Tour of Flanders, in Dutch Ronde van Vlaanderen, is one of five cycling Monuments. Its first edition took place in 1913, and in the past, it did not take place only four times.
I put together data from its more than 100 editions to see how this race developed over time. And the result?
A unique series of stats and charts that include average speeds, heights, weights, and BMI’s of the riders, and more.
Are you excited? Let’s dive in!
Abbreviations used: ToF – Tour of Flanders, BMI – Body Mass Index
I used publicly available data from bikeraceinfo.com, wikipedia.org, procyclingstats.com, and the official Tour of Flanders website rondevanvlaanderen.be as data sources.
Please, also keep in mind the following:
- The Tour of Flanders did not take place between 1915 and 1918.
- The actual rider’s racing weight could vary.
- The heights and weight data are not available for all riders (especially for winners before 1954).
Tour of Flanders 2022 Summary
The winner of the 2022 Tour of Flanders is Mathieu van der Poel (NL). He finished the 272.5km route in 6:18:30. His average speed was 43.20 km/h. It was his second ToF victory.
Tour of Flanders Distance, Time, and Average Speed
Let’s start with the basics.
Distance
The Tour of Flanders’ length varied a lot in the first 50 years of its existence. However, it started to be more consistent after the year 1960.
The average Tour of Flanders is 253.33 km long. The average ToF distance was 222.9 km between 1920 and 1939, 246.5 km between 1950 and 1969, and 258.6 km between 2000 and 2019.
The longest Tour of Flanders was 324 km long. It was the first edition that took place in 1913, and it was won by Belgian cyclist Paul Deman. This was the longest Monument edition ever (source).
The shortest Tour of Flanders was only 198 km long. It took place in 1941, and it was won by Belgian cyclist Achiel Buysse.
Winning Time
The following chart shows the winning time vs. the distance.
The average winning time of all Tour of Flanders editions is 6h 49′ 59″.
The fastest Tour of Flanders winning time was 5h 38′ 00″. This ToF took place in 1941 and was won by Achiel Buysse. He averaged 35.15 km/h.
The slowest Tour of Flanders winning time was 12h 03′ 10″. This ToF took place in 1913 and was won by Paul Deman. He averaged 26.88 km/h.
Winning times dropped mainly in the first 50 years of this race’s existence. The past 20 years fluctuate around 6h 20′.
Average Speed
The average speed of all Tour of Flanders editions is 37.63 km/h. The average speed increased from 31.26 km/h between 1920 and 1939 to 38.29 km/h between 1950 and 1969. The average speed between 2000 and 2019 was 41.18 km/h.
The fastest Tour of Flanders took place in 2001. The average speed of the winner, Gianluca Bortolami, was 43.58 km/h. He finished the 269km route in 6h 10′ 23″.
The slowest Tour of Flanders took place in 1925. The average speed of the winner, Julien Delbecque, was 25.86 km/h. He finished the 228km route in 8h 49′ 00″.
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Tour of Flanders Height, Weight, and BMI of the Winners
Tour of Flanders winners are getting taller and heavier. However, their BMI declines…
Let’s now shift our focus to winners. How their height, weight, and BMI developed over time? These insights are the most unique and the most interesting.
NOTE: The heights and weight data are unavailable for all riders (especially winners before 1954).
Height of the Winners
The average height of a Tour of Flanders winner is 1.80 m.
The tallest Tour of Flanders winners ever are Tom Boonen (ToF 2005-2006, 2012) and Kasper Asgreen (ToF 2021). He are 1.92 m tall.
The shortest Tour of Flanders winner ever was Raymond Impanis (ToF 1954). He was 1.68 m tall.
Weight of the Winners
The average weight of a Tour of Flanders winner is 73.5 kg.
The heaviest Tour of Flanders winner was Rik Van Steenbergen. He won the 1944 and 1946 ToF, weighing 83 kg.
The lightest Tour of Flanders winner was Michele Bartoli. He won the 1996 ToF, weighing 65 kg.
BMI of the Winners
The BMI chart and trend is the most interesting part of this article, in my opinion. As a reminder, here is an explanation of BMI:
NOTE: BMI (Body Mass Index) uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. (Source)
You can interpret the BMI values using the following key:
- Below 18.5 – underweight,
- 18.5-24.9 – normal,
- 25.0-29.9 – overweight,
- 30.0 and above – obese.
So, what do we find out when we take a look at riders’ BMI?
Tour of Flanders winners have an average BMI of 22.59. This means they have a standard, healthy weight.
The Tour of Flanders winner with the highest BMI was Gaston Rebry. He won the 1934 Tour of Flanders with a BMI of 25.96 (1.70 m, 75 kg). He was slightly overweight.
The Tour of Flanders winner with the lowest BMI was Alessandro Ballan. He won the 2007 Tour of Flanders with a BMI of 20.23 (1.90 m, 73 kg).
The BMI trend declines, although the ToF winners are getting heavier on average. The decline is caused by the faster increase in height.
Compare yourself with pro riders. Calculate your BMI using the calculator below.
BMI CALCULATOR
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Tour of Flanders Victories
Several riders have the most Tour of Flanders wins (3): Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen, Johan Museeuw, Achiel Buysse, Eric Leman, and Fiorenzo Magni.
Belgium dominated the country wins (69). It is not a big surprise because ToF is a Belgian classic.
Belgium has 6 times as many wins as 2nd Netherlands (12) and third Italy (11), and seventeen times more than 3rd Switzerland (4).
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Summary
These are my favorite Tour of Flanders stats:
- The longest Tour of Flanders was 324 km long. It was the first edition that took place in 1913, and it was won by Belgian cyclist Paul Deman. This was the longest Monument edition ever (source).
- The fastest Tour of Flanders took place in 2001. The average speed of the winner, Gianluca Bortolami, was 43.58 km/h. He finished the 269km route in 6h 10′ 23″.
- The tallest Tour of Flanders winners ever are Tom Boonen (ToF 2005-2006, 2012) and Kasper Asgreen (ToF 2021). He are 1.92 m tall.
- The Tour of Flanders winner with the highest BMI was Gaston Rebry. He won the 1934 Tour of Flanders with a BMI of 25.96 (1.70 m, 75 kg). He was slightly overweight.
- Belgium has 6 times as many wins (69) as 2nd Netherlands (12) and Italy (11), and seventeen times more than 3rd Switzerland (4).
What are your thoughts on the Tour of Flanders statistics? What stats do you find the most mind-blowing?
Don’t forget to also check out the statistics of other Monuments:
Tour of Flanders Statistics FAQ
Sources
bikeraceinfo.com
wikipedia.org
procyclingstats.com
rondevanvlaanderen.be
Preview picture: rondevanvlaanderen.be
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