For the third in time in seven years, Etixx-QuickStep have gone through the Classics without winning a Monument. The Belgian squad still say they saw encouraging signs for the future, especially in the Ardennes.

“We’re in the process of building a team for the immediate future,” Lefevere told Sudpresse. “Julian Alaphilippe is 23 years old, Laurens De Plus is 20 years old, and Petr Vakoc is 23 years old… It’s promising. We do every race looking to win, and with 22 victories now at the end of April, we’re following a good tempo. In the finale of every race, we’ve shown real collective strength,” team manager Patrick Lefevere told Cyclingnews.

Lefevere can also call on Fernando Gaviria in the future for Milan-Sanremo and perhaps even Paris-Roubaix.