What do monument favorites Wout van Aert, Marianne Vos, and Michael Matthews have in common at the opening of the spring classics?<\/p>\n
They are the established heavyweights and fan favorites chasing a big spring win that\u2019s starting to feel long overdue.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t call it a monument curse \u2014 it\u2019s just the cruel reality of an era dominated by generational juggernauts who are leaving scraps for everyone else.<\/p>\n
Tadej Poga\u010dar and Mathieu van der Poel have terrorized the monuments the past three years, hogging 13 of 15 wins between them. It\u2019s the same in women\u2019s racing, with Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Lotte Kopecky taking their oversized share of the bouquets.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rough business trying to squeeze out space and a win against these generational greats, even for the peloton\u2019s top-line riders.<\/p>\n
Cycling history is full of winning talent who, for one reason or another, never quite got their full due in the grueling, sometimes-random trenches of the spring classics.<\/p>\n
Unlike the grand tours, where power numbers and team budgets can tip the balance, the classics and monuments can still turn on verve, luck, and tactical brawn.<\/p>\n
For battle-hardened pros who have knocked on the door year after year, missing out on a Ronde van Vlaanderen or Paris-Roubaix is not exactly a sleepless-night scenario, especially when their respective palmar\u00e8s<\/em> are usually littered with other glittering trophies.<\/p>\n Greg Van Avermaet never won the Ronde, but the Olympic gold medal certainly helped take the edge off any regret.<\/p>\n There are a few names on this list who will have to wait.<\/p>\n Stefan K\u00fcng, the perennial Roubaix challenger, broke his femur at Omloop Nieuwsblad and is out for the entire classics season in a brutal Opening Weekend. Tim Wellens, a key part of UAE\u2019s classics arsenal, snapped a collarbone and will also be out.<\/p>\n Spring hope runs eternal as a wave of nearly men and women, underdogs, and serial close-call finishers barnstorm into the classics with nothing to lose and a legacy to gain.<\/p>\n And sometimes the stars align. Mathew Hayman, a faithful lieutenant and Paris-Roubaix working man, beat cobbles king Tom Boonen in 2016. Or the scorcher last year from Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot to stun everyone in the Hell of the North.<\/p>\n It\u2019s that kind of two-wheeled lottery ticket that keeps everyone coming back for more.<\/p>\n A near-miss is not defeat, but rather jet fuel that keeps that belief burning for another season in cycling\u2019s gladiator ring.<\/p>\n From this weekend\u2019s Strade Bianche to Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, it\u2019s eight glorious weeks of non-stop racing. Two months for cycling\u2019s underdogs to finally land one.<\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s favorite. Van Aert is kind of like the Chicago Cubs of the spring classics.<\/p>\n He\u2019s won some huge races, including Milan-San Remo, grand tour stages, and plenty of one days, so if there\u2019s an asterisk next to his palmar\u00e8s<\/em>, it\u2019s a small one.<\/p>\n The sentimental favorite for many, Visma-Lease a Bike and Van Aert are chasing a monument win again this spring that sometimes looks further away than ever. Victory in the monuments against MVDP and Poga\u010dar might make that seem like a mirage.<\/p>\n An ankle injury during cyclocross season and illness after an altitude camp are far from ideal, but he\u2019s been able to train and will make his delayed season debut Tuesday at Le Samyn.<\/p>\n In cycling, many old-timers say there are no miracles, but WVA might need one in 2026.<\/p>\n Spring targets:<\/strong> Ename Samyn Classic, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, Ronde van Vlaanderen, and Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: He\u2019ll be too undercooked to match the flares on Oude Kwaremont at Flanders, but he goes deep at Paris-Roubaix, avoids crashes and punctures, and wins a three-up sprint against Van der Poel and Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n He\u2019s already got one monument with Milan-San Remo, so he can sleep easy, but he\u2019d cut off his right arm to win the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n His move to classics machine Soudal Quick-Step should give him new sensations that could play out on the road.<\/p>\n The reborn Wolfpack, featuring old hands Dylan Van Baarle, Yves Lampaert, and new kid Paul Magnier, could give him wings in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n He\u2019s had some crushing close calls, including just missing a world\u2019s medal on home roads in 2021, but his big, burly engine could make him the ultimate outsider, especially at a race like Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, Ronde van Vlaanderen, and Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: The stars align, he attacks early at Paris-Roubaix, Poga\u010dar chases him down but cannot drop him, and wins a miracle sprint on the velodrome.<\/p>\n Everyone\u2019s waiting for that big win in Europe from one of America\u2019s best. Second to Kopecky at the 2024 worlds was almost it.<\/p>\n The Olympic track gold medalist still packs her world time trial champion\u2019s motor and ambition to go the distance in the spring classics.<\/p>\n Staying upright and at the front of the action continues to impact her ability to be there when the decisive moves go clear. Eighth last year at Roubaix hints at more.<\/p>\n Injury during her Australian stint didn\u2019t help, but she\u2019s used to coming back from soul-crushing setbacks.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Gent-Wevelgem, TBD<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: Uses her depth to go the Roubaix distance and wins in a photo-finish sprint against Kopecky.<\/p>\n Bling brings it on the big days. A stage-winner in all three grand tours, he\u2019s been through the wringer with health setbacks, close calls, and bad luck that always kept him short of winning a monument.<\/p>\n Relegated off the Flanders podium in 2024, second to Philipsen in San Remo. He missed the 2025 Tour de France due to a life-threatening pulmonary embolism discovered during an altitude training camp.<\/p>\n His recovery seems on track, and an early win at GP Castell\u00f3n in January, his first since his health scare, confirms he still packs a lethal kick in a reduced bunch.<\/p>\n He\u2019s one of Poga\u010dar\u2019s best buddies, so maybe he\u2019s picked up a few insights on how to crack the Poga\u010dar Code. The time is now.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Milan-San Remo, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Amstel Gold Race, and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: Finds jet fuel to stay with Poga\u010dar over the Poggio and wins a photo-finish bike stab on the Via Roma.<\/p>\n Arguably the greatest of all time, it seems time for Vos to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes this year.<\/p>\n She\u2019s won just about everything else in her career, and the Hell of the North is the race that\u2019s perfect for her racing style and her multi-disciplinary skillset.<\/p>\n She was second in the inaugural race in 2021. Another 10th and back-to-back fourths confirm she\u2019s close.<\/p>\n Riders like Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky will beat her in a reduced kick in the velodrome. To win, she needs to finish alone.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Strade Bianche Donne, Milan-San Remo Donne, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition.<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: Rides everyone off her wheel on the Carrefour de l\u2019Arbre and wins in the velodrome all alone in the photo.<\/p>\n Who wouldn\u2019t love to see a two-wheeled Hulk Hogan win a monument? Something extraordinary would have to happen, but Simmons is getting stronger by the year.<\/p>\n His monster training regimen is paying dividends, and last year he had some impressive hit outs to hint he\u2019s reaching a new, higher level.<\/p>\n A junior world champion in 2019, Simmons has sometimes chafed at his frustration that he hasn\u2019t been able to explode like peers like Remco Evenepoel, but he keeps banging his head against the wall.<\/p>\n Two WorldTour wins in 2025 and a solid top 10 at Il Lombardia bode well for classics consistency.<\/p>\n A pivot toward the hillier classics won\u2019t see him at Flanders or Roubaix, and tilts Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race will see him lining up against Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n A big win is a big ask this spring.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race.<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: Attacks early, avoids crashes and punctures that delay the favorites, drops breakaway companion on the Via Santa Caterina. OK, it\u2019s not a monument, but it would feel like one.<\/p>\n She blew up 2025 with victories at Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, a stage at the Tour de France Femmes, and a spell in yellow.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a far ask to see her extend her reach into the cobblestone classics to broaden her monument reach. Fifth last year at Flanders and 10th at Roubaix in 2024 confirm her potential on the rough stuff.<\/p>\n More of a punchier climber, she should go well at Flanders this year. If anyone can get past classics queens Kopecky and Longo-Borghini, she can.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Strade Bianche Donne, Milan-San Remo Donne, TBD<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: Using her climbing chops to gap everyone on the Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg combo and solos home for the win.<\/p>\n Big Mads is a classics brawler who\u2019s won some big races, including back-to-back editions of Gent-Wevelgem.<\/p>\n A world champion in 2019, Pedersen is pure brawn who\u2019s won stages and points jerseys in all three grand tours, major one-day classics, and 60 pro races. All that\u2019s missing is the jewel in his monument crown.<\/p>\n The big Dane packs the monument muscle to go the six-hour distance, and if anyone can break the Pog-MVDP stranglehold on the cobblestone classics, it\u2019s Pedersen.<\/p>\n A broken clavicle at the Volta a Valenciana in his season debut came at the worst time, but with today\u2019s advanced injury recovery, there\u2019s still hope he will be close to full power for Flanders and Roubaix, the two races that best suit his 4\u00d74 motor.<\/p>\n Spring targets<\/strong>: Milan-San Remo, E3 Saxo Classic, In Flanders Fields, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Ronde van Vlaanderen, and Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n Winning scenario<\/strong>: For once, things don\u2019t go wrong, and he wins a three-up sprint into the velodrome.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/8-fan-favorites-wed-love-to-see-win-a-monument-but-it-may-never-happen\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/classicsunderdogs.jpg”] Andrew Hood Updated March 3, 2026 03:46AM What do monument favorites Wout van Aert, Marianne Vos, and Michael Matthews have in common at the opening of the spring classics? They are the established heavyweights and fan favorites chasing a big spring win that\u2019s starting to feel long overdue. Don\u2019t call it a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-1805840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1805840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805840\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1805840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1805840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1805840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Wout van Aert: Still chasing the dream<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2210063005-720x476.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Jasper Stuyven: New team, same dream<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1407138824-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Chlo\u00e9 Dygert: On the road again<\/h2>\n
![\"Chloe](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2194288536-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Michael Matthews: Still banging away<\/h2>\n
![\"Tadej](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2235041092-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Marianne Vos: Giving the queen her due<\/h2>\n
![\"PLUMELEC,](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2227131139-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Quinn Simmons: No longer waiting in the wings<\/h2>\n
![\"Quinn](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2240419105-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Kim Le Court Pienaar: Not waiting her turn<\/h2>\n
![\"Kimberley](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2226561656-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMads Pedersen: Race against time<\/h2>\n
![\"Mads](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2259847507-720x480.jpg?width=1920&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")