Tour of flanders

The Tour of Flanders (officially De Ronde van Vlaanderen) is a one-day professional road cycling race held in the Flanders region in Belgium. Currently, it covers a journey from the province of Antwerp, specifically from its namesake city, to the Flemish Ardennes, south of East Flanders, where the characteristic attractions of the race are found. It is held on the first Sunday of April and belongs to the UCI WorldTour calendar, the highest category of professional racing.

The Tour of Flanders was created in 1913. Since then, it has only been interrupted from 1915 to 1918 by the First World War. In fact, it is the only classic that was performed on German territory during World War II.

It is the second and youngest of the five monuments of cycling (Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro Lombardy) and is the last and most important race of the so-called " flamenco cycling week" (Through Flanders, E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Gevelgem and Three Days of La Panne). It is also the last Belgian pavé race on the UCI WorldTour calendar and is part of the so-called "Classics of Flanders".

The hallmarks of De Ronde are its long mileage (260 km) and its pavé “walls”, very hard as they are cobbled and almost always have strong ramps, which during the route alternate with asphalted levels and sectors of flat pavé, although not as complicated as those of Paris-Roubaix.

With three wins, six cyclists hold the record for victories in the event: Achiel Buysse (1940, 1941 and 1943), Fiorenzo Magni (1949, 1950 and 1951), Eric Leman (1970, 1972 and 1973), Johan Museeuw (1993, 1995 and 1998), Tom Boonen (2005, 2006 and 2012) and Fabian Cancellara (2010, 2013 and 2014).

It is organized by Flanders Classics and since 2004 the race has had a women's version (officially Ronde van Vlaanderen voor vrouwen).

History

Like other major cycling events, such as the Tour de France or Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders arose from the idea of promoting a Flemish sports newspaper, the Sportwereld.

The sports newspaper Sportwereld was born in the summer of 1912, shortly after the first victory of a Belgian, Odile Defraye, in the Tour de France. The newspaper, financed by August De Maeght, had the objective of reporting on the sport and promoting the use of Dutch, an officially recognized language (along with French) in Belgium a few years ago, in 1898.

Leon Van de Haute and Karel Van Wijnendaele, the editors of the magazine, quickly decided to follow the lead of foreign sports dailies by establishing a race to consolidate their title's status, looking particularly to Roubaix as an example. In February 1913 they announced the plans for the Tour of Flanders, announcing that the first edition would take place in May of that same year.

The route of the inauguration Ronde Van Vlaanderen, starting and finishing in Ghent, stretched 324 kilometers, encircling the Dutch-speaking provinces of East and West Flanders and passing through all the major cities because, as he wrote Van Wijnendaele, "all Flemish cities had to contribute to the emancipation of the Flemings".

The first edition (March 25, 1913) of De Ronde was characterized by its lack of hills, a peculiarity for which it is distinguished today. A total of 36 Belgians and 1 Frenchman participated in the opening of the race. The winner, Paul Deman, completed the course in just over 12 hours.

In the third edition, which took place in 1919, a few months after the end of World War I, the Ronde gained its first hills, in the form of the cobbled climbs of Tiegemberg and Kwaremont. In 1928 the Kruisberg was added to the route. These three hills, apart from a single occurrence of the Edalareberg, were the only climbs on Ronde's course until the post-war era.

In 1938, the daily Het Nieuwsblad bought Sportwereld. Years later, in 1945, one of the rival sports papers, Het Volk, set up a one-day eponymous race in preparation for De Ronde. That same year the Sporting Club Kuurne also founded a classic, the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, which initially took place in June but in 1949 moved to the same weekend as Het Volk to still create more incentive to the stage prior to the Tour of Flanders.

In 1950, Van Wijnendaele added the Muur in Geraardsbergen to the three "hills" of the route.

Tour

Koppenberg view from Melden.

Muur-Kapelmuur, penultimate difficulty.

The specific heights and the finish line have varied greatly throughout the history of the men's professional event, being the most changing route of the cycling monuments along with that of the Giro de Lombardy. In fact, the walls that have been climbed in recent years were not released until at least the 1950s and most of them after the 1970s, such as Oude Kwaremont and Koppenberg, uploaded for the first time in 1974 and 1976, respectively. As for the arrival, he alternated for a long time between the city of Ghent and several nearby towns, such as Mariakerke (Ghent district), Evergem and especially Wetteren, until in 1973 he settled in Meerbeke (Ninove district) and since 2010 in the same Ninove. The beginning of the race has not suffered many variations, with only 3 changes: Ghent as the start until 1976, Sint-Niklaas from 1977 to 1997 and Bruges since 1998.

After several editions with routes with similar characteristics, with some changes in the intermediate layout (such as the inclusion or not of the Koppenberg, or the inward turn of 2011) but keeping the same start, finish and Muur-Kapelmuur and Bosberg as final heights Take as an example the heights climbed in the 2011 edition:

In September 2011 it was announced that the 2012 Tour of Flanders would not end in Meerbeke (Ninove), the end of the event since 1973, but would end in Oudenaarde, with the collateral effect of the suppression of the Muur-Kapelmuur and the Bosberg, the two previous climbs to the finish line in Ninove, becoming the last climbs at Kwaremont and Paterberg, which were faced 3 times during the final 80 km by completing several loops south of the town of Oudenaarde. Take an example the heights climbed in the 2012 edition:

Since 2012, it has undergone small changes over the years. In 2017, the Kapelmuur would return to the tour, although far from the finish line.

Tour of Flanders sub-23

Since 1996, the Tour of Flanders under-23 (officially and in Dutch: Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften) has also been held, which is a Tour of Flanders limited to under-23 riders, one week after its namesake without age limitation.

Its first editions were amateur until the creation of the UCI Continental Circuits in 2005 when it began to form part of the UCI Europe Tour, the first two years in category 1.2 (last category of professionalism), then in the specific category created in 2007 for sub-23 runners, within the last category of professionalism: 2.1U; and since 2008 in the category created in 2007, also within the last category of professionalism: 2.Ncup (UCI Nations Cup).

It has between 160 and 175 km in its layout, about 100 km less than its namesake without age limitation, although with similar characteristics.

Honours of Prizes

Roger De Vlaeminck, winner of the 1977 edition, ascending the Koppenberg.

Johan Museeuw celebrating his victory in the 1993 edition.

Tom Boonen climbing the Muur in 2010 edition

Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara during the 2013 edition

Year	Winner	Second	Third
1913	Paul Deman	Joseph Van Daele	Victor Doms
1914	Marcel Buysse	Henri Van Lerberghe	Pierre Van de Velde
1915-1918 issues suspended by the First World War
1919	Henri Van Lerberghe	Léon Buysse	Jules Van Hevel
1920	Jules Van Hevel	Albert Dejonghe	Alfons Van Hecke
1921	René Vermandel	Jules Van Hevel	Louis Budts
1922	Léon Devos	Jean Brunier	Francis Pélissier
1923	Heiri Suter	Charles Deruyter	Albert Dejonghe
1924	Gérard Debaets	René Vermandel	Felix Sellier
1925	Julien Delbecque	Joseph Pe	Hector Martin
1926	Denis Verschueren	Gustave Van Slembrouck	Raymond Decorte
1927	Gérard Debaets	Gustave Van Slembrouck	Maurice De Waele
1928	Jan Mertens	August Mortelmans	Louis Delannoy
1929	Joseph Dervaes	George Ronsse	Alfred Hamerlinck
1930	Frans Bonduel	Aimé Dossche	Émile Joly
1931	Romain Gijssels	Cesar Bogaert	Jean Aerts
1932	Romain Gijssels	Alfons Deloor	Alfred Hamerlinck
1933	Alphonse Schepers	Léon Tommies	Romain Gijssels
1934	Gaston Rebry	Alphonse Schepers	Félicien Vervaecke
1935	Louis Duerloo	Eloi Meulenberg	Corneille Leemans
1936	Louis Hardiquest	Edgard De Caluwé	François Neuville
1937	Michel D'Hooghe	Hubert Deltour	Louis Hardiquest
1938	Edgard De Caluwé	Sylvère Maes	Marcel Kint
1939	Karel Kaers	Romain Maes	Edward Vissers
1940	Achille Buysse	Georges Christiaens	Albéric Schotte
1941	Achille Buysse	Gustaaf Van Overloop	Odiel Van Den Meersschaut
1942	Albéric Schotte	Georges Claes	Robert van Eenaeme
1943	Achille Buysse	Albert Sercu	Camille Beeckman
1944	Rik Van Steenbergen	Albéric Schotte	Jef Moerenhout
1945	Sylvain Grysolle	Albert Sercu	Jef Moerenhout
1946	Rik Van Steenbergen	Louis Thiétard	Albéric Schotte
1947	Emiel Faignaert	Roger Desmet	Rik Renders
1948	Albéric Schotte	Albert.	Marcel Rijckaert
1949	Fiorenzo Magni	Valère Ollivier	Albéric Schotte
1950	Fiorenzo Magni	Albéric Schotte	Louis Caput
1951	Fiorenzo Magni	Bernard Gauthier	Attilio Redolfi
1952	Roger Decock	Loretto Petrucci	Albéric Schotte
1953	Wim Van Est	Désiré Keteleer	Bernard Gauthier
1954	Raymond Impanis	François Mahé	Alfons Vandenbrande
1955	Louison Bobet	Hugo Koblet	Rik Van Steenbergen
1956	Jean Forestier	Stan Ockers	Leon Van Daele
1957	Fred de Bruyne	Jef Planckaert	Norbert Kerckhove
1958	Germain Derycke	Willy Truye	Angelo Conterno
1959	Rik Van Looy	Frans Schoubben	Gilbert Desmet
1960	Arthur Decabooter	Jean Graczyk	Rik Van Looy
1961	Tom Simpson	Nino Defilippis	Jo de Haan
1962	Rik Van Looy	Michel Van Aerde	Norbert Kerckhove
1963	Noël Foré	Frans Melckenbeeck	Tom Simpson
1964	Rudi Altig	Benoni Beheyt	Jo De Roo
1965	Jo De Roo	Edward Sels	Georges Van Coningsloo
1966	Edward Sels	Adriano During	Georges Vandenberghe
1967	Dino Zandegù	Noël Foré	Eddy Merckx
1968	Walter Godefroot	Rudi Altig	Jan Jan Janssen
1969	Eddy Merckx	Felice Gimondi	Marino Basso
1970	Eric Leman	Walter Godefroot	Eddy Merckx
1971	Evert Dolman	Frans Kerremans	Cyrille Guimard
1972	Eric Leman	Andre Dierickx	Frans Verbeeck
1973	Eric Leman	Freddy Maertens	Eddy Merckx
1974	Cees Bal	Frans Verbeeck	Eddy Merckx
1975	Eddy Merckx	Frans Verbeeck	Marc Demeyer
1976	Walter Planckaert	Francesco Moser	Marc Demeyer
1977	Roger de Vlaeminck	Walter Godefroot	Jan Raas
1978	Walter Godefroot	Michel Pollentier	Gregor Braun
1979	Jan Raas	Marc Demeyer	Daniel Willems
1980	Michel Pollentier	Francesco Moser	Jan Raas
1981	Hennie Kuiper	Frits Pirard	Jan Raas
1982	René Martens	Eddy Planckaert	Rudy Pevenage
1983	Jan Raas	Ludo Peeters	Marc Sergeant
1984	Johan Lammerts	Sean Kelly.	Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke
1985	Eric Vanderaerden	Phil Anderson	Hennie Kuiper
1986	Adrie van der Poel	Sean Kelly.	Jean-Philippe Vandenbrande
1987	Claude Criquielion	Sean Kelly.	Eric Vanderaerden
1988	Eddy Planckaert	Phil Anderson	Adrie van der Poel
1989	Edwig van Hooydonck	Herman Frison	Dag-Otto Lauritzen
1990	Moreno Argentin	Rudy Dhaenens	John Talen
1991	Edwig van Hooydonck	Johan Museeuw	Rolf Sørensen
1992	Jacky Durand	Thomas Wegmüller	Edwig van Hooydonck
1993	Johan Museeuw	Frans Maassen	Dario Bottaro
1994	Gianni Bugno	Johan Museeuw	Andréi Chmil
1995	Johan Museeuw	Fabio Baldato	Andréi Chmil
1996	Michele Bartoli	Fabio Baldato	Johan Museeuw
1997	Rolf Sørensen	Frédéric Moncassin	Franco Ballerini
1998	Johan Museeuw	Stefano Zanini	Andréi Chmil
1999	Peter van Petegem	Frank Vandenbroucke	Johan Museeuw
2000	Andréi Chmil	Dario Pieri	Romāns Vainšteins
2001	Gianluca Bortolami	Erik Dekker	Denis Zanette
2002	Andrea Tafi	Johan Museeuw	Peter van Petegem
2003	Peter van Petegem	Frank Vandenbroucke	Stuart O'Grady
2004	Steffen Wesemann	Leif Hoste	Dave Bruylandts
2005	Tom Boonen	Andreas Klier	Peter van Petegem
2006	Tom Boonen	Leif Hoste	George Hincapie
2007	Alessandro Ballan	Leif Hoste	Luca Paolini
2008	Stijn Devolder	Nick Nuyens	Juan Antonio Flecha
2009	Stijn Devolder	Heinrich Haussler	Philippe Gilbert
2010	Fabian Cancellara	Tom Boonen	Philippe Gilbert
2011	Nick Nuyens	Sylvain Chavanel	Fabian Cancellara
2012	Tom Boonen	Filippo Pozzato	Alessandro Ballan
2013	Fabian Cancellara	Peter Sagan	Jürgen Roelandts
2014	Fabian Cancellara	Greg Van Avermaet	Sep Vanmarcke
2015	Alexander Kristoff	Niki Terpstra	Greg Van Avermaet
2016	Peter Sagan	Fabian Cancellara	Sep Vanmarcke
2017	Philippe Gilbert	Greg Van Avermaet	Niki Terpstra
2018	Niki Terpstra	Mads Pedersen	Philippe Gilbert
2019	Alberto Bettiol	Kasper Asgreen	Alexander Kristoff
2020	Mathieu van der Poel	Wout van Aert	Alexander Kristoff
2021	Kasper Asgreen	Mathieu van der Poel	Greg Van Avermaet
2022	Mathieu van der Poel	Dylan van Baarle	Valentin Madouas
2023
2024

Note: The third position obtained by George Hincapie in the 2006 Tour of Flanders, was declared void after the suspension given by the UCI to the cyclist in the framework of the doping case against Lance Armstrong

Human awards by country

Until the 2022 edition.

Country	Victorias	2.o place	3.o place	Total	Last winner
BelgiumBelgium	69	67	70	207	Philippe Gilbert in 2017
NetherlandsNetherlands	12	7	10	29	Mathieu van der Poel in 2022
ItalyItaly	11	11	8	30	Alberto Bettiol in 2019
SwitzerlandSwitzerland	4	3	1	8	Fabian Cancellara in 2014
France	3	7	5	15	Jacky Durand in 1992
GermanyGermany	2	3	1	6	Steffen Wesemann in 2004
DenmarkDenmark	2	2	1	5	Kasper Asgreen in 2021
Slovakia Slovakia	1	1	0	2	Peter Sagan in 2016
Norway Norway	1	0	3	4	Alexander Kristoff in 2015
United KingdomUnited Kingdom	1	0	1	2	Tom Simpson in 1961
Ireland	0	3	0	3	-
Australia	0	2	1	3	-
Ukraine Ukraine	0	0	1	1	-
MoldovaMoldova	0	0	1	1	-
LatviaLatvia	0	0	1	1	-
SpainSpain	0	0	1	1	-
United States	0	0	1	1	-
Total	106	106	106	318

Note: The third position obtained by George Hincapie in the 2006 Tour of Flanders, was declared void after the suspension given by the UCI to the cyclist in the framework of the doping case against Lance Armstrong

Statistics

Most wins

Until the 2022 edition.

Cycling	Victorias	Years
Achiel Buysse	3	1940, 1941, 1943
Fiorenzo Magni	3	1949, 1950, 1951
Eric Leman	3	1970, 1972, 1973
Johan Museeuw	3	1993, 1995
Tom Boonen	3	2005, 2012
Fabian Cancellara	3	2010, 2013, 2014
Romain Gijssels	2	1931, 1932
Rik Van Steenbergen	2	1944, 1946
Briek Schotte	2	1942, 1948
Rik Van Looy	2	1959, 1962
Eddy Merckx	2	1969, 1975
Walter Godefroot	2	1968, 1978
Jan Raas	2	1979, 1983
Edwig Van Hooydonck	2	1989, 1991
Peter Van Petegem	2	1999, 2003
Stijn Devolder	2	2008, 2009
Mathieu van der Poel	2	2020, 2022

Consecutive wins

• Three victories in a row:
  • Fiorenzo Magni (1949, 1950, 1951)

• Two victories in a row:
  • Romain Gijssels (1931, 1932)
  • Achiel Buysse (1940, 1941)
  • Eric Leman (1972, 1973)
  • Tom Boonen (2005, 2006)
  • Stijn Devolder (2008, 2009)
  • Fabian Cancellara (2013, 2014)

More podiums

Johan Museeuw, nicknamed the Lion of Flanders, and Alberic Schotte are the cyclists with the most podium finishes in the race.

Until the 2021 edition.

Cycling	Victorias	2.o place	3.o place	Total
Johan Museeuw	3	3	2	8
Alberic Schotte	2	2	4	8
Eddy Merckx	2	-	4	6
Fabian Cancellara	3	1	1	5
Jan Raas	2	-	3	5
Tom Boonen	3	1	-	4
Walter Godefroot	2	2	-	4
Peter Van Petegem	2	-	2	4
Andrei Tchmil	1	-	3	4
Philippe Gilbert	1	-	3	4
Greg Van Avermaet	-	2	2	4

Other information

• The longest edition was played in 1913: 324 km
• The slowest edition was played in 1923: 26,233 km/h Henri Suter.
• The fastest edition took place in 2001: 43,580 km/h Gianluca Bortolami.
• Youngest racer to win: Rik Van Steenbergen in 1944 (19 years, 6 months and 23 days).
• Senior winner: Andrei Tchmil in 2000 (37 years, 2 months and 11 days).
• The record of participation is by George Hincapie. He finished the race 17 times.
• Watchful world champions winners of the Flander Tour: Louison Bobet (1955), Rik Van Looy (1962), Eddy Merckx (1975), Tom Boonen (2006) and Peter Sagan (2016).