A good winter of recovery and recuperation after an injury-hit 2013 campaign? Check. A solid start to the first race of the season, getting miles in the legs and contesting a few sprints? Check. Stepping up the preparations with a dominant display in Qatar and a couple of stage wins, too? Check. More miles in the legs on a trickier, varied parcours as the team begins to come into form? Check. Returning to winning ways on the cobbles? Check.

Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) is in great form in 2014, with his dominant display in Qatar raising hopes he would return to the cobbles in style and his Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne win proving he means business once again.

An injury-hit campaign last year denied him the opportunity to defend his four cobbled Classics victories of 2012 and while a low-key performance at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad showed there’s still work to do, the Belgian King of the Classics looks in great shape to return to his throne this spring.