We've already had the so-called 'Opening Weekend' of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne at the start of the month but, after the brief switch back to stage racing for Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, and the symbolic change of the seasons at Saturday's Milan-San Remo, the main cobbled Classics period is upon us.
Spanning a three-week stretch that produces enough storylines to rival a Grand Tour, these one-day races in northern Belgium and France consistently produce some of the most exciting racing of the season.
The kasseien (cobblestones) and hellingen (short, steep climbs) are the theatre for the action in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium where cycling is like a religion and the beer flows steadily on race day. This is the ground for the first two weeks, culminating with the big one, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, or Tour of Flanders. From a global perspective, the following Sunday is perhaps even bigger; Paris-Roubaix, with its flat but brutal cobblestone sectors that punch through the bleak countryside of northern France, is a truly unique and iconic spectacle.
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The cobbled Classics are often referred to as 'honest' races, but they can also be dishonest. Only the strongest survive, and anyone who makes it into the final phase of a race is there on merit, but, in the no-tomorrow winner-takes-all format, there are infinite tactical possibilities - not to mention crashes and mechanical problems - that make these events so beautifully unpredictable.
Cyclingnews reporters are currently on their way to Belgium and we'll have in-depth coverage of each and every race. In the meantime, here's our comprehensive preview of the three weeks ahead.
Can anyone beat QuickStep?
THE RACES
Driedaagse De Panne - Wednesday, March 27
E3-BinckBank Classic - Friday, March 29
Gent-Wevelgem - Sunday, March 31
Dwars door Vlaanderen - Wednesday, April 3
Tour of Flanders - Sunday, April 7
Scheldeprijs - Wednesday, April 10
Paris-Roubaix - Sunday, April 14
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cobbled-classics-2019-preview
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