The Monuments are five classic cycle races generally considered to be the oldest, hardest, longest and most prestigious one-day events in men's road cycling, with distances between 240 and 300 km.^[1][2][3]

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Cycling monument
First appeared in Ce soir newspaper by Albert Baker d'Isy
Information
Published:	17 April 1949
Origin:	France
Newspaper:	Ce soir
Author:	Albert Baker d'Isy
Race:	Paris–Roubaix
Article:	"monument" du cyclisme

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They each have a long history and specific individual characteristics. They are currently the one-day races in which most points can be earned in the UCI World Tour and the only 3rd categorized UCI races, only behind Grand Tour races; Tour de France (1st category) and Giro and Vuelta (both 2nd category).

Eddy Merckx is by far the most successful monument rider with 19 wins in total. He is the only cyclist in history to win three monuments in one season, a feat he achieved in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1975.

On 17 April 1949, at the day of 47th Paris–Roubaix race edition, the term monument appeared for the first time in road cycling sport. French sports journalist Albert Baker d'Isy, specialised in cycling, published an article titled Paris–Roubaix: "monument" du cyclisme in the French newspaper Ce soir.

The five monuments are:

• Milan–San Remo – the first major Classic of the year, its Italian name is La Primavera (the spring), because it is held in late March, or "La Classicissima". First run in 1907, it is considered the sprinter's classic. This race is particularly long (ca. 300 km (190 mi)) though mostly flat along the Ligurian coast, enabling sprinters to compete, but almost every type of cyclist can try to win Milan-San Remo.
• Tour of Flanders – the Ronde van Vlaanderen in Dutch, the first of the Cobbled classics, is raced every first Sunday of April. It was first held in 1913, making it the youngest of the five Monuments. Notable for the narrow short hills (hellingen) in the Flemish Ardennes, usually steep and cobbled, the route forces the best riders to continually fight for space at the front. The course changes slightly every year: since 2017 the race has started in Antwerp and since 2012 has finished in Oudenaarde.
• Paris–Roubaix – the Queen of the Classics or l'Enfer du Nord ("The Hell of the North") is raced traditionally one week after the Tour of Flanders and is the last of the cobbled races. It was first organized in 1896. Its decisive sites are the many long sections of pavé (roads of cobblestones) making it the most unpleasant one-day race. It is considered by many to be the most heroic one-day cycling event of the year.^{[citation needed]} The race finishes on the iconic Roubaix Velodrome. At the end of the race, riders are usually covered in dirt and mud in what is considered one of the most brutal tests of mental and physical endurance in all of cycling.
• Liège–Bastogne–Liège – held in late April. La Doyenne, the oldest Classic, is the last of the Ardennes classics and usually the last of the spring races. It was first organized in 1892 as an amateur event; a professional edition followed in 1894. It is a long and arduous race notable for its many sharp hills in the Ardennes, favouring climbers and even grand tour specialists.
• Giro di Lombardia – the Autumn Classic or the Race of the Falling Leaves, is held in October or late September. Initially organized as Milano–Milano in 1905, it was called the Giro di Lombardia (Tour of Lombardy) in 1907 and Il Lombardia in 2012. It is notable for its hilly and varied course around Lake Como. It is often won by climbers with a strong sprint finish, because it has a very difficult route, with many hills, especially near Como or Bergamo, like Madonna del Ghisallo, Civiglio or Valcava.