John Degenkolb was left to rue missing the cut at last year’s Milan-San Remo but the German has since bounced back to his best.

Gent-Wevelgem success, and second place at Paris-Roubaix, showed he is a serious contender in the Classics before he went on to become the first sprinter to claim the Vuelta points jersey since Mark Cavendish in 2010.

He has just the one victory to his name so far this season, but  that win was a hugely impressive one on the steep uphill finish of the Hatta Dam in Dubai.

That alone showed Degenkolb at his very best, and 12 months on from last year’s disappointment it seems unlikely he will miss out on the Poggio and Cipressa again.

Juan Jose Lobato trumped him twice on stages that looked well-suited to him at the Ruta del Sol, but Degenkolb’s first big aims for the season start now with the Spring Classics.

He has much to prove after last year, but Degenkolb is a man very capable of doing just that.