
One of the oldest and most storied of the spring classics, the race is called La Doyenne (the old lady) by aficionados of this climber-friendly route that dates back to 1892. Sprinkled with dozens of steep but short climbs in the hills of eastern Belgium, the action comes alive an explosive finale starting with the Côte de la Redoute with about 25 kilometers to go. Only the strong survive Côte de Saint-Nicolas to sprint for the spoils.