Sebastian Langeveld spearheads the Garmin-Sharp roster for the Ronde van Vlaanderen today and even though the Dutchman has hugely disappointed with his latest performance in the E3 Harelbeke last week, he remains optimistic ahead of the cobbled classics that really matter.

“This week is crucial,” Langeveld told in the interview for the NIS radio station, “because that’s what you’re doing all of it for. After a weak [performance in] E3 I started to have little doubts, but I have to remain confident about my condition.”

Langeveld has been very content with his increasing form in the Paris-Nice and Milano-Sanremo, but unexpectedly got caught on a very bad day in the Harelbeke last week.

“I went to Belgium for a good result, but at E3 I had a complete off day. And I have no explanation for it, I didn’t have the legs to make it back following the crash,” Langeveld explained.

However, the Garmin-Sharp classics specialist remains optimistic, as his weak performances in the E3 Harelbeke were followed by a satisfying results posted in the Ronde van Vlaanderen several times in the past and he hopes for happenings to develop into a similar scenario this time around as well.

“I have often ridden poor E3 and than performed well in Flanders and Roubaix.”

Asked about the favorites to take the spoils in today’s monument, Langeveld considered only Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin Procycling) capable of matching the strength of Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) when the powerful Swiss decides to take off on the cobbled climbs.

“Sagan and Vanmarcke, I think , are the only ones that can follow him on climbs,” 29-years old Dutchman concluded.