Peter Sagan is coming into form at exactly the right time. Victory in E3 Harelbeke and
the opening stage of 3 Days of de Panne, along with 3rd at Gent-Wevelgem suggests the Slovakian
is reaching the peak of his powers as he builds for another attempt for his first monument.
He came close this time last year, finishing second only to the next man on our list.
We're running out of superlatives for Fabian Cancellara, but he's made our list once again
for a race which he's already won twice in his illustrious career. It's not been the
best of seasons this time round for the man they call Spartacus, his best result coming
in the first monument of the year, Milan-San Remo, where he finished 2nd. But we all know
what he's capable of in this race, and this is why he's still the marginal favourite this year.
Sep Vanmarcke lives for the classics, and although he has just the 2012 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
on his list of major one day wins, at 25 there's still plenty of time for him to
add to his palmarès. He'll be heading up a strong Belkin unit who are hungry for success,
with Vanmarcke himself eyeing a major victory on home soil. He's been one of the most consistent riders in
the Belgian classics so far this season - could a podium place be on the cards on Sunday?
It's been a tough couple of years both on and off the bike for Tom Boonen, but it's
hard to discount a man who has won this race three times before. The Belgian had a strong
early season in which he won 2 stages of the Tour of Qatar, followed up by victory in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
Boonen has a habit of converting early season form into results in the big spring classics,
and If a small group contests the finish, his above-average sprint may be too much for
most of his competitors. Will we see the Boonen-Cancellara rivalry renewed here?
With Andre Greipel unable to start the Tour of Flanders with injury, Lotto-Belisol will
be riding for Jurgen Roelandts. Roelandts is a strong rider for the classics in his
own right, and although Cancellara was the star of the 2013 Tour of Flanders, the Belgian
rider's third place finish demonstrated that if he has a good day, he is able to perform with the best.
form is better than last year, so if the right circumstances present themselves, he could
make another bid for the podium.
Omega Pharma - Quickstep has an unbelievably strong classics squad this year, and Niki
Terpstra has demonstrated that if things don't go to plan for Tom Boonen, the Dutchman is
more than capable of winning the race in his own right.
The 29 year old looks in great shape, having won this year's Dwars door Vlaanderen after
going solo for some 30km. He followed that up with a 2nd place finish at E3 Harelbeke.
If anyone makes the mistake of giving him a gap on Sunday, it could be the last they
see of him.
Zdenek Stybar is another lieutenant of Boonen who has the potential to win the race himself,
in the right circumstances. The 3-time cyclocross World Champion will feel right at home in
Belgium, where the home fans have accepted him as one of their own. His ability to negotiate
tough terrain will aid him on the iconic cobbled climbs like the Koppenberg, and if he can
split the main contenders here, there's the possibility of a high finish for Styby.
Belgian national champion Stijn Devolder will be looking to do his nation proud with a strong
performance on Sunday. His primary role will most likely be to take care of Fabian Cancellara,
but if the race favourite encounters problems or finds himself heavily marked by the peloton,
it could offer Devolder a chance to sneak up the road, a strategy which worked perfectly
for him when he won the Tour of Flanders back-to-back in 2008 and 2009. He rode hard in the classics
running up to this race, and although he may be an outside shot, it could be his best opportunity
to return to his former glory.
Starting out as a pure sprinter, John Degenkolb has since evolved to become an increasingly
useful rider in the classics, with his above-average ability to stay in contact on the climbs.
Last year he finished 9th in this race, and 2014 has, so far, proved to be a breakthrough
year, with 5 wins already under his belt, including Gent-Wevelgem. If the finish turns
out to be a bunch sprint, the German will have a serious advantage over his rivals.
Alexander Kristoff wasn't a rider we were looking out for at this year's Milan-San Remo,
and we all know what happened there. With that in mind we're not taking any chances
by leaving him off our list this time round! The Norwegian is obviously in great form,
and accomplished a 4th place finish at the 2013 edition of the Tour of Flanders. Kristoff
is another rider with a strong finishing kick, so if nobody manages to break free and the
race stays together until the end, we expect him to be right in the mix.
Who's your tip for the Tour of Flanders? Let us know in the comments down below.