Issue 118 - The Classics Issue

The Classics Issue

Welcome to Rouleur 118: the Classics Issue. If the Tour de France is the idealised version of cycling, with blue skies, warm temperatures, sublime mountain landscapes and the colourful swish of the peloton along beautifully engineered roads, the Classics are more like real life. 

The great one-day races of Belgium and northern Europe – the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, E3, Gent-Wevelgem, Liège-Bastogne-Liège et al – are gritty, monochromatic affairs. They take place on farm roads, with all the attendant unglamorous sights and smells, in muddy, unspectacular landscapes where the trees are still bare in early spring. It’s probably raining, and it’s definitely chilly.  

We dream of the Tour de France; the Classics are more like everyday life. But they are also epic in their own way. The racing follows an entirely different pattern to the Tour. The Tour is about energy-saving and patience; in the Classics, especially in the modern era, who dares wins. And if whoever dares loses, well, there’s another race in a few days’ time. Issue 118 celebrates all things Classics, from the WorldTour riders who have made their mark on these cobbled roads to the places that bring these places to life.

What’s in the magazine?

Biniam Girmay: Smashing Barriers

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty’s Eritrean star has been one of the revelations of the last couple of seasons. He followed up his historic silver medal in the 2021 U23 Worlds with victories in Gent-Wevelgem and a stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2022. He tells Rouleur he’s aiming even higher in 2023.

Liane Lippert: Next in Line

After six years with Team DSM, German rider Liane Lippert has made big changes for 2023, joining Movistar to learn from world champion Annemiek van Vleuten. The 25-year-old is within touching distance of a big victory, and she’s determined to get there.

How I won the Flanders

We speak to some of the riders who have won Belgium’s most prestigious Classic, to find out how they did it and what the victory meant to them. Featuring Tom Boonen, Lizzie Deignan, Grace Verbeke and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg.

Imanol Erviti: A Timeless Classic

Imanol Erviti has taken part in more editions of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix than any other current rider – 17 times in each race. The Navarran is one of the most reliable domestiques in the peloton and he has been in the WorldTour since the series’ inception in 2005. Eighteen years as a pro have taught him that the mind plays an important role in cycling, he explains to Rouleur.