Peter Sagan earned his first E3 victory last year from a four-man attack, making headlines for the right reasons 12 months after his infamous podium antics – ‘goosing’ a flower girl after finishing second in 2013.

Well versed over the short, punchy climbs and boasting the fastest finish of the four men who went clear last year – Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) and Omega Pharma-QuickStep duo Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh – Sagan will hope for similar success this time out.

With Tinkoff-Saxo having won just two races this season, the heat is on the men in fluoro yellow from team owner Oleg Tinkov.

A victory, and the accompanying WorldTour points, will go some way to appeasing the man who tempted the Slovakian champion to join from Cannondale-Garmin in the winter.

Tactically astute, Sagan’s victory also came despite an ill-timed puncture earlier in the race too to prove his strength.

At Milan-San Remo on Sunday, the 25-year-old Slovakian finished fourth and will roll out of Harelbeke with Maciej Bodnar, Michael Morkov and Matteo Tosatto among his supporting cast.

As long as they click and can keep Sagan at the front of the race, he is more than capable of doing the rest from there.