Spring Classics: How to win cycling's hardest one-day races

The arrival of spring across Europe heralds the start of the annual series of tough and lengthy one-day 'Classics' - races which pit riders against uneven roads and unpredictable weather.

From a near-300km race across northern Italy, to the mud and cobbles of northern France and the oldest of all in Belgium, the Spring Classics are among the hardest races a professional cyclist will face.
Sir Bradley Wiggins is aiming to become the first British rider to win one of the races - Paris-Roubaix - on Sunday, 12 April.

British success

Mark Cavendish won the 2009 Milan-San Remo race but to find a British winner before him you have to go back to Barry Hoban, who won the 1974 Gent-Wevelgem title.
Tom Simpson has had the most success, having won the 1961 Tour of Flanders and 1964 Milan-San Remo races.
BBC Sport columnist and Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas loves these races. His win in the E3 Harelbeke on Friday was the first by a Briton in the event. He won junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004 and was seventh in the race last year. Here he talks us through the eight races, which are part of the UCI World Tour, and the types of riders who excel in each.

Degenkolb wins the Milan-San Remo for the first time in his career 

Race winner: Germany's John Degenkolb - Giant Alpecin
In a nutshell: Britain's Geraint Thomas goes for a solo victory on the Poggio but is caught as he reaches the summit and the sprinters take over in the final kilometre. Defending champion Alexander Kristoff leads out the sprint but Degenkolb edges it on the line.

Geraint Thomas became the first British rider to win the formidable E3 Harelbeke race in Belgium

Race winner: Britain's Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
In a nutshell: The 28-year-old made an audacious attack with 40km to go and only Zdenek Stybar of the Czech Republic could keep pace. Peter Sagan did catch up but Thomas dropped them both with just over 4km left to prevail by 25 seconds.