Cycling monument explained

bgcolor=#BCD4E6 colspan=2 align="center" Cycling monument

First appeared in Ce soir newspaper by Albert Baker d'Isy
bgcolor=#b0c4de colspan=2 align="center" Information
Published: 17 April 1949
Origin: France
Newspaper: Ce soir
Author: Albert Baker d'Isy
Race: Paris–Roubaix
Article: "monument" du cyclisme
The Monuments are five classic cycle races generally considered to be the oldest, hardest, longest and most prestigious one-day events in men's road cycling, with distances between 240 and 300 km.

They each have a long history and specific individual characteristics. They are currently the one-day races in which most points can be earned in the UCI World Tour and the only 3rd categorized UCI races, only behind Grand Tour races; Tour de France (1st category) and Giro and Vuelta (both 2nd category).

Eddy Merckx is by far the most successful monument rider with 19 wins in total. He is the only cyclist in history to win three monuments in one season, a feat he achieved in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1975.

Origin

On 17 April 1949, at the day of 47th Paris–Roubaix race edition, the term monument appeared for the first time in road cycling sport. French sports journalist Albert Baker d'Isy, specialised in cycling, published an article titled Paris–Roubaix: "monument" du cyclisme in the French newspaper Ce soir.

List of monuments

The five monuments are:

Monuments winners

YearMilan–San RemoTour of FlandersParis–RoubaixLiège–Bastogne–LiègeGiro di Lombardia
1892Not contestedNot contestedNot contested (1/3)Not contested
1893 (2/3)
1894 (3/3)
1895Not contested
1896
1897 (1/2)
1898 (2/2)
1899
1900
1901 (1/2)
1902 (2/2)
1903 (1/2)
1904 (2/2)
1905
1906
1907 (1/2)
1908 (1/2) (2/2) (1/2)
1909 (1/3)
1910 (2/3)Not contested
1911 (2/2) (3/3) (1/6)
1912 (2/6) (1/2)
1913 (1/2) (2/2) (3/6)
1914 (2/2)Not contested
1915Not contestedNot contested (1/5)
1916Not contested
1917 (2/5)
1918 (1/9) (3/5)
1919 (4/6) (1/2) (2/9)
1920 (4/5) (1/2) (2/2) (5/6)
1921 (3/9) (1/3) (6/6) (1/2) (4/9)
1922 (1/3) (2/2) (2/2) (5/9)
1923 (6/9) (1/2) (2/2) (2/3) (2/3)
1924 (1/2) (2/2) (3/3) (3/3)
1925 (7/9) (1/2) (1/2) (1/6)
1926 (8/9) (2/2) (2/6)
1927 (2/2) (2/2) (3/6)
1928 (9/9) (5/5)
1929 (4/6) (1/4)
1930 (1/2) (2/2)
1931 (5/6) (1/3) (1/4) (2/4) (6/6)
1932 (2/3) (3/3)
1933 (1/2) (3/4)
1934 (2/4) (3/4) (2/2)
1935 (1/2) (4/4) (4/4)
1936 (1/7)
1937 (1/2)
1938 (2/2) (1/2)
1939 (2/7) (3/7)
1940 (4/7) (1/3)Not contestedNot contested (5/7)
1941 (2/3) (1/2)
1942 (1/2) (2/2)
1943 (2/2) (3/3) (1/2)Not contested
1944Not contested (1/5)Not contested
1945 (2/2)
1946 (1/9) (2/5) (1/2) (1/2) (2/9)
1947 (6/7) (2/2) (2/2) (3/9)
1948 (4/9) (2/2) (3/5) (5/9)
1949 (6/9) (1/3)
(7/9)
1950 (7/7) (2/3) (8/9) (2/2)
1951 (1/4) (3/3) (1/2) (2/4)
1952 (1/2) (4/5) (2/2)
1953 (2/2) (1/4)
1954 (5/5) (1/2) (2/2) (9/9)
1955 (2/4) (3/4) (1/2)
1956 (1/6) (2/2) (4/4) (2/6)
1957 (1/2) (3/6) (4/6) (3/4)
1958 (1/8) (4/4) (5/6)
1959 (2/2) (2/8) (1/2) (6/6) (3/8)
1960 (1/3)
1961 (1/3) (4/8) (5/8)
1962 (2/3) (6/8) (7/8) (1/3)
1963 (2/2) (3/3) (2/3)
1964 (2/3) (1/2)
1965 (3/3) (8/8) (3/3)
1966 (1/19) (1/4) (2/4)
1967 (2/19) (1/4) (1/2)
1968 (2/2) (2/4) (3/19)
1969 (4/19) (5/19) (3/4) (6/19)
1970 (1/3) (7/19) (1/11) (2/2)
1971 (8/19) (9/19) (10/19)
1972 (11/19) (2/3) (2/11) (12/19) (13/19)
1973 (3/11) (3/3) (14/19) (15/19) (3/4)
1974 (4/4) (4/11) (5/11)
1975 (16/19) (17/19) (6/11) (18/19) (1/6)
1976 (19/19) (1/2) (7/11)
1977 (1/4) (8/11) (9/11) (1/5) (1/2)
1978 (10/11) (4/4) (2/6) (2/2) (3/6)
1979 (11/11) (2/4) (4/6) (2/5)
1980 (5/6) (3/5) (1/2)
1981 (2/2) (1/4) (4/5) (2/4)
1982 (3/4) (1/2)
1983 (2/2) (4/4) (3/4) (1/9)
1984 (6/6) (2/9) (3/9) (5/5)
1985 (4/4) (1/2) (1/2) (1/6) (4/9)
1986 (5/9) (1/2) (6/9) (2/6) (2/2)
1987 (2/2) (3/6) (4/6)
1988 (1/2) (1/2) (2/2)
1989 (2/2) (1/2) (7/9) (1/2)
1990 (1/2) (5/6) (2/2)
1991 (2/2) (2/2) (6/6) (8/9)
1992 (9/9) (1/2) (2/2)
1993 (1/6) (2/2) (1/2) (1/2)
1994 (2/2) (1/3)
1995 (1/2) (2/6) (1/2)
1996 (1/5) (3/6) (2/2) (1/3)
1997 (1/4) (2/2) (2/5) (2/2)
1998 (2/4) (4/6) (2/2) (3/5) (1/2)
1999 (2/3) (1/3) (2/3)
2000 (3/4) (3/3) (5/6) (1/5)
2001 (4/4) (2/2) (1/2)
2002 (3/3) (6/6) (2/5) (4/5)
2003 (3/5) (2/3) (3/3) (5/5)
2004 (1/3) (1/3)
2005 (1/7) (2/7) (1/2) (4/5)
2006 (3/7) (1/7) (1/4) (5/5)
2007 (2/3) (2/2) (2/3)
2008 (2/7) (1/2) (4/7) (2/4) (3/3)
2009 (2/2) (5/7) (1/5)
2010 (3/3) (3/7) (4/7) (2/2) (2/5)
2011 (3/5)
2012 (1/2) (6/7) (7/7) (1/2)
2013 (5/7) (6/7) (1/2) (2/2)
2014 (1/2) (7/7) (1/2) (2/2) (2/2)
2015 (1/2) (2/2) (2/2) (3/4) (1/3)
2016 (1/2)
2017 (4/5) (4/4) (2/3)
2018 (3/3) (2/2) (2/2)
2019 (5/5) (1/2)
2020 (1/6)Not contested (2/2)
2021 (1/6) (2/6)
2022 (2/6) (1/2) (3/6)
2023 (3/6) (4/6) (4/6) (2/2) (5/6)
2024 (5/6) (6/6) (6/6)
YearMilan–San RemoTour of FlandersParis–RoubaixLiège–Bastogne–LiègeGiro di Lombardia

Statistics

Most monuments wins

Only three riders have won all five monument races during their careers: Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, all three Belgians, and only Eddy Merckx won each of them more than once.

Six riders won four different monuments. With multiple victories in all the other monuments, Sean Kelly almost joined the top group, finishing second in the Tour of Flanders on three occasions (1984, 1986 and 1987). Kelly is the only other rider, after Merckx, to win four different monuments on multiple occasions.

Dutch rider Hennie Kuiper won each monument except Liège–Bastogne–Liège, in which he finished second in 1980. Frenchman Louison Bobet also won all but Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Belgian rider Fred De Bruyne came close as well, finishing second in the Giro di Lombardia in 1955 and winning the other four races during his career. Germain Derycke also won four, all except the Giro di Lombardia. Philippe Gilbert is the most recent rider to win four different monuments, all except Milan–San Remo, in which he finished third twice.[1]

23 riders have won at least five monuments in their career.

Eddy Merckx also holds the record of most victories in a single Monument, winning Milan-San Remo seven times.[2]

RankCyclistNationalityFirst
win
Latest
win
M–SToFP–RL–B–LGdLTotal
119661976bgcolor=gold723bgcolor=gold52bgcolor=gold19
21970197931bgcolor=gold41211
319181928639
1946195431bgcolor=gold59
1983199222239
619581965123118
719391950437
20052012bgcolor=gold3bgcolor=gold47
200620141bgcolor=gold337
10191119211236
19251931246
1956195911136
197519841326
198519911416
19932002bgcolor=gold336
202020241bgcolor=gold326
202120241236
1819151928235
194419541225
197719841225
199620031225
200020061225
2009201911125
2419311935134
19291935134
1951195611114
1953195811114
196619741124
196719782114
1981198511114
197719831214
1997200144
2006201744
341892189433
1909191133
19211924123
19221924123
19311932213
19401943bgcolor=gold33
19491951bgcolor=gold33
19621965123
196019631113
196119651113
19701973bgcolor=gold33
/199420001113
199620021113
19992003213
2004201033
2004200833
20152018123

Riders in blue are still active. Riders in green have won all five monuments. Number of wins in gold indicates the current record holder(s).

Winners by nationality

RankNationalityM–SToFP–RL–B–LGdLTotal
123bgcolor=gold69bgcolor=gold57bgcolor=gold6112bgcolor=gold222
2bgcolor=gold51111412bgcolor=gold69157
31432851262
441394434
52446521
67222013
72023411
5004211
9110338
10202105
020215
001315
13210014
14000303
15110002
000112
011002
18000011
000011
001001
100001
001001
000101

Most wins per monument

MonumentWinsRider(s)
Milan-San Remo 7
Tour of Flanders 3





Paris-Roubaix 4
Liège-Bastogne-Liège 5
Giro di Lombardia 5

Winners of three monuments in a single year

Only Eddy Merckx has been able to win three monuments in a single year – and he did it four times:

Milan–San Remo, Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1969 Eddy Merckx
1975 Eddy Merckx
Milan–San Remo, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Giro di Lombardia
1971 Eddy Merckx
1972 Eddy Merckx

Winners of two monuments in a single year

26 different riders (including Eddy Merckx) have managed to win two Monuments in the same year. The most common "double" consists of the two cobbled classics (Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix), which have been won by the same rider in the same year on 13 occasions. The Italian "double" (Milan–San Remo and Giro di Lombardia) has been achieved 11 times (including Merckx in 1971 and 1972). Only Merckx has won the combinations Milan–San Remo/Tour of Flanders and Tour of Flanders/Liège–Bastogne–Liège, when he won all three Monuments in 1969 and 1975. Only once have two riders (Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel) won two Monuments each in the same year (2023).

Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix
1908 Cyrille van Hauwaert
1986 Sean Kelly
2015 John Degenkolb
2023 Mathieu van der Poel
Milan–San Remo and Giro di Lombardia
1921 Costante Girardengo
1930 Michele Mara
1931 Alfredo Binda
1939 Gino Bartali
1940 Gino Bartali
1946 Fausto Coppi
1948 Fausto Coppi
1949 Fausto Coppi
1951 Louison Bobet
Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix
1923 Heiri Suter
1932 Romain Gijssels
1934 Gaston Rebry
1954 Raymond Impanis
1957 Fred De Bruyne
1962 Rik Van Looy
1977 Roger De Vlaeminck
2003 Peter Van Petegem
2005 Tom Boonen
2010 Fabian Cancellara
2012 Tom Boonen
2013 Fabian Cancellara
2024 Mathieu van der Poel
Tour of Flanders and Giro di Lombardia
1959 Rik Van Looy
1981 Hennie Kuiper
2023 Tadej Pogačar
Paris–Roubaix and Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1961 Rik Van Looy
1973 Eddy Merckx
1984 Sean Kelly
Paris–Roubaix and Giro di Lombardia
1966 Felice Gimondi
1974 Roger De Vlaeminck
1978 Francesco Moser
Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Giro di Lombardia
1987 Moreno Argentin
2021 Tadej Pogačar

Women's events

Both Belgian 'monuments' – The Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes – organise women's events on the same day and partly the same course as the men's events.[3] A women's version of Milan–San Remo, named Primavera Rosa, was initiated in 1999, but cancelled after 2005.[4] The first edition of Paris–Roubaix Femmes took place in October 2021, after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 race was won by Lizzie Deignan,[5] who became the first women's rider to win a classic triple crown of the three existing monuments, having won 'Ronde van Vlaanderen' in 2016, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2020.

Winners

YearMilan–San RemoTour of FlandersParis–Roubaix FemmesLiège–Bastogne–LiègeGiro di Lombardia
1999Not contestedNot contestedNot contestedNot contested
2000
2001
2002 (1/3)
2003 (1/3)
2004 (2/3) (3/3)
2005 (2/3)
2006Not contested (3/3)
2007
2008 (1/2)
2009
2010
2011 (1/4)
2012 (2/2)
2013
2014
2015 (1/3)
2016 (1/3)
2017 (1/3)
2018 (2/3) (3/3)
2019 (2/4)
2020 (2/3)
2021 (3/4) (3/3) (1/2)
2022 (1/3) (2/3) (4/4)
2023 (2/3) (2/2)
2024 (3/3) (3/3)
YearMilan–San RemoTour of FlandersParis–RoubaixLiège–Bastogne–LiègeGiro di Lombardia

Most monuments wins

RankCyclistNationalityM–SToFP–RL–B–LGdLTotal
1 Annemiek van Vleuten0 bgcolor=gold2 0 bgcolor=gold2 0 4
2 bgcolor=gold2 1 0 0 0 3
1 bgcolor=gold2 0 0 0 3
0 1 0 bgcolor=gold2 0 3
0 1 bgcolor=gold1 1 0 3
0 bgcolor=gold2 bgcolor=gold1 0 0 3
0 bgcolor=gold2 bgcolor=gold1 0 0 3
8 0 bgcolor=gold2 0 0 0 2
0 0 0 bgcolor=gold2 0 2

Winners by nationality

RankNationalityM–SToFP–RL–B–LGdLTotal
11bgcolor=gold80bgcolor=gold60bgcolor=gold15
213bgcolor=gold1005
3130004
02bgcolor=gold1104
03bgcolor=gold1004
6bgcolor=gold210003
700bgcolor=gold1001
100001
100001
010001
000101

Notes and References

  1. News: Paris–Roubaix: Philippe Gilbert wins fourth 'monument' title of career . BBC Sport . 15 April 2019 .
  2. Web site: 2023 . Milan-San Remo . FirstCycling.com . en.
  3. Web site: New-look route for Liege-Bastogne-Liege as debut women's parcours unveiled. cyclingnews.com. 21 February 2017. Immediate Media Company. 18 April 2017.
  4. News: Women's Milan–San Remo cancelled . 26 January 2006 . Susan . Westemeyer . 18 May 2015.
  5. Web site: UCI reveal new men's and women's post-COVID-19 race calendar. cyclingnews.com. 5 May 2020. Immediate Media Company. 5 May 2020.