In the Easter egg, there's a victory that can define a career. For many sports disciplines, Easter Sunday is strictly a day of rest, for day trips or family lunches: sporting events are preferably moved to Saturday or postponed to Easter Monday. However, in the cycling world, "Easter Sunday" has always been synonymous with great challenges in the northern classics. In the modern era, it has even happened to celebrate Easter the day after Milan-Sanremo. Unlike Christmas, which has a fixed date of December 25th, Easter is unpredictable, and thus the competition varies from year to year.

On Easter Sunday 1988, the Tour of Flanders was held, 279 kilometers. Adrie Van Der Poel started as the favorite, due to his form and the success of the 1986 edition. However, Adrie, who was not yet a father, finished on the podium without winning in 1988: the 1988 Flanders was won by Belgian Eddy Planckaert, not an Easter egg surprise. Planckaert won in a sprint ahead of Australian Philip Anderson, with Adrie Van Der Poel 3rd at 18".

Easter Sunday 1990, the Liège-Bastogne-Liège was raced, 256 kilometers. Among the favorites were also Italian riders. However, Belgian Eric Van Lancker celebrated the victory with 34" over Jean Claude Leclercq (France), with Dutch rider Steven Rooks in 3rd place.

The Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1995 also coincided with Easter, with Gianni Bugno as the great favorite. However, the "Monza Formula 1 rider" was closely marked in the finale. Swiss rider Mauro Gianetti took advantage, eluding surveillance a few kilometers from the conclusion. The best Gianetti in history (who would triumph in the Amstel Gold Race a few days later) won in Liège, with Bugno 2nd at 15", Michele Bartoli 3rd, Laurent Jalabert 4th, Francesco Casagrande 5th at 1'24" and Claudio Chiappucci's Diablo in seventh position. Four great Italians in the top 7 without a victory. It was still an era of great Italian cycling.

For Miki Bartoli, Easter Sunday 1996 was grandiose. It was the day of victory in the Tour of Flanders, 269 km. Bartoli arrived alone at the finish line with 55" over Fabio Baldato. In the sprint for second place, Baldato had the merit of beating Johan Museeuw. Super great Italy in 1996. And on Easter Day 1998, super Mapei. The team with checkered jerseys, called Mapei-Bricobi in '98, placed 3 riders in the top 3 positions. It was Franco Ballerini's Roubaix-bis, triumphant also in 1995. After 266.5 km, Ballerini celebrated at the velodrome with 4'16" over Andrea Tafi, Wilfried Peeters 3rd at 4'19". For Squinzi's squad, it was a mega-Easter. Twenty-four hours before Ballerini's victory, Russian Pavel Tonkov, also of Mapei-Bricobi, won by a margin the Roncadelle stage of the Settimana Bergamasca and became leader. On the same day as "Ballero's" success, Jan Svorada's sprint victory in Bergamo in the Settimana Bergamasca stage also emerged from the Easter egg. And on Easter Monday 1998, the "Bergamasca" ended with Tonkov's overall triumph.

In 2001, Easter gifts the newborn Domo-Farm Frites with a podium sweep at Roubaix. In 1996, '98, and '99, Mapei had occupied the entire podium in the classic of stones, with victories by Museeuw, Ballerini, and Tafi. In 2001, Domo rejoiced thanks to Dutchman Servais Knaven, winner with 34" over Johan Museeuw (in his first year as an "ex" Mapei) and 3rd at 41" with the World Champion jersey, Latvian Romans Vainsteins. Domo-Farm Frites team manager is Patrick Lefevere, another ex-Mapei. The 2001 Roubaix was extremely wet for almost all 254.5 kilometers. Of the 197 starters, only 55 extremely muddy riders crossed the finish line. Fourth was American George Hincapie.

In the Easter egg surprise of 2006, Luxembourger Frank Schleck found victory in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 253 kilometers. Schleck won by a margin, with 22" over Wesemann, Boogerd 3rd at 46".

The most beautiful Easter of Alessandro Ballan's life was in 2007. On that day, the rider from Castelfranco Veneto won the Tour of Flanders. Ballan, wearing Lampre, won after 259 kilometers of racing, from Brugge to Meerbeke. Two men in the lead: Leif Hoste and Ballan. With a winning sprint by the Veneto rider born in 1979. First Alessandro, 2nd Hoste, 3rd Luca Paolini at 5", 4th Karsten Kroon, 5th Vladimir Gussev. A curious detail: Ballan won his Flanders on April 7th. Andrea Tafi also triumphed in his Flanders on April 7th, but it was 2002 and Easter was not being celebrated.

For once, we deviate and don't recall Easter Sunday, but the eve Saturday. In 2008, Easter fell on Sunday, March 23rd. Milan-Sanremo was held on Saturday, March 22nd with 199 participants and 298 kilometers to cover, finishing on Lungomare Calvino. It was an anomalous Sanremo from the license verification day, Friday, March 21st. The sun was shining, Milan was deserted, and the Napoleon Arena hosted license checks and technical meetings. On Saturday, 22nd in Sanremo, Swiss Fabian Cancellara triumphed with 4" over Pippo Pozzato, Philippe Gilbert 3rd, Davide Rebellin 4th, and revelation Mirco Lorenzetto 5th. And on Sunday, March 23rd, 2008, everyone enjoyed the Easter dove.

Holy Easter 2015, April 5th, from Bruges to Oudenaarde, the Flanders was raced, 264 kilometers. John Degenkolb was the great favorite, fresh from winning Milan-Sanremo. However, at the 2015 Flanders Easter Norwegian Alexander Kristoff won, beating Niki Terpstra in a sprint, Greg Van Avermaet 3rd at 7", Peter Sagan 4th at 16". Easter 2023, Paris-Roubaix: Mathieu Van Der Poel obtained his first victory over 256.6 kilometers. VDP arrived alone at the Roubaix velodrome, crossing the finish with 46" over the chasers. Van Der Poel is from Alpecin, the same team as Jasper Philipsen, who won the sprint for second place, Wout Van Aert 3rd, Mads Pedersen 4th at 50", Kung 5th and Ganna 6th.

Mathieu Van Der Poel is the man who excels at Easter. On March 31st, 2024, Mathieu signed the victory at the Tour of Flanders (270.8 kilometers). Van Der Poel dominated the Ronde Van Vlaanderen with 1'02" over Vicenza native Luca Mozzato, Nils Politt 3rd, Mikkel Bjerg 4th. Alberto Bettiol finished 9th.

Easter 2025, April 20th: who will win the Amstel Gold Race?