In numbers: The greatest Classics riders of all time.
It's the best period of the whole season. Once or twice a week we get to tune in to incredible, hardcore racing along cobbled roads, vicious ramps and dusty gravel, with the whole peloton riding like there's no tomorrow.
For the cycling connoisseur there's simply nothing better than the Spring Classics. But who, you may ask, is the greatest classics rider of them all?
Sean Kelly, the hard man from Carrick-on-Suir in County Waterford, was the kind of rider who thrived when conditions turned rotten. Rain, mud, crosswinds, bad roads - the harder the day, the better he looked. And what made Kelly so remarkable was that he could win right across the Classics calendar.
He took nine Monument victories - Milan-San Remo twice (1986, 1992), Liège-Bastogne-Liège four times (1984, 1987, 1988, 1989), and Il Lombardia three times (1983, 1985, 1991) - but it’s the depth that defines him. He also won Gent-Wevelgem three times (1988, 1989, 1990), Paris-Tours twice (1984, 1991) and Flèche Wallonne twice (1988, 1989). He was there from February through to October, competitive across cobbles, hills and long-distance endurance races. For versatility, only Eddy Merckx really sits above him, with Tadej Pogacar now edging into that territory.
Sean Kelly, the hard man from Carrick-on-Suir in County Waterford, was the kind of rider who thrived when conditions turned rotten. Rain, mud, crosswinds, bad roads - the harder the day, the better he looked. And what made Kelly so remarkable was that he could win right across the Classics calendar.
He took nine Monument victories - Milan-San Remo twice (1986, 1992), Liège-Bastogne-Liège four times (1984, 1987, 1988, 1989), and Il Lombardia three times (1983, 1985, 1991) - but it’s the depth that defines him. He also won Gent-Wevelgem three times (1988, 1989, 1990), Paris-Tours twice (1984, 1991) and Flèche Wallonne twice (1988, 1989). He was there from February through to October, competitive across cobbles, hills and long-distance endurance races. For versatility, only Eddy Merckx really sits above him, with Tadej Pogacar now edging into that territory.
For the women, there's Marianne Vos, the benchmark in women’s one-day racing for more than a decade.
She has won the Tour of Flanders three times (2013, 2021, 2024) and Amstel Gold Race once (2021), alongside three road world titles (2006, 2012, 2013) and Olympic road race gold (2012). What stands out is her adaptability - she can win uphill, survive selective races, and still deliver in a sprint when it matters.
And when the road tilted upwards, Annemiek van Vleuten turned the Ardennes into her territory. She won Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice (2019, 2022), Tour of Flanders (2021) and Strade Bianche (2019), alongside two road world titles (2019, 2022), and was repeatedly on the podium at Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race.
For the women, there's Marianne Vos, the benchmark in women’s one-day racing for more than a decade.
She has won the Tour of Flanders three times (2013, 2021, 2024) and Amstel Gold Race once (2021), alongside three road world titles (2006, 2012, 2013) and Olympic road race gold (2012). What stands out is her adaptability - she can win uphill, survive selective races, and still deliver in a sprint when it matters.
And when the road tilted upwards, Annemiek van Vleuten turned the Ardennes into her territory. She won Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice (2019, 2022), Tour of Flanders (2021) and Strade Bianche (2019), alongside two road world titles (2019, 2022), and was repeatedly on the podium at Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race.
On the cobbles, the historical benchmarks remain as tough as ever.
Roger De Vlaeminck won 11 Monuments - Paris-Roubaix four times, Tour of Flanders three times, Milan-San Remo three times, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège once - and added Gent-Wevelgem (1975) and Omloop Het Volk (1969), all while racing in the Merckx era.
Then came Tom Boonen, who matched those four Paris-Roubaix wins (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012), added three Tours of Flanders (2005, 2006, 2012), and dominated the cobbled calendar with E3 Harelbeke five times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) and Gent-Wevelgem three times (2004, 2011, 2012).
On the cobbles, the historical benchmarks remain as tough as ever.
Roger De Vlaeminck won 11 Monuments - Paris-Roubaix four times, Tour of Flanders three times, Milan-San Remo three times, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège once - and added Gent-Wevelgem (1975) and Omloop Het Volk (1969), all while racing in the Merckx era.
Then came Tom Boonen, who matched those four Paris-Roubaix wins (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012), added three Tours of Flanders (2005, 2006, 2012), and dominated the cobbled calendar with E3 Harelbeke five times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) and Gent-Wevelgem three times (2004, 2011, 2012).
Now to the modern rivalry shaping this era.
Mathieu van der Poel has built a formidable record across the cobbled Classics. He has six Monument wins - Tour of Flanders three times (2020, 2022, 2024), Paris-Roubaix twice (2023, 2024) and Milan-San Remo (2023) - and has also won E3 Saxo Classic twice (2021, 2023) and Dwars door Vlaanderen (2019).
He’s been on the podium at Gent-Wevelgem, but that race still eludes him.
Now to the modern rivalry shaping this era.
Mathieu van der Poel has built a formidable record across the cobbled Classics. He has six Monument wins - Tour of Flanders three times (2020, 2022, 2024), Paris-Roubaix twice (2023, 2024) and Milan-San Remo (2023) - and has also won E3 Saxo Classic twice (2021, 2023) and Dwars door Vlaanderen (2019).
He’s been on the podium at Gent-Wevelgem, but that race still eludes him.
Tadej Pogacar, meanwhile, has brought Grand Tour dominance into the Classics.
He has six Monument victories - Il Lombardia four times (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice (2021, 2024) - and added the Tour of Flanders (2023). He has also won Strade Bianche twice (2022, 2024) and Amstel Gold Race (2023), and finished on the podium at Flèche Wallonne.
The full set of five Monuments still eludes him, but he is getting closer.
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Tadej Pogacar, meanwhile, has brought Grand Tour dominance into the Classics.
He has six Monument victories - Il Lombardia four times (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice (2021, 2024) - and added the Tour of Flanders (2023). He has also won Strade Bianche twice (2022, 2024) and Amstel Gold Race (2023), and finished on the podium at Flèche Wallonne.
The full set of five Monuments still eludes him, but he is getting closer.
But in the end, it always comes back to Eddy Merckx.
He won 19 Monuments, still the all-time record, including seven Milan-San Remo victories (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976). He also won Liège-Bastogne-Liège five times, Tour of Flanders twice (1969, 1975), Paris-Roubaix three times (1968, 1970, 1973) and Il Lombardia twice (1971, 1972). Around that, he added Omloop Het Volk twice (1969, 1973), Gent-Wevelgem three times (1967, 1970, 1973) and Flèche Wallonne three times (1967, 1970, 1972).
That’s the difference. It’s not just that he won the biggest races - it’s that he won everything around them as well.
And even now, nobody has really got close.
But in the end, it always comes back to Eddy Merckx.
He won 19 Monuments, still the all-time record, including seven Milan-San Remo victories (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976). He also won Liège-Bastogne-Liège five times, Tour of Flanders twice (1969, 1975), Paris-Roubaix three times (1968, 1970, 1973) and Il Lombardia twice (1971, 1972). Around that, he added Omloop Het Volk twice (1969, 1973), Gent-Wevelgem three times (1967, 1970, 1973) and Flèche Wallonne three times (1967, 1970, 1972).
That’s the difference. It’s not just that he won the biggest races - it’s that he won everything around them as well.
And even now, nobody has really got close.