (ITA)
1997	Erik Zabel (GER)	Rolf Sørensen (DEN)	Frédéric Guesdon (FRA)	Michele Bartoli (ITA)	Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
1998	Erik Zabel (GER)	Johan Museeuw (BEL)	Franco Ballerini (ITA)	Michele Bartoli (ITA)	Oscar Camenzind (SUI)
1999	Andrei Tchmil (BEL)	Peter Van Petegem (BEL)	Andrea Tafi (ITA)	Frank Vandenbroucke (BEL)	Mirko Celestino (ITA)
2000	Erik Zabel (GER)	Andrei Tchmil (BEL)	Johan Museeuw (BEL)	Paolo Bettini (ITA)	Raimondas Rumšas (LTU)
2001	Erik Zabel (GER)	Gianluca Bortolami (ITA)	Servais Knaven (NED)	Oscar Camenzind (SUI)	Danilo Di Luca (ITA)
2002	Mario Cipollini (ITA)	Andrea Tafi (ITA)	Johan Museeuw (BEL)	Paolo Bettini (ITA)	Michele Bartoli (ITA)
2003	Paolo Bettini (ITA)	Peter Van Petegem (BEL)	Peter Van Petegem (BEL)	Tyler Hamilton (USA)	Michele Bartoli (ITA)
2004	Óscar Freire (ESP)	Steffen Wesemann (GER)	Magnus Bäckstedt (SWE)	Davide Rebellin (ITA)	Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2005	Alessandro Petacchi (ITA)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ)	Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2006	Filippo Pozzato (ITA)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Fabian Cancellara (SUI)	Alejandro Valverde (ESP)	Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2007	Óscar Freire (ESP)	Alessandro Ballan (ITA)	Stuart O'Grady (AUS)	Danilo Di Luca (ITA)	Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2008	Fabian Cancellara (SUI)	Stijn Devolder (BEL)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Alejandro Valverde (ESP)	Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2009	Mark Cavendish (GBR)	Stijn Devolder (BEL)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Andy Schleck (LUX)	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2010	Óscar Freire (ESP)	Fabian Cancellara (SUI)	Fabian Cancellara (SUI)	Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ)	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2011	Matthew Goss (AUS)	Nick Nuyens (BEL)	Johan Vansummeren (BEL)	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)	Oliver Zaugg (SUI)
2012	Simon Gerrans (AUS)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Tom Boonen (BEL)	Maxim Iglinsky (KAZ)