John Degenkolb is considered an outsider at the tour of Flanders. But the big German is very fast and was able to follow Geraint Thomas’ move in E3 when Peter Sagan couldn’t, although he was dropped later.

But he has five wins already in 2014 and says he feels no pressure to add number six today.

“If the classic season finished now then we are fine,” he says. “We have already done some very nice things and that is it. I don’t know how the race will develop, but we can only win. We can’t lose anything.”

“I am not on the same level as Cancellara, Sagan, Boonen and Vanmarcke. These four guys, they are really the top favourites of the race. Like I said, we don’t have the pressure to win the race. Of course our goal is to make a really good result and probably get the podium at the end. The pressure is on the other guys.”

He has tasted bitter disappointment at both E3 and Milan-Sanremo but equally he was the fastest man in the sprint at Gent-Wevelgem and this motivates his further for success. And he is confident he can beat Peter Sagan, many people favourite for a small group finish today after Degenkolb beat him in Gent-Wevelgem last week.

“It shows that he’s not unbeatable. It’s a great feeling, it’s a bit of revenge for last year when he beat me in a stage of the Tour. I’ve known him for a long time and I know that he is a great rider and a great champion. He’s won a lot of big races now and it’s a bit of a rivalry between us,” says Degenkolb. “We are all on a very high level and to win races, you need everything. Everything needs to be at 100 per cent for you to beat the other guys. If you are only able to give 95 per cent then that is not enough.”

Degenkolb has also boldly stated that he actually prefers Paris-Roubaix.

“Until now, I’ve done better results in Flanders, but I really love Roubaix. It’s a tough race and it’s a dream of mine to win once in Roubaix,” said the 25-year-old.

“First of all it’s just great to be in these races, but to be successful there is unbelievable.”

Devenyns 

Degenkolb co-leads the team with Dries Devenyns and he is like a virtual GPS on the road who Degenkolb will hope to use to his advantage.

“It’s a big key of the success and a big advantage. Yesterday we went to his house and we did a reconnaissance of the last 120km and we stopped at his house and he’s living right at the Oude Kwaremont. I mean nobody knows this parcours better than he does,” said Degenkolb.

“On top of that, he’s also very strong. He can also be there if there is a group of riders like Roelandts or guys like that. Guys who aren’t the top favourite, he can also be there and make a good result. If on Sunday he finishes in the top 10 at the Ronde van Vlaanderen then everyone is happy and I will be really happy.”