Let's Race the Classics! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eddy Merckx

The Milan-San Remo was first run in 1907, and was first won by Lucien Petit-Breton. It is held in the northern portion of Italy. The course is 298km in length, making it the longest professional one day race. It is traditionally held in March. A nickname of the race is the "la classica di Primavera", which translates into "the Spring classic". Eddy Merckx was the first rider to ever win it seven times. Eddy Merckx won it in 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, and 1976.

Answer: Trench of Ardenburg

The Trench of Ardenburg is used annually in the Paris-Roubaix. The Ronde van Vlaanderen, or in English the Tour of Flanders, was first run in 1913. The first winner was Paul Deman, a Belgian. The 1913 edition of the race began in Ghent and ended in Mariakerke. Since then the start and finish of this race has been changed multiple times.

In 2010, the race began in Bruges and ended in Meerbeke. The first rider to win the classic three times was Achiel Buysse. He won the Tour of Flanders in 1940, 1941, and 1943.

The other retired riders who have won the Ronde van Vlaanderen three times in their career are Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, and Johan Museeuw.

Answer: Deinze

The year the start of the Gent-Wevelgem was moved was the 70th anniversary of the race. In 2010, the race began in Deinze. The Gent-Wevelgem was first run in 1934, and first won by Gustave Van Bell. The first two editions of the Gent-Wevelgem were held for juniors.

The next three editions were available for only amateurs. Finally in 1945 the race became available for professionals to compete in. The first four riders to win the Gent-Wevelgem three times were Robert Van Eenaeme, Rik van Looy, Eddy Merckx, and Mario Cipolini.

Answer: A mounted cobblestone

The Paris-Roubaix was first raced in 1896. It was first won by Josef Fischer, a German. The race originally started in Paris, but in 1966 the start was moved to Chantilly. Eleven years later the start was moved to Compeigne. The Paris-Roubaix is famous for its 28 cobbled sectors that appear over the 260km course.

There are several nicknames that the Paris-Roubaix has; "The Hell of the North" and the "Queen of the Classics" are just a few. Roger de Vlaeminck was the first rider to win four editions of Paris-Roubaix.

He won the race in 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1977.

Answer: A brewery

The Amstel Gold race was first held in 1966. It was first won by Jean Stablinski. The race is named after the Amstel Brewery, which is located in Zoeterwoude, The Netherlands. Throughout the history of the race the route has changed in length many times.

The first few races were in excess of 300km, but as time grew on the length of the race gradually dropped down to around about 250km. There is no set length to the race, with the course changing in length slightly every couple of years. The Amstel Gold Race is usually considered to be one of the more dangerous classics, due to the abundance of obstacles such as chicanes, speed bumps, and traffic islands.

The first rider to win the Amstel Gold Race five times was Jan Raas. Raas won the Amstel Gold Race in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1982.

Answer: The Walloon Arrow

The La Fleche Wallonne was first run in 1936. It was first won by Philippe Demeersman. This classic was originally run in order to increase sales of the newspaper "Les Sports". The first La Fleche Wallonne had a total distance of 236km, with the race starting in Tournai and ending in Liege.

The first time an edition of the La Fleche Wallonne to exceed 300km was the 1938 edition. After that point the distances of the races started to decrease, to in 2010 the route has been set at a distance of 199.5km.

The start of the race in 2010 was Charleroi and it ended in Huy. The first four riders to win the Walloon Arrow three times in their career were: Marcel Kint, Eddy Merckx, Moreno Argentin, and Davide Rebellin.

Answer: Cote de la Roche-en-Ardenne

The Cote de la Roche-en-Ardenne has a slope of 4.9%. The Cote de Stockeu has a gradient of 10.5%. The Côte de Saint-Nicolas has a slope of 10.5%. Finally, the Cote de Saint-Roch has the largest steepness of the mountains listed, it has a steepness of 12%.

The Liege-Bastogne-Liege was first run in 1892, and is one of the oldest classics that is raced. The Liege-Bastogne-Liege was first won by Leon Houa. Houa also won the next two editions of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege. It is often referred in French as "La Doyenne", which translates literally into "The Dean". The first rider to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege five times was Eddy Merckx. Merckx won the race in 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1975. The Liege-Bastogne-Liege is one of the five cycling "Monuments". The "Monuments" are considered to be the most prestigious and oldest classics on the cycling calendar. The "Monuments" consist of the Milan San-Remo, the Tour of Flanders, the Paris-Roubaix, the Giro di Lombardia, and the Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Answer: Alto de Jaizkabel

The Clasica de San Sebastian was first raced in 1981 and is one of the youngest professional classics on the UCI ProTour calendar. It was first won by Marino Lejarreta. This classic is held in the Basque region of Spain each summer. The Clasica de San Sebastian is widely known for being a climber's classic, with several mountains and climbs throughout the course of the race. One of the most famous mountains included in the race is the Alto de Jaizkibel.

In the 2010 edition the Alto de Jaizkibel was crossed after about 200km of racing. Lejarreta was also the first rider to win the Clasica de San Sebastian three times; he won the race in 1981, 1982, and 1987.

Answer: Francis Pelissier

During the 1921 edition of the Paris-Tours, the year that Francis Pelissier won in horrendous conditions, half of the field abandoned in Chartres. Pelissier's hands were frozen to his handlebars when he had a puncture. He was forced to tear off the tire with his teeth. He would then ride on and eventually catch the leader of the race, Eugene Christophe, and then win the race.

The Paris-Tours was first run in 1896, making it one of the oldest classics in the sport of cycling. It was first won by Eugene Prevost, it took him over eight hours to complete the race. After the first edition in 1896 there was a four year gap, where the race was not held. The race resumed in 1901, but then another four year period occurred, where the Paris-Tours was not held. In 1906 the Paris-Tours was raced again, and held on a yearly basis until the first World War began. After the war the race was held again on a yearly basis. Like most classic races, the course of the Paris-Tours has changed numerous times throughout its history. In 2009, the start of the race was in Chartes and ended in Tours. The Paris-Tours was first won three times by Gustave Danneels. He won the Paris-Tours in 1934, 1936, and 1937. The next three riders to win the Paris-Tours three times in their careers were Paul Maye, Guido Reybroeck, and Erik Zabel.

Answer: The Race of the Falling Leaves

The Giro di Lombardia translates into English as the "Tour of Lombardy". The Tour of Lombardy has no set route, with the length of the race varying each year slightly. The Italian nickname of the race is "La classica delle foglie morte", which translates into English as "The Race of the Falling Leaves". Giovanni Gerbi won the inaugural Giro di Lombardia, which took place in 1905.

The first rider to win the Giro di Lombardia five times was Fausto Coppi. Coppi won the Giro di Lombardia in 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1954.