View source for Ronde van Vlaanderen

{{X}}
{| border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#505050; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#505050;"
| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#333333; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" |[[Image:007Goldfingerposter.jpg|250px]]
|- style="color:#fff; background:darkred; font-size:larger;"
! colspan=2 |'''Tour of Flanders'''
|-
|Local name || Ronde van Vlaanderen
|-
|Region || [[Flanders]], [[Belgium]
|-
|Date || Early April
|-
|Type || One-day race
|-
! colspan=2 |History
|-
|First Edition || 1913
|-
|Number of Editions || 89
|-
|Firstwinner  || {{flagiconBEL}} Paul Deman
|-
|Mostwins  || 3 times {{flagiconBEL}} Achiel Buysse, {{flagiconITA}} Fiorenzo Magni,{{flagiconBEL}} Eric Leman, {{flagiconBEL}} Johan Museeuw
|-
|Mostrecent  || {{flagiconITA}} Alessandro Ballan</td></tr>
|}


The '''[[Ronde van Vlaanderen]]''' ([[English language|English]]: ''Tour of Flanders'') is a [[Road bicycle racing|road cycling race]] held in [[Flanders]], [[Belgium]].  It is held every spring, exactly one week before [[Paris-Roubaix]], and it used to be part of the [[UCI Road World Cup]].  It is now part of the [[UCI ProTour]] and is regarded as one of the '[[Classic cycle races|Monuments]]' of the European professional cycling calendar.

== History ==
[[Image:Wesemann rvv2004.jpg|thumb|left|150px|German road [[road bicycle racing|racer]] [[Steffen Wesemann]] climbing the Muur ''(wall)'' of [[Geraardsbergen]] in the 2004 edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen.]]
The race was initiated in [[1913]] by [[Karel van Wijnendaele]], a former cyclist. Initially not a big success, the race was interrupted by [[World War I]], but continued in [[1919]]. In the [[1920s]] and [[1930s]], the race became more popular, and is currently considered the most important race in Flanders, where road cycling is extremely popular. The nickname of the race is ''Vlaanderens mooiste'', or "Flanders's finest". The town of [[Oudenaarde]], through which the Ronde habitually passes, has a museum - the ''Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen'' - dedicated to the race.

== Course ==
The course contains many steep hills, often paved with cobblestones.  While it is often compared to the '''[[Paris-Roubaix]]''' race in that both contain many cobbled sections, the Ronde's inclusion of many steep, and often cobbled, short hills make racing different compared to the flat Paris-Roubaix, where cobbled sections are harder and more technical.

The route does not change much from year-to-year. A major change was the inclusion of the steep [[Koppenberg]] climb in 2003, having been refurbished from its previous disrepair. The 2007 edition saw another change with the Koppenberg being dropped once more, the inclusion of the Kluisberg and the Côte de Trieu, which were unavailable through roadworks in past years and the first ascent of the Eikenmolen. Spectators try to watch the Ronde pass as many points as possible [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/mar06/mar27news2].

== Comments ==
[[Image:Roger de Vlaeminck.jpg|thumb|right|[[Belgium|Belgian]] [[cyclist]] [[Roger De Vlaeminck]] riding the Koppenberg in the Ronde van Vlaanderen.  De Vlaeminck won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1977.]]
*"''Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross.''" -Andrea Tafi

Few riders have won both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix in the same year:
# 1923 [[Heiri Suter]] {{flagiconSUI}}
# 1932 [[Romain Gijssels]] {{flagiconBEL}}
# 1934 [[Gaston Rebry]] {{flagiconBEL}} 
# 1954 [[Raymond Impanis]] {{flagiconBEL}} 
# 1957 [[Fred De Bruyne]] {{flagiconBEL}}
# 1962 [[Rik van Looy]] {{flagiconBEL}}
# 1977 [[Roger De Vlaeminck]] {{flagiconBEL}} 
# 2003 [[Peter van Petegem]] {{flagiconBEL}}
# 2005 [[Tom Boonen]] {{flagiconBEL}}

The day before the race sees the [[cyclosportive]] (open) race version of the Ronde in which amateur cyclists participate in large numbers.

== Winners ==
{| table BORDER=5 CELLSPACING=4 CELLPADDING=5 style="font-size: 95%">
| valign=top align=left width=33% |
* [[2005]] - [[Tom Boonen]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[2004]] - [[Steffen Wesemann]] -- {{flagiconGER}}
* [[2003]] - [[Peter Van Petegem]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[2002]] - [[Andrea Tafi]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[2001]] - [[Gianluca Bortolami]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[2000]] - [[Andrei Tchmil]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1999]] - [[Peter Van Petegem]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1998]] - [[Johan Museeuw]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1997]] - [[Rolf Sørensen]] -- {{flagiconDEN}}
* [[1996]] - [[Michele Bartoli]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1995]] - [[Johan Museeuw]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1994]] - [[Gianni Bugno]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1993]] - [[Johan Museeuw]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1992]] - [[Jacky Durand]] -- {{flagiconFRA}}
* [[1991]] - [[Edwig Van Hooydonck]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1990]] - [[Moreno Argentin]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1989]] - [[Edwig van Hooydonck]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1988]] - [[Eddy Planckaert]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1987]] - [[Claude Criquielion]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1986]] - [[Adri van der Poel]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1985]] - [[Eric Vanderaerden]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1984]] - [[Johan Lammerts]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1983]] - [[Jan Raas]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1982]] - [[René Martens]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1981]] - [[Hennie Kuiper]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1980]] - [[Michel Pollentier]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1979]] - [[Jan Raas]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1978]] - [[Walter Godefroot]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1977]] - [[Rogier De Vlaeminck]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1976]] - [[Walter Planckaert]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
| valign=top align=left width=34% |
* [[1975]] - [[Eddy Merckx]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1974]] - [[Kees Bal]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1973]] - [[Eric Leman]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1972]] - [[Eric Leman]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1971]] - [[Evert Dolman]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1970]] - [[Eric Leman]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1969]] - [[Eddy Merckx]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1968]] - [[Walter Godefroot]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1967]] - [[Dino Zandegu]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1966]] - [[Edouard Sels]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1965]] - [[Jo de Roo]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1964]] - [[Rudi Altig]] -- {{flagiconGER}}
* [[1963]] - [[Noel Foré]] -- {{flagiconFRA}}
* [[1962]] - [[Rik Van Looy]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1961]] - [[Tom Simpson]] -- {{flagiconGBR}}
* [[1960]] - [[Arthur De Cabooter]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1959]] - [[Rik Van Looy]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1958]] - [[Germain Derijcke]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1957]] - [[Alfred de Bruyne]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1956]] - [[Jean Forestier]] -- {{flagiconFRA}}
* [[1955]] - [[Louison Bobet]] -- {{flagiconFRA}}
* [[1954]] - [[Raymond Impanis]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1953]] - [[Wim van Est]] -- {{flagiconNED}}
* [[1952]] - [[Roger Decock]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1951]] - [[Magni Fiorenzo]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1950]] - [[Magni Fiorenzo]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1949]] - [[Magni Fiorenzo]] -- {{flagiconITA}}
* [[1948]] - [[Briek Schotte]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1947]] - [[Emiel Faignaert]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* 1946 - [[Rik Van Steenbergen]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
| valign=top align=left width=33% |
* [[1945]] - [[Sylvain Grysolle]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1944]] - [[Rik Van Steenbergen]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1943]] - [[Achiel Buysse]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1942]] - [[Briek Schotte]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1941]] - [[Achiel Buysse]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1940]] - [[Achiel Buysse]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1939]] - [[Karel Kaers]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1938]] - [[Edgard De Caluwé]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1937]] - [[Michel D'Hooghe]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1936]] - [[Louis Hardiquest]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1935]] - [[Louis Duerloo]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1934]] - [[Gaston Rebry]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1933]] - [[Alfons Schepers]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1932]] - [[Romain Gijssels]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1931]] - [[Romain Gijssels]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1930]] - [[Frans Bonduel]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* 1929 - [[Jef Dervaes]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1928]] - [[Jan Mertens]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1927]] - [[Gérard Debaets]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1926]] - [[Denis Verschueren]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1925]] - [[Julien Delbecque]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1924]] - [[Gérard Debaets]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1923]] - [[Heiri Suter]] -- SUI
* [[1922]] - [[Léon De Vos]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1921]] - [[René Vermandel]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1920]] - [[Jules Van Hevel]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1919]] - [[Henri Van Lerberghe]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1914]] - [[Marcel Buysse]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
* [[1913]] - [[Paul Deman]] -- {{flagiconBEL}}
|}


==External links==
*[http://www.rvv.be The official Ronde van Vlaanderen website]
*[http://www.sport.be/cyclingtour/rondevanvlaanderen/2008/eng/ Cyclosportive - ride the course the day before]
*[http://www.crvv.be The Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen website - available in English]


{{UCI ProTour}}
{{Ronde van Vlaanderen}}


[[Category:UCI ProTour]]
[[Category:Classic cycle races]]
[[Category:Cycle races]]
[[Category:Cycle racing in Belgium]]
[[Category:Sports festivals hosted in Belgium]]
[[Category:1913 establishments]]
[[Category:UCI Road World Cup]]
[[Category:Flanders]]
[[Category:Ronde van Vlaanderen]]