The Classics are cycling's biggest one day races, and for the most part take place in Northern Europe in the spring. There is often debate over what should and shouldn't be counted as a Classic, but for the purpose of this guide we are including everything from the five Monuments down to the semi-Classics.
Pretty much anything that brings the Classics-specialists to the fore or those races ridden in the lead-up to the headline events falls under our Classics umbrella. That's not to say every race on the calendar will get more than a passing mentioned - sorry Le Samyn.
The Spring Classics are often more entertaining than any given day of a Grand Tour or other stage race as big teams can't kill off the excitement or viewing pleasure with metronomic control and nor can those with ambitions on the win sit back, limit their losses and make up for it the following day.
One-day races are all or nothing and are all the better for it.
This guide will tell you all you need to know about the Classics, including a run down of the key races, live television coverage, discussion of the Monuments and praise of the cobbles.
Guide to the Classics: The key 2017 races, Classics live TV guide and race reports
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Cobbled Classic
When: Saturday 25th February
Where: Gent, Belgium
Distance: 200km / 130km
Most recent winner: Greg Van Avermaet / Lizzie Armitstead
Most wins: Three - Joseph Bruyère, Ernest Sterckx, Peter Van Petegem / Two - Suzanne de Goede, Emma Johansson
Live TV coverage: 1345-1545, Eurosport
Race report: Greg Van Avermaet wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Cobbled Classic
When: Sunday 26th February
Where: Kuurne to (23km west of) Brussels and back to Kuurne
Distance: 200km
Most recent winner: Jasper Stuyven
Most wins: Three - Tom Boonen
Live TV coverage: 1330-1600, Eurosport
Race report: Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne gives Peter Sagan first win of 2017
Strade Bianche
When: Saturday 4th March
Where: Tuscany, Italy
Distance: 176km / 103km - both men's and women's include 50km+ of unpaved white roads
Most recent winner: Fabian Cancellara / Lizzie Armitstead
Most wins: Three - Fabian Cancellara / One each - Megan Guarnier, Lizzie Armitstead
Live TV coverage: 1300-1430, Eurosport
Milan-San Remo
Monument
When: Saturday 18th March
Where: Milan to San Remo, Italy
Distance: 295km
Most recent winner: Arnaud Demare
Most wins: Seven - Eddy Merckx
Live TV coverage: 1315-1600, Eurosport
More information: Milan-San Remo 2017: Route, riders and all you need to know
Race report: Michal Kwiatkowski wins 2017 Milan-San Remo in a photo finish from Peter Sagan
Dwars Door Vlaanderen
Cobbled Classic
When: Wednesday 22nd March
Where: Roeselare to Waregem, Belgium
Distance: 200km
Most recent winner: Jens Debusschere / Amy Pieters
Most wins: Two each - 12 male riders / Three - Amy Pieters
Live TV coverage: 1330-1600, Eurosport
More information: Why you should sneak off work and catch Dwars door Vlaanderen this Wednesday
E3 Harelbeke
Cobbled Classic
When: Friday 24th March
Where: Harelbeke, Belgium
Distance: 200km
Most recent winner: Michal Kwiatkowski
Most wins: Five - Tom Boonen
Gent-Wevelgem
Cobbled Classic
When: Sunday 26th March
Where: Deinze (south of Gent) to Wevelgem
Distance: 240km / 115km
Most recent winner: Peter Sagan / Chantal Blaak
Most wins: Three each - Robert Van Eenaeme, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Mario Cipollini, Tom Boonen
Live TV coverage: 1300-1630, Eurosport
Tour of Flanders
Monument / Cobbled Classic
When: Sunday 2nd April
Where: Antwerp to Oudenaarde, Flanders region, Belgium
Distance: 260km
Most recent winner: Peter Sagan / Lizzie Armitstead
Most wins: Three each - Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara
Live TV coverage: 1230-1600, Eurosport
More information: Tour of Flanders 2017: Route, riders and all you need to know
Scheldeprijs
Cobbled Classic
When: Wednesday 5th April
Where: Antwerp, Belgium
Distance: 155km
Most recent winner: Marcel Kittel
Most wins: Four - Marcel Kittel
Live TV coverage: 1430-1630, Eurosport
Paris-Roubaix
Monument / Cobbled Classic
When: Sunday 9th April
Where: (North of) Paris to Roubaix, France
Distance: 260km
Most recent winner: Matthew Hayman
Most wins: Four each - Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen
Live TV coverage: 1000-1600, Eurosport
More information: Paris-Roubaix 2017: Route, riders and all you need to know
Brabantse Pijl
When: Wednesday 12th April
Where: Brabant, Belgium
Distance: 205.3km
Most recent winner: Petr Vakoc
Most wins: Four - Edwig Van Hooydonck
Live TV coverage: 1430-1645, Eurosport
Amstel Gold
Ardennes Classic
When: Sunday 16th April
Where: Limburg, the Netherlands
Distance: 250km
Most recent winner: Enrico Gasparotto
Most wins: Five - Jan Raas
Live TV coverage: 1300-1600, Eurosport
Tro-Bro Leon
When: Monday 17th April
Where: Brittany, France
Distance: Includes 30km of cobbles, gravel and unmade roads
Most recent winner: Martin Mortensen
Most wins: Three - Philippe Dalibard
Flèche Wallonne
Ardennes Classic
When: Wednesday 19th April
Where: Wallonia, Belgium
Distance: 199.5km
Most recent winner: Alejandro Valverde / Anna van der Breggen
Most wins: Four - Alejandro Valverde / Five - Marianne Vos
Live TV coverage: 1330-1600, Eurosport
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Monument / Ardennes Classic
When: Sunday 23rd April
Where: Liège to Bastogne and back again, Belgium
Distance: 260km
Most recent winner: Wout Poels
Most wins: Five - Eddy Merckx
Live TV coverage: 1300-1600, Eurosport
More information: Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2017: Route and teams confirmed
In 2017, a women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège will be held for the first time.
Il Lombardia
Monument
When: Autumn
Where: Lombardy region, Italy
Distance: 255km
Most recent winner: Esteban Chaves
Most wins: Five - Fausto Coppi
Guide to the Classics: The Monuments
The Monument Classics are the five biggest one-day races on the calendar. They take place in three different countries, over cobbles, up and down climbs and often in the foulest of weather conditions. Alone of the five is Il Lombardia, which takes place in the Autumn and after all three of cycling's Grand Tours.
The Monuments are cycling's oldest one-day races. Liège-Bastogne-Liège is the oldest of the five races as it was first run in 1892, and has been named La Doyenne ("The Old Lady") to reflect this. The event comes after the cobbled races and is better suited to a tactically astute stage racer who's brought their climbing legs.
Milan-San Remo is the first Monument of the year and is most noted for its length as the parcours covers almost 300km. Some short, sharp climbs towards the end such as ascents of the Cipressa and Poggio, make this one for the puncheurs and the punchier sprinters, but it still carried the nickname 'The Sprinters' Classic'.
The Tour of Flanders takes riders over the cobbles and bergs of Belgium's Flemish north. One for the all-out Classics specialists, De Ronde is a huge draw for fans wanting to see the best riders giving it their all on the hellingen on their way to the finish line.
Paris-Roubaix, rightly named the Queen of the Classics and referred to by many as the Hell of the North, is a truly gruelling day out for the riders but an incredible spectactle for fans - both on the side of the road or watching at home on the television.
Guide to the Classics: Cobbles
The aforementioned Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are chief among the cobbled Classics, but they are by no means the only pavé strewn races. In fact, many of the smaller Belgian races go over many of the same secteurs from race to race, including those used in De Ronde.
Like ice when wet and almost as slippery when dusty, cobbles can be hard to negotiate at the best of times let alone in a fast-moving pack of jostling riders. Pros like Tom Boonen and retirees like Fabian Cancellara and Johan Museeuw sailed over the pavé to Monument wins.
Peter Sagan's stand-out win in the 2016 Tour of Flanders came about when he rode away from his rivals on the cobbled ascent of the Paterberg and all eyes will be on the World Champion at this year's Spring Classics.
Guide to the Classics: Ardennes
There are three Ardennes Classics, although one of them is actually in the Dutch Limburg region. The Dutch event comes first in the shape of the Amstel Gold Race, followed by La Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a Monument
The three races now take place in an eight day period and tend to fall later in April, after the Cobbled Classics. Due to the hilly terrain covered by the three races, previous victors include Tour de France overall winners, puncheurs and top domestiques.