The 2025 Spring Classics have already treated us to some truly iconic races and breathtaking performances. Thrilling breakaways aplenty from Mads Pedersen, Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and Elisa Longo Borghini have been the main story of the classics so far, while Neilson Powless' three against one victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen harked back to the infamous Ian Stannard against-the-odds victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad back in 2015.
Now, we are partway through the Ardennes Classics of Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, with the final spring Monument, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, just around the corner. But what makes these three races so unique, and such a different challenge to cycling’s prime cobbled Classics or even the Grand Tours?
