Three Lotto Soudal riders that are selected for the Tour of Flanders did a reconnaissance of the course this afternoon. Jürgen Roelandts, Stig Broeckx and Tiesj Benoot started in Oudenaarde and covered the first two loops. They rode over the Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg, Paddestraat and Haaghoek.

These are the eight riders that will defend Lotto Soudal’s honour on Sunday: Lars Bak, Tiesj Benoot, Stig Broeckx, Sean De Bie, Jens Debusschere, André Greipel, Jürgen Roelandts and Marcel Sieberg.

“It’s a logical selection, with Jürgen as the leader. The eight riders have all proven to be ready, also the youngsters. The team is confident and they all support each other," sports director Herman Frison said. "Results don’t lie. We did set nice results the past weeks, with beautiful victories at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. The icing on the cake, a high result in a Flemish spring race, is still missing and we will strive for that on Sunday. We want to continue this positive vibe.

“There are so many different possible scenarios for the Ronde. It could be that a large group gets away pretty early in the race and that one of those escapees wins. A breakaway can always be dangerous. It’s a game between the different teams. The question is if all teams are happy with how the group is composed. It’s important to have at least one guy in the break, that will be a role for the young riders in our team.”