The Monuments tend to inspire plenty of nostalgia, particularly where (as opposed to the Tour) they largely ride the same roads as did Coppi, Bartali and the other great champions of history. So here are some quick links to help you study up:

• Pez looks at the Passo Turchino and its place in history.

• The Unofficial official British site looks back at numerous great editions of La Classicissima.

• CyclingRevealed's Top 20 Classics Ever includes five MSR's, including Coppi's great escape in 1946, the #3 race of all time (ITHO).

• And for the nuts-and-bolts, there's always Wikipedia.