The route

Featuring ten hellingen in all, Gent-Wevelgem is the flattest of the four cobbled Classics on the UCI WorldTour but the slight changes to the route have been done in the hope of creating a more open race.

The Belgian company charged with grading all of the country’s climbs rank the lesser-used side of the Kemmelberg as tougher than the Koppenberg and the Muur, which highlights what a difference it could make.

But with 34km from the top of the climb to the finish, there will still be plenty of time to set up a bunch sprint if the fast men can get over the top together.

The new cobbled ascent boasts some sections approaching a 1-in-4 gradient (23 per cent to be exact), and the original ascent, with a maximum 17 per cent gradient, also remains on the route.

The climbing starts with the Catsberg after more than 140km of races, but they come thick and fast with Mont Kokereel, Vert Mont, the Cote du Ravel Put and Cote de la Blanchisserie all within 15km of each other.

Riders must first tackle the Kemmelberg – the seventh climb of the race, after the Baneberg – from 172km, before the race heads to the Monteberg and loops back.

The final circuit includes the other sides of the Baneberg and Kemmelberg, before the 34km to the finish, including the flat final run-in.

Peter Sagan (Tinkoff)

Peter Sagan won Gent-Wevelgem in 2013, the only one of the four cobbled Classics not won by Fabian Cancellara that year.

Runner-up the previous year and third in 2014, Sagan has history in this race too and the World Champion will be desperate for a strong Classics campaign in the rainbow jersey.

After being outsprinted by Greg van Avermaet at Tirreno-Adriatico, it highlighted the fact that – for all his ability as a rouleur – he lacks the out-and-out speed of his rivals.

But Sagan has shown before that he can win at Gent-Wevelgem, and has the ability to do so either with a long-range attack or from the bunch.

The same could be said of another former winner too, with Edvald Boasson Hagen leading Dimension Data’s charge after a strong showing went unrewarded at Milan-San Remo.

Arnaud Demare (FDJ)

Runner-up behind John Degenkolb in 2014, Arnaud Demare’s Milan-San Remo victory means he starts the Classics full of confidence.

A consistent fixture of the top-20 in this race, Demare now needs to kick on and turn decent finishes into results – and his victory on the Via Roma showed what he is capable of.

That win was his third of the season, with his stage win at Paris-Nice, on a stage raced on gravel in inclement weather also showing he should be considered a Classics contender.

The key will be how he climbs on the Kemmelberg, as his sprinting speed is not doubted.

Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal)

Andre Greipel has been back in Mallorca to train in preparation for the Classics, returning to the island on which he started his season with two victories at Challenge Mallorca.

The big German has not won since then, but he showed some decent form at the Classics last season – attacking regularly on the cobbles.

Directeur sportif Marc Sergeant has long lauded Greipel as a Classics contender, and Gent-Wevelgem seems the most likely for him to succeed at thanks to the fast finale.

He is no mug when it comes to getting over the climbs, either, even though you could not consider him in the same bracket as the likes of Sagan.

Should Greipel not feature, though, Lotto-Soudal have other options – not least Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Jens Debusschere.