Cycling oddities: What's in a name?

COMPIEGNE - Paris-Roubaix is one of the oldest cycle races in the world and one of five prestigious 'Monument' one-day classics.

It is known both as the 'Hell of the North' and the 'Queen of the Classics', giving it almost legendary status with its gruelling 260km route which takes in more than 50km of bone-jarring cobbles.

First raced in 1896, this Sunday will be the 123rd edition of a race which has been won by cycling greats such as Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Roger de Vlaeminck, Bernard Hinault, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and, more recently, Mathieu van der Poel.

But, for the first time, the race will go by a slightly different name: Paris-Roubaix Hauts-de-France.

The race takes place in Hauts-de-France, the most northern region in the country, and the name change reflects the region's sponsorship of the event.

There is nothing new about cycling races changing names, in fact it is one of the peculiarities of the sport.

This year has also seen other historic races chaning their identity. Gent-Wevelgem became In Flanders Fields-From Middelkerke to Wevelgem, the Criterium du Dauphine was rebranded as the Tour of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, and Three Days of De Panne morphed into the Tour of Bruges.

The name changes sometimes reflect new realities, or like Paris-Roubaix and the Criterium du Dauphine, they happen for sponsorship reasons.

In the case of the Tour of Bruges, it has gone through several name changes during its history.

Originally raced over three days from De Panne in West Flanders to the Flemish Ardennes, it changed its name to Three Days of Bruges-De Panne as it moved to a start in Bruges.

That became the Classic Bruges-De Panne when it became a one-day race before dropping all mention of De Panne since it no longer goes through the town.

Paris in name only

Races do not always change their names due to a change of course, though.
Paris-Roubaix has not started in Paris or its suburbs since the 1960s.

The start was first moved to Chantilly, 50km away, and is now in Compiegne, some 80km from the capital.

Even more absurdly, the women's version of the race -- which is just over half the distance -- actually starts in Denain, some 200km from Paris!

Paris-Tours is another of the sport's oldest races having begun in 1896.

It originally started in Paris before quickly moving to Versailles in the southwestern suburbs before settling in recent years in Chartres, more than 90km from the capital.

Another example is Paris-Brussels, which was first raced in 1893 over 400km.

The start was soon moved 85km northeast to Soissons and since 2013 it has been renamed the Brussels Classic with the 200km course entirely within Belgium.

Stage races such as the Tour de France obviously change their route every year, even starting frequently outside of France.

But even some one-day races have undergone significant changes to their routes.
Italy's Tour of Lombardy (Giro di Lombardia) was initially called Milan-Milan when it was created in 1905.

It changed its name after just two years, and the route has since gone through many and significant alterations.

These days, 'Il Lombardia' is raced between Como and Bergamo.

Four days, or five (or six)

There are, however, many races that have bucked this trend, not least two of the five Monuments: Milan-San Remo and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, which essentially have changed little over the years.

Most peculiar, though, is the Four Days of Dunkirk, which has now also added the Hauts de France region to its official name.

When it was first created in 1955 it was actually called the Dunkirk Grand Prix-Primrose Trophy, although that did not last long.

Originally raced over four days -- from whence came the new name -- that was gradually increased to a maximum of eight stages across six days.

In recent years it has lasted either five or six days -- with as many stages -- but the "Four Days" name has stubbornly held.

None of this can compete with the changes, though, to a non-cycling event -- the Paris-Dakar Rally.

It last began in Paris in 2001 and last ended in Dakar in 2008.

Since then, it spent a decade in South America, mostly in Argentina, and from 2020 has been raced entirely in Saudi Arabia.

It is still called the Dakar Rally.