Flanders Classics, organizer of the biggest race of the cobbled Classics season, has teamed up with Tour de Suisse organizer Cycling Unlimited.

Organizers of the Tour de Flanders, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and Ghent-Wevelgem will become minority shareholders in the Swiss company, sharing their experience and knowledge in race management.

Speaking to CyclingPro at the Tour de Suisse, Flanders Classics CEO Thomas van de Spiegel said that the agreement will give the group a greater stake in discussions about the future of cycling with the UCI and race organizers RCS Sport and ASO. He said the group will have more power in discussions about the future of cycling with the UCI, race organizer RCS Sport, the ASO and others.

"I think the Tour de Suisse has always been very attractive for us because it is a very historic stage race," Van de Spiegel said Tuesday after the third stage of the Tour de Suisse.

"There were no stage races in our portfolio. I think it is important to represent more race days when discussing with others in the cycling world.

"We represent big races, but they are all one-day races. Cycling Unlimited is no different. I think we reinforce each other."

Flanders Classics runs between 60 and 70 events, and races such as Dwars door Vlaanderen, Scheldeprijs, De Brabantse Pijl, as well as the Flanders Gravel Series, UCI World Cup, Telenet Superprestige cyclocross series are in the portfolio, Van De Spiegel said.

Information and knowledge sharing, as well as commercial cooperation, will also benefit from the new partnership.

"Of course, we will exchange operational knowledge and look for synergies on a commercial and strategic level," Van De Spiegel said. 'We all know that there is an eternal debate about the reform of cycling. We are important stakeholders in that debate as well, and now we can speak as one voice."

Hans-Peter Zurbrüeg, president of Cycling Unlimited, said the partnership will help the two organizers continue to grow, calling the move "more than just a partnership."

"This new partnership embodies our vision of continued growth. The goal of Cycling Unlimited is to advance the cycling community in our key markets and embark on a journey that celebrates the unity of our shared goals."

." This is more than just a partnership, it is a testament to the power of collaboration to drive change."

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The Tour de Suisse continues on Wednesday with the second of three mountain stages that hold an important place in the GC race. Stage 3 winner Matthias Skjelmoes (Trek-Segafredo) will lead the race. Stage 4 will be broadcast live on Cycling News.