Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (1.Pro), Belgium

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The race:

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne is held in late February or early March, the day after Het Nieuwsblad (formerly Het Volk). Traditionally the two races open the Belgian professional racing season.

Because the race is run in North Europe in the late winter, the riders can be hit with bad weather. As of this writing in 2019, snow or frost has forced the organizers to cancel the race three times: 1986, 1993 and 2013.

The first edition was held in 1945 as the Omloop van Kuurne by the Sportingclub Kuurne. The next year it was renamed Brussel-Kuurne. And then in the 1947 the race became what we know it as today, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Those first three editions were run in June. In 1949 it was moved to its current place in late winter as part of the opening weekend of Belgian racing.

The race no longer actually arrives at Brussels before turning around and heading back west to Kuurne. Since 1968 the riders usually (the route changes each year) turn at Ninove, about 23 kilometers west of Brussels.

The roughly 200-kilometer single day Belgian race has a semi-classic status.