Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)

Defending champion Alexander Kristoff is one of the men in form ahead of the Tour of Flanders, once again enjoying success at the Three Days of De Panne as he gears up for the big one.

Kristoff beat the Astana duo of Lieuwe Westra and Alexey Lutsenko to win the first stage of De Panne, a race he also won in 2015. It was a much-needed return to fitness and form for the Norwegian – albeit with a slice of luck after team-mate Westra and Lutsenko failed to work together to dispose of Kristoff.

Illness ruled Kristoff out of Gent-Wevelgem, but, after a strong start to the season in Qatar and Oman, the 28-year-old has already been on a Classics podium at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

His Flanders victory in 2015, coupled with his 2014 Milan-San Remo success, underlined how Kristoff is a serious contender for cycling’s Monument races – and he will hope he is returning to peak form at the perfect time again in 2016.

Best results 2016: Tour of Qatar (three stage wins, second overall); Tour of Oman (two stage wins); Three Days of De Panne (one stage win).

Classics form 2016: Omloop Het Niewsblad – 101st; Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – 2^nd; Milan-San Remo – 6^th; E3 Harelbeke – 53^rd; Gent-Wevelgem – DNS

RCUK verdict: Hampered by illness recently but returning to form

Peter Sagan (Tinkoff)

World champion Peter Sagan finally tasted victory in the rainbow jersey when he earned a spot on the top step of the podium at Gent-Wevelgem.

Victory had been a long time coming for Sagan, after a string of near-misses since winning the men’s world road race in Richmond in September.

But the Slovakian’s form – wins aside – is undoubted, and ending the ‘curse of the rainbow jersey’ just in time for the Tour of Flanders means he should be full of confidence.

Second in 2013 and fourth last time out, Sagan has proved on multiple occasions he can scale the short, steep cobbled climbs of Flanders at the front of the race – now he’s out to win it.

And the 26-year-old has been there or thereabouts in a variety of races, on all terrain, this season with a string of top-ten places to reiterate that point – including second places at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and E3 Harelbeke.

He’ll be a marked man, as all world champions should expect to be, but a podium place is the very least Peter Sagan is capable of.

Best results 2016: Gent-Wevelgem (winner); Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (second); E3 Harelbeke (second); Tirreno-Adriatico (second overall)

Classics form 2016: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – 2^nd; Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – 7^th; Strade Bianche – 4^th; Milan-San Remo – 12^th; E3 Harelbeke – 2^nd; Gent-Wevelgem – 1^st

RCUK verdict: Curse banished and in the form to win a first Monument

Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky)

Sagan’s predecessor in the rainbow jersey, Michal Kwiatkowski, announced himself as a Tour of Flanders contender by winning E3 Harelbeke.

Following in the footsteps of Team Sky team-mate Geraint Thomas, Kwiatkowski accelerated away from Sagan to claim victory and significantly shorten his odds for the Ronde.

The Polish ace is better known for his results in the Ardennes Classics, having won the Amstel Gold Race in 2015, and his former team Etixx-QuickStep was packed full of other contenders for the cobbles, with Kwiatkowski not really getting a look in. But he’s a front runner at Sky, a team rapidly improving in the Classics.

Luke Rowe (fourth at the Omloop) and Ian Stannard (third at E3 Harelbeke) are other cards available for the British WorldTour team to play but Kwiatkowski has proved he has the ability to end Sky’s long search for a Monument win. A strong solo effort at Milan-San Remo and his E3 win showed what he is capable of, and the Pole is certainly hitting top form this spring.

Best results 2016: E3 Harelbeke (winner); Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (second); Trofeo Pollenca (second)

Classics form 2016: Strade Bianche – 20^th; Milan-San Remo – 40^th; E3 Harelbeke – 1^st

RCUK verdict: Shot into contention with E3 win; possible dark horse

Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep)

Three-time former winner Tom Boonen is just one of several cards Etixx-QuickStep can play at the Ronde.

Last year’s runner-up Niki Terpstra, who won at Le Samyn, Strade Bianche runner-up Zdenek Stybar and Milan-San Remo top-ten finisher Matteo Trentin are all also at the Belgian super team’s disposal.

Strength in depth has been key for the team in the past – Terpstra’s 2014 Paris-Roubaix win serving as evidence of that – but success has been surprisingly hard to come by in 2016.

The team had five men in the front group at E3 Harelbeke at one point, but finished with nobody in the top ten – the aforementioned four locking out positions 12-15 overall.

If that served as a form finder, however, the fact all four were in the right positions at key parts of the race is an encouraging sign ahead of the two Monuments.

As for Boonen, his form has been unspectacular so far this year, but never write off a man who has three Flanders victories and four Paris-Roubaix titles to his name.

Best results 2016: Volta a la Communitat Valenciana (fourth on stage three); Paris-Nice (sixth on stage two)

Classics form 2016: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – 11^th; Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – 69^th; Milan-San Remo – 55^th; E3 Harelbeke – 14^th; Gent-Wevelgem – 20^th

RCUK verdict: Unspectacular form but never write off Tornado Tom