CYCLING: Binche – Chimay – Binche / Mémorial Frank Vandenbroucke 1.1 2025 (BEL)

Belgium 07 Oct 2025 Class 1.1 – 1 day – Class 1

Website www.binche-tournai-binche.eu

Email o.couvreur@skynet.be; fhar@rtbf.be;

The Binche-Chimay-Binche cycling race, a Belgian one-day classic, has a long and intermittent history marked by different names and routes.

Here is an overview of its history:

Early Years: Binche-Tournai-Binche (1911-1996)

• First Edition: The race was first held in 1911 under the name Binche-Tournai-Binche. The first winner was Jean Van Ingelghem.
• Initial Period (1911-1930): The race was disputed in 1911 and 1912, then from 1922 to 1927, and again in 1930, before being suspended for a long period.
• First Long Hiatus (1931-1983): The race was not held for 54 years.
• Revival (1984-1996): It was revived in 1984 and contested annually until it disappeared again from the calendar in 1996.

The Frank Vandenbroucke Memorial Era (2010-Present)

• Second Revival (2010): The race returned in 2010, initially regaining its former name: Binche-Tournai-Binche/Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke.
  • It was renamed to commemorate the Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke, who had been the last winner of the race before its 1996 disappearance and who passed away in 2009.
• Route Change (2013): The route changed, shifting the turnaround city from Tournai to Chimay. This prompted the name change to its current form: Binche-Chimay-Binche/Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke.
• The Current Name (2014-Present): The race eventually settled on the name Binche-Chimay-Binche in 2014, while often retaining the “Memorial Frank Vandenbroucke” subtitle.
• Women’s Race: A women’s edition of the race, Binche Chimay Binche pour Dames, has been held annually since 2021.

The race is characterized by its hilly course in the Wallonia region of Belgium, including various cobbled sectors, and is typically held in early October. It is currently rated as a UCI 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.

Key Race Name Changes

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