The spring classics - Philippe Bouvet

Cycling's spring races are always the most anticipated of the year, not only because they herald the start of the season, but also because they are brutally difficult and spectacularly unpredictable. Known as the Spring Classics, these one-day races test cycling's toughest riders with the worst conditions imaginable-sucking mud, choking dust, leg-numbing sleet, fanatic spectators, and Europe's narrowest, most bone-grinding country roads. Clattering through agrarian hamlets on routes established a century ago, the Spring Classics celebrate cycling's most glorious and meaningful history. Riders that perform well amidst the intensity of these one-day races are acclaimed as cycling's "hard men."

The Spring Classics delves into the stories of Milan-San Remo, Ghent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flche Wallone, and Lige-Bastogne-Lige through hundreds of rare and restored photographs presented in a lavish format. With authoritative text from cycling's expert sportswriters, The Spring Classics commemorates the riders, traditions, and secrets of cycling's greatest one-day contests.