Flanders by numbers

A cobbled beast, Flanders never produced a true dynasty. Surprisingly, "The Cannibal" Eddy Merckx is not a record-holder in this race, being more at home at the Milan-Sanremo or the Liège-Bastogne-Liège than in the Northern classics. The Belgian legend did, however, conquer the 17 climbs twice in 1969 and 1975. Four men share the record for victories, with three each: Italy's Fiorenzo Magni, and of course three Belgians. Achiel Buysse, won three times in the 1940s, Eric Leman, won at the beginning of the 1970s and, more recently, the living legend known as the Lion of Flanders, Johann Museeuw conquered his favourite prize in 1993, 1995 and 1998.

It's extremely rare to win the Ronde two years in a row, which makes Tom Boonen's exploit in last year's race all the more grand. Only five riders, including Boonen, have achieved double. Before Boonen there was Eric Leman, winner in 1972 and 1973. Achiel Buysse won in 1940 and 1941, a decade after Romain Gijssels, double-victor in 1931-32. But the most impressive performance, because it was unique in Flanders history, was that of Italian Fiorenzo Magni, who won his three Flanders victories consecutively between 1949 and 1951. Boonen attempts to recreate the historic feat on Sunday.

With 64 wins in 90 editions, Belgian cycling has won 70 percent of all editions of the Tour of Flanders. In a distant second come the Netherlands and Italy with nine wins each. The Italians even had their own mini-epoch at the turn of the century with four different winners between 1994 and 2002: Bugno, Bartoli, Bortolami and Tafi. In total, only eight nations have had a rider add Flanders to their Palmares.

Belgium : 64 victories (12 in 20 years)
Italy : 9 victories (Five in the last 20 years)
Netherlands : 9 victories (The last one in 1986)
France : 3 victories (The last one in 1992)
Germany: 2 victories (The last one in 2005)
Switzerland, Denmark, Great Britain : 1 victory each

One of Britain's top classics specialists in history achieved his first classics win in the Tour of Flanders. Tom Simpson beat Italian Nino De Filippis in an amazing two-man sprint in 1961. Simpson would go onto become the first Briton to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France in 1962 and win the 1963 Bordeaux-Paris, the 1964 Milan-Sanremo, the 1965 world championship and Giro di Lombardia, and the 1967 Paris-Nice. Simpson would ultimately meet a tragic end during the 1967 Tour de France, dying from the effects of dehydration on the infamous Mont Ventoux climb.

Though it was not contested for four years during the Great War, from 1915 to 1918, the Tour of Flanders it the only classic, in fact the only major race, that wasn't interrupted by the second World War.

Irish great Sean Kelly finished the Ronde in second-place three times between 1984 and 1987.

No non-European has ever won the race. Only two riders from another continent have ever reached the podium. Australia's Phil Anderson claimed second in 1985 and in 1988 and American George Hincapie finished third last year.

Johan Museeuw is truly the King of the Ronde. Aside from his three victories, the Lion of Flanders reached the podium five times in eleven years.