The first Tour of Flanders was held in 1913 over a brutish 330km of rough roads. Karel Van Wynendaele, a journalist and cycling fan, created the race to promote the newspaper Sportwereld. Van Wynendaele wanted the race to pass in his favorites places in Belgium: Ghent, Brugge, the coast and the heart of Flanders. The early years were rough ones. The first year only 37 racers participated; the next year only 10 did. In 1919 the now-famous Kwaremont climb was included. Today, a win at the Tour of Flanders is among the highest honors in cycling — especially for a Belgian.

Ghent-Wevelgem is one of Belgium's classic April races, held every year on the Wednesday between the bookending weekends of The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The first race, held in 1934, was brutal, taking riders over rough cobblestone roads. It hasn't gotten any easier. Today, riders must twice climb the very steep, narrow and cobbled Kemmelberg climb. It is here the race is often decided.

One of cycling’s monuments, Paris-Roubaix is the grand-daddy of spring classics. With its infamous, rough, cobblestone farm roads, notorious weather and punishing speeds, the race lives up to its moniker l’enfer du Nord or “Hell of the North.” Often called the Queen of the Classics, its nearly 30 sections of cobblestones or pavé capped by the famous Arenberg section leave survivors a jumbled mess when they arrive to the velodrome in Roubaix. The winner always receives a rousing cheer and chapeau for a job well done.

Cobbles Week has long been like Christmas week for the crew at VeloNews, and scenes from the cobbles have been appearing on the cover of the magazine for almost four decades. Here's a selection of some of our favorite covers going back to one featuring Steve Bauer in 1987. Select a cover for an enlarged view, and then scroll through the slide show using the arrows or your keyboard.