Runner-up at the Tour of Flanders, Niki Terpstra showed he has returned to form nicely ahead of the defence of his Paris-Roubaix crown.

Last year, though clearly a contender, he was able to take advantage of the peloton watching and marking team leader Tom Boonen to burst clear and solo to an impressive victory.

He will not have such a luxury this year, but neither did he at the Tour of Flanders and yet he still showed great strength and timing to go clear and contest the victory with Alexander Kristoff.

That was his fourth runner-up spot of the year, after second place finishes at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Ronde van Zeeland Seaports and Gent-Wevelgem preceded it.

The Tour of Qatar is the only time he has stood atop the podium, but the form is clearly there and if he can show the same sense of timing and blistering acceleration he showcased 12 months ago then he is more than capable of adding a second cobblestone trophy to his mantelpiece.

Etixx-QuickStep have plenty of strength in numbers too – if not Terpstra, do not be surprised to see Zdenek Stybar, fifth last year and sixth – after a spectator caused him to crash – in 2013 – also feature at the sharp end.