The 2009 Season – Race Calendar
The Biggest Races of the 2009 Professional Road Race Season
Dec 17, 2008
With the end of 2008 in sight the thoughts of the professional peloton are turning to the races to come in the 2009 season. With training camps already well under way in the warmer climes of southern Europe, Suite 101 gives you the races to look out for in 2009.
January
Traditionally a quiet month for the peloton, this year all eyes will be on the Tour Down Under and the return of a certain Lance Armstrong:
Jan 25th: Tour de San Luis (Argentina)
Jan 20th - 25th Tour Down Under (Australia)
February
The season picks up with a series of week long Tours and the first Belgian mini-classic of the year:
Feb 9th – 15th: Tour de Langkawi (Malaysia)
Feb 11th – 15th: Tour of the Mediterranean (France)
Feb 15th – 22nd: Tour of California (USA)
Feb 28th: Het Volk (Belgium)
March
As spring approaches the peloton tackle the most prestigious stage race to date and the first full classic:
Mar 8th – 15th: Paris – Nice (France)
Mar 11th – 17th: Tirreno – Adriatico (Italy)
Mar 21st: Milan – San Remo (Italy)
April
April sees the full onslaught of prestigious one day races known as cycling's classics. Many riders gear their whole season towards success in the month of April:
Apr 5th: Tour of Flanders (Belgium)
Apr 8th: Ghent – Wevelgem (Belgium)
Apr 12th: Paris – Roubaix (France)
Apr 19th: Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands)
Apr 22nd: Fleche Wallonne (Belgium)
Apr 26th: Liege – Bastogne – Liege (Belgium)
May
With the spring one-day classic races behind them, the peloton face the first Grand Tour of the year:
May 5th – 10th: Four Days of Dunkirk (France)
May 9th – 31st: Giro d'Italia (Italy)
June
A couple of week long tours are on the menu in June, serving as an appetiser to the main event next month:
Jun 7th – 14th: Criterium du Dauphine Libere (France)
Jun 13th - 21st Tour of Switzerland (Switzerland)
July
Despite a number of national tours taking place in July, really this month is all about the biggest, best and most famous race of them all:
Jul 4th – 26th: Le Tour de France (France)
August
August brings us a number of exciting races to help clear the post Tour hangover, including at the back end of the month the final Grand Tour of the year:
Aug 1st: San Sebastian Classic (Spain)
Aug 2nd – 8th: Tour of Poland (Poland)
Aug 19th – 23rd: Tour of Ireland (Ireland)
Aug 29th – Sept 20th: Vuelta a Espana (Spain)
September
A month that sees the finale of the Tour of Spain (see August) and a series of week long tours as well as the World Championships:
Sept 7th – 13th: Tour of Missouri (USA)
Sep 12th – 19th: Tour of Britain (Britain)
Sep 23rd – 27th: UCI World Championships (Switzerland)
October
A long season draws to a close with three prestigious one day races followed by the final classic of the year – known as the the race of the falling leaves:
Oct 4th: Giro del Lazio (Italy)
Oct 11th: Paris – Tours (France)
Oct 14th: Milan – Torino (Italy)
Oct 17th: Tour of Lombardy (Italy)
A busy season then awaits for the professional peloton. Who knows this time next year which riders will look back fondly on the 2009 season, and who will consider it a season to forget?
References:
Cycle Sport Magazine – Jan 2009 edition
 |
