Spartacus has won E3 Harelbeke on three of the last four occasions, going on to win the Tour of Flanders both last year and in 2010. After narrowly missing out – again – at Milan-San Remo, the Swiss superstar will be desperate to secure his victory of the 2014 season in Harelbeke. His acceleration on the Oude Kwaremont in last year’s race was simply unstoppable, and with his time-trialling almost equally unparalleled – Tony Martin and Bradley Wiggins aside – he had put more than a minute into his rivals by the time he arrived at the finish line.

If he was not a marked man before however, he certainly will be this time out. Cancellara was in supreme form in 2013, winning three of the four cobbled Classics in all but Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) is back and in top form so far this season as is Peter Sagan (Cannondale). Cancellara’s accelerations on the Kwaremont have granted him three solo victories so far but his lack of a sprint was telling at Milan-San Remo. If he is to beat Boonen and Sagan it will probably have to be solo again.