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Clash of the Titans: Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Peter Sagan set for Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix

RCUK examines the form book of the three big favourites ahead of the two cobbled Monuments

It’s not regarded as the biggest week on the pro cycling calendar without good reason – the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are arguably the grandest of the five Monuments.

The Ronde, with its punishing cobbled climbs, and Paris-Roubaix, with its flat but fearsome pavè sections and the iconic finish in the Roubaix velodrome, are two giants of the cycling calendar.

Fabian Cancellara and Sep Vanmarcke do battle at the famous Roubaix velodrome (Pic: Sirotti)

As two of the world’s oldest international races, the list of winners of each is a glittering who’s who of professional cycling. Eddy Merckx, Roger de Vlaeminck, Bernard Hinault, Tom Simpson, Fausto Coppi, Sean Kelly are among the names on the honours boards of the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix.

Even with the new Ronde route yet to win universal approval, there will be thousands of fans clambering for a view of the action on the Oude Kwaremont – where Cancellara blew last year’s race apart.

And each of the 28 pavè sections of Paris-Roubaix will sort the men from the boys, with the Trouèe d’Arenberg arguably as iconic as Alpe d’Huez.

The peloton battles the pavè of the Arenberg (Pic: Sirotti)

But who will be victorious this season? We dissect the chances of Boonen, Cancellara and Sagan this season.

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