The first race with cobbled sections is
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, which traditionally opens the Belgian classics season, followed the next day by
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. Starting in late March, the
Flemish Cycling Week (
Vlaamse Wielerweek) kicks off the most important period for cobbled cycling classics. Currently it features the
Driedaagse van De Panne on Wednesday (formerly a stage race, now a one-day event), the
E3 Harelbeke on Friday, and
Gent–Wevelgem on Sunday. The following week,
Dwars door Vlaanderen keeps the riders busy, concluding with the Monument
Tour of Flanders on Sunday. The
Scheldeprijs on the following Wednesday prepare the riders for the historical
Paris–Roubaix (another Monument), which ends the cobbled classics. Among the cobbled cycling races, the three most historical are usually held on consecutive Sundays in March and April:
Gent–Wevelgem,
Tour of Flanders and
Paris–Roubaix. Gent–Wevelgem has lost a lot of its historical status due to its relatively easy route. The
E3 Harelbeke is considered to be harder and thus better preparation for the Ronde and Roubaix. In 2012, both races received equal status on the UCI World Tour. In 2017,
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe) and
Dwars door Vlaanderen became World Tour races. In 2012, Belgian rider
Tom Boonen managed to win all four races in the same season, as the first and only rider to do so. In the 2010s, some of the races have been joined by equivalent races for women –
Gent–Wevelgem for Women,
Tour of Flanders for Women and
Paris–Roubaix Femmes. ==Winners==