Phillipe Gilbert bagged victory last year to prove the new route will not stop him continuing his stunning success at this time of year.

His third Amstel Gold Race win arrived courtesy of an unstoppable attack over the top of the Cauberg, which ended a comparably barren run for the former world champion.

The 32-year-old’s preparations for the hilly Classics were nothing to write home about, though he showed he has his climbing legs after a couple of days chasing King of the Mountain points at Paris-Nice last month.

His accelerations there were perhaps an indication of what we can expect to see from the pre-race favourite at  Amstel, before he returns to his home region for La Flèche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

His third place at De Brabantse Pijl, a race won by team-mate Ben Hermans, is a sign he has come into form nicely for the hilly Classics too.

Gilbert starts as favourite and knows he can carve out a victory both by attacking early or sprinting at the finale.

With Alessandro de Marchi, Damiano Caruso and Samuel Sanchez in the wings – alongside Hermans – it is a strong squad BMC Racing take to the Netherlands too.

Gilbert is yet to replicate the heights of his stunning 2011 season, when he carved out an Ardennes treble, but last year proved he is far from done.