Etixx-QuickStep will undoubtedly have a big part to play in proceedings on Sunday, with plenty of strength in their line-up despite the absence of Tom Boonen.

Czech champion Zdenek Stybar is one of the first among them, having won at Strade Bianche and finished second behind Thomas at E3 Harelbeke.

He had no response to the Welshman on that occasion, but the fact he was able to follow the attack on the Kwaremont showed the form he has – particularly as he crashed heavily at Milan-San Remo just days earlier.

Paris-Roubaix champion Niki Terpstra appears to be Boonen’s heir apparent after last year meanwhile – winning the Dwaars door Vlaanderen, finishing second at E3 Harelbeke and rolling sixth at the Ronde before his Roubaix victory.

His second place at Gent-Wevelgem this year followed second at the Omloop too, showing he has the form again this season.

Stijn Vandenbergh – fourth in 2014, having followed Van Avermaet’s attack but stubbornly stuck on his wheel rather than contributing to the acceleration – is another to watch, as is Matteo Trentin, who finished third at E3 Harelbeke last week.

The team got their tactics wrong in allowing Ian Stannard to win at the Omloop, while Stybar was simply outdone by the better rider in Harelbeke.

But they will be smarting after two defeats to Team Sky, and this is a team who have repeatedly bounced back from such disappointments with stunning displays of strength.