The story of biking’s 2025 Monument races in 20 pictures

The Monuments. Cycling’s 5 most historic one-day races, whose legendary editions roll off the tongue like oil down a sequence. The 2011 Tour of Flanders. 2021’s Paris-Roubaix. Arguably, this season’s Milan-Sanremo.

Certain names are equally synonymous — Eddy Merckx, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Sean Kelly, Johan Museeuw. After this season, it’s time to add Tadej Pogacar to the listing.

Already the best Grand Tour rider of his technology — and probably the very best of all-time — the 27-year-old Slovenian took his one-day racing to the following degree in 2025. Appearing to benefit from the Classics over every other race, he grew to become simply the second rider, after Merckx, to win three Monuments in a single yr — and was the primary ever rider to complete on the rostrum in any respect 5 Monuments.

It has been a historic yr — that is the story of the 2025 Monuments in 20 footage.

---

Milan-Sanremo, March 21

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 6:22:53
2. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) identical time
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) identical time

Milan-Sanremo is a singular course. Largely flat, it will get lumpy in the direction of the top and the ultimate two iconic climbs — the Cipressa and the Poggio — often do away with the sprinters, but neither ascent is tough sufficient for the race to swimsuit the pure climbers. Throw within the closing terrifying descent of the Poggio, and the flat run-in to the end, and it’s clear to see why Milan-Sanremo is arguably essentially the most unpredictable Monument of all of them.

Often affected by excessive climate as a result of its place at first of the season, 2025’s version was raced on a day that began within the rain however led to sunshine. By far the longest Monument at nearly 300km, no man has received it twice in a row since Erik Zabel in 2000 and 2001. For as soon as, Pogacar’s success could be right down to a component of likelihood.

Pogacar attacked on the Cipressa, 25km from house, and was joined by house rider Filippo Ganna, and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel. Having received six Monuments coming into this season, Van der Poel is arguably Pogacar’s solely true rival within the Classics.

Though Pogacar attacked once more up the Poggio, Van der Poel impressively remained with him regardless of their weight differential. When time-trial specialist Ganna bridged over as soon as extra on the descent, the three raced collectively in the direction of the road — with Van der Poel powering clear within the dash. Incredibly, third place could be Pogacar’s lowest end in a Monument in 2025.

---

Ronde van Vlaanderen, April 6

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team-Emirates) 5:58:41
2. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +1m 1s
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) identical time

France could host the game’s most high-profile race, but when biking has a religious house, its postcode might be on the cobbles of Flanders. “As a Belgian, winning Flanders for the first time is far more important than wearing the maillot jaune in the Tour,” mentioned three-time winner Johan Museeuw of the Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen).

The Tour of Flanders is attritional, suiting rouleurs that may climb — Pogacar and Van der Poel have been favourites as soon as once more, having received 4 of the 5 earlier editions between them. Featuring 2200m of cobbled climbing in entrance of raucous followers, the Oude Kwaremont is a key tactical location, and the place Pogacar had gone clear to win in 2023.

This is the pavé part of the Monuments season, with its climbing requiring much more pure energy. Pogacar produced a exceptional estimated 9.07 watts/kg on the notorious Koppenberg for simply over one minute to all however crack Pedersen and Van der Poel, going decisively clear on the next ascent of the Oude Kwaremont.

Pogacar received the Tour of Flanders by over a minute from Lidl-Trek’s Mads Pedersen — however in ending third, Van der Poel ensured he completed on the rostrum on this race for a report sixth consecutive yr.

---

Paris-Roubaix, April 13

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 5:31:27
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +1m 18s
3. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +2m 11s

Paris-Roubaix was at all times going to be Pogacar’s hardest problem. Long and cobbled, the Hell of the North is a take a look at of uncooked power, not power-to-weight. Grand Tour winners would ordinarily be too slight to even take into account victory — that he was even in rivalry is why Pogacar is such a particular rider.

The Arenberg Trench is the place Paris-Roubaix will be received or misplaced — the ‘road’ desirous to buck those that journey its cobbles off its again. Teenage British rider Matthew Brennan, who loved a breakout debut season, was significantly spectacular right here in his first Monument.

Pogacar and Van der Poel have been, as soon as once more, within the main group at a Monument with 38km remaining. However, Pogacar crashed on a good right-hander after a momentary lapse of focus — and although each required bike modifications, Van der Poel remained forward to win his third successive Paris-Roubaix. He is the primary rider to try this since Francesco Moser between 1978 and 1980.

However, the Dutchman was hit by a water bottle thrown by a Belgian fan within the closing kilometres. “It’s not normal. It was a full bottle, it’s maybe half a kilogram and I rode 50kph, it was like a stone hitting my face,” Van der Poel mentioned.

Usually, the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix make an try far too dangerous for a possible Tour de France winner to enter. Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates squad initially banned him from coming into — however the Slovenian talked his sporting director Joxean Fernandez Matxin round, wanting the contemporary problem.

Paris-Roubaix, Milan-Sanremo, and the Vuelta a Espana are the one main races lacking from Pogacar’s palmares.

---

Liege-Bastogne-Liege, April 27

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 6:00:09
2. Guilio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) +1m 3s
3. Ben Healy (EF Education-Easypost) identical time

The most historical of the Monuments, Liege-Bastogne-Liege is named La Doyenne — roughly translated because the Old Lady. Held within the French-speaking Belgian area of Wallonia, Bastogne was initially chosen because the flip level so its Nineteenth-century race organisers may hop on a prepare to workers a halfway checkpoint.

Coming on the finish of the Ardennes Classics, every week of races which additionally consists of the celebrated Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallone, the peloton would have probably loved momentarily seeing greenery fairly than Pogacar’s world champion’s jersey disappearing up the street. He had received Fleche Wallone decisively simply 4 days earlier, having surprisingly been overwhelmed by Mattias Skjelmose on the Amstel Gold Race one week earlier.

Having crashed into the opening door of a Belgian postal van in early December, Evenepoel’s winter coaching had been severely disrupted. The Belgian time trial maestro was nonetheless affected by nerve injury in his shoulder when he restarted racing, however a win on his return at Brabantse Pijl raised expectations. However, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, a race he had received twice earlier than, got here too quickly.

Pogacar’s win at Liege-Bastogne-Liege was his most dominant of the Monument season. Save for a short sortie from INEOS, the peloton did little of any tactical creativeness to forestall his victory, with no rider in a position to comply with him up the Cote de la Redoute — elevating questions over whether or not this passivity was good for biking.

---

Il Lombardia, October 11

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 5:45:53
2. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) +1m 48s
3. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) +3m 14s

Il Lombardia is the one Monument to happen after the game’s three Grand Tours — and the peloton is often in a wildly totally different situation to the way it began the season.

For Pogacar, a grasp of restoration, the race’s place on the finish of the season fits him completely. Fresh from successful each the world and European titles over the previous month, he set out in pursuit of his report fifth consecutive Lombardia — a feat no rider has achieved in any Monument earlier than.

Quinn Simmons has had a vastly spectacular season, with out the outcomes to point out for it. Arguably essentially the most attacking rider throughout this summer season’s Tour de France, the American street race champion attacked from the beginning of Il Lombardia, using in entrance of the race for its whole 241km size. Briefly alone with Pogacar within the closing 30km, he futilely tried to stay with the Slovenian — however a fourth-place end was nonetheless reward for an amazing journey.

Right now, Pogacar has three rivals — Van der Poel, Jonas Vingegaard, and apathy. He reduce an exasperated and drained determine on the finish of this yr’s Tour de France, worn down by three weeks of racing, and, as he revealed this week, a knee damage that bothered him within the closing week. One-day races, although, more and more really feel like his salve.

With Pogacar having fun with the Monuments greater than every other occasions on the circuit, his dominance of the game could generally be irritating — however with the very best rider within the sport embracing the historical past of those 5 legendary races, his pursuit of historical past in 2025 has supplied them with a brand new lease of life.

Can he ever win Milan-San Remo or Paris-Roubaix? It is arguably essentially the most intriguing query to ask of subsequent season.