Flanders Classics is an umbrella organization for classic cycle races

Classic cycle races

The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...

 held in Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

. It was founded in 2010 and it contains six races, of which the Ronde van Vlaanderen is the most important.

Mission

The mission of the Flanders Classics is to ensure the position of the Flemish Classics in the international cycling calendar. By doing this the organization tries to give a better chance to the smaller Flemish races. The cooperation has already achieved a better date for three of the races. Gent–Wevelgem will now be held on the Sunday between Milan – San Remo and the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Grote Scheldeprijs

Grote Scheldeprijs

The Scheldeprijs is a Flanders Classics cycling race which starts in Antwerp and finishes in Schoten. The event, ranked at 1.HC on the UCI European calendar, is seen as a race for sprinters, held on flat roads over roughly 200 kilometres. The race is one circuit of 155 kilometres into the...

 will be held between the Ronde and Paris–Roubaix and the Brabantse Pijl

Brabantse Pijl

The Brabantse Pijl is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011, it was upgraded to a 1.HC event...

 will be held before the Ardennes classics

Ardennes classics

The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Ardennes and Dutch Limburg. The races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held close after each other...

, consisting of the Amstel Gold Race

Amstel Gold Race

The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...

, La Flèche Wallonne

La Flèche Wallonne

La Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...

 and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

Classics

Cooperating races are:

Race	Notes
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad	This is the Opening race of the Belgian cycling season.
Dwars door Vlaanderen Dwars door Vlaanderen Dwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...	Traditionally this is the first day of the Flemish Cycling Week with Gent–Wevelgem, the Three Days of De Panne Three Days of De Panne The Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...  and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Gent–Wevelgem	This is the first of the three Cobbled classics Cobbled classics Cobblestones, like mountaineous terrain, are decisive elements in courses of cycling. Many classic cycle races in northwestern Europe contain cobbled sections. The two classics of this race type are the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris–Roubaix, with over 20 cobbled sectors...  and is held on the Sunday between Milan – San Remo and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Ronde van Vlaanderen	This is the only Flemish race of the five Monuments Classic cycle races The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same... .
Grote Scheldeprijs Grote Scheldeprijs The Scheldeprijs is a Flanders Classics cycling race which starts in Antwerp and finishes in Schoten. The event, ranked at 1.HC on the UCI European calendar, is seen as a race for sprinters, held on flat roads over roughly 200 kilometres. The race is one circuit of 155 kilometres into the...	This race is held between the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris–Roubaix.
Brabantse Pijl Brabantse Pijl The Brabantse Pijl is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011, it was upgraded to a 1.HC event...	This race is now held before the Ardennes classics Ardennes classics The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Ardennes and Dutch Limburg. The races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held close after each other... .