The men’s event features over 250km of the toughest terrain in the Flemish region of Belgium, with tight, technical roads, cobblestones, and short, steep climbs. Many riders consider the Tour of Flanders (known locally as the “Ronde van Vlaanderen”) to be the hardest one-day race on the calendar.

How to Watch: GCN Race Pass Tour of Flanders - April 4 And we always keep an eye on BORA-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan, who’s never won Milan-Sanremo despite being perfectly-suited to it. The race is ideal for riders who can climb, descend, and win a small group sprint-riders like van Aert and Alaphilippe, winners in 20, respectively. The first of cycling’s five “Monuments,” we love Milan-Sanremo’s slow build to the finish as the riders head south from Milan toward the coast, then wind their way along the sea toward the climbs that make-up the Monument’s traditional finale-especially the Poggio, a short, punchy ascent just a few kilometers from the finish line whose treacherous descent often creates more gaps than the climb itself. And thanks to the fact that the outcome is almost always decided in the final 10km, the riders say it’s the easiest race to finish, but the hardest to win. How to Watch: GCN Race Pass Milan-Sanremo - March 20Īt almost 300km, Milan-Sanremo is the longest one-day race on the calendar. SD Worx’s Anna van der Breggen, the current world champion, and Trek-Segafredo’s Longo Borghini, who won the race in 2017, are the best bets to stop van Vleuten’s streak.

On the women’s side, van Vleuten, winner in 20, is a favorite to win her third in a row. The Belgian should top the list of this year’s male contenders, alongside Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe, the reigning world champion, who won Strade Bianche in 2019, two weeks before taking his own victory in Milan-Sanremo. One of a handful of races in which the strongest rider always wins, it makes sense that the event’s list of winners reads like a Who’s Who of the sport’s best racers.įor example, Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert won last year’s men’s edition (held in August after being postponed due to COVID-19), just a week before winning Milan-Sanremo. Taking place on the white gravel roads of Tuscany, Strade Bianche is easily one of the hardest and most beautiful races of the year.

Hinson professional bicycle racer