6. Ian Stannard
6. Ian Stannard
Ian Stannard won the cobbled Classic curtain-raiser, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, in 2014, only for his campaign to be derailed after fracturing his back crashing into a ditch at Gent-Wevelgem.
However, Stannard has climbed out of that ditch and returned to top form to claim a second-successive Omloop title at the weekend. The Essex-born rider’s first victory was a display of pure Flandrian grit, escaping with Greg van Avermaet and winning the two-up sprint, while Saturday’s win saw Stannard see off three Etixx-QuickStep riders – not least reigning Paris-Roubaix champion Nikki Terpstra, seven-time Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner Tom Boonen, and Classics specialist Stijn Vandenbergh.
Stannard also thrives in tough weather conditions and finished sixth in the frozen 2014 edition of Milan-San Remo after attacking numerous times in the finale of a race which became a war of attrition.
Stannard has established himself as one of the best Classics riders in the peloton – but the rider nicknamed Yogi has also firmly established his hardmen credentials away from the Spring Classics, riding strongly at the front of the peloton in support of others, and not least Chris Froome at the 2013 Tour de France.
Career highlights: The former British champion has won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad semi-Classic for the last two years.