Why is the Ronde van Vlaanderen just like Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven? Which WorldTour directeur sportif and former Gent-Wevelgem winner has a side hustle in painting expressionistic landscapes? Which major R&B artist is also a keen cyclist? And how did a rider nicknamed ‘The Flying Mum’ once break the women’s World Hour Record? All these questions and many more are answered in Rouleur 126: Classics, which takes a deep dive into the culture and meaning of the world’s biggest one-day races. We have exclusive interviews with Wout van Aert, who is targeting the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia this season, as well as the three winners of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo Borghini and Alison Jackson, who talk about how they took victory in the Queen of Classics. We have also spoken with Flanders Classics race director Scott Sunderland, who explained how he has been weaving local history and culture into the narratives of his events. Cycling is not like other sports; the Classics are not like other bike races; and Rouleur is not like other bike magazines. Rouleur 126: Classics is a celebration everything that is special about these amazing races.