Trek sports director Dirk Demol has had an eye on the opening weekend as he prepares himself to lead Fabian Cancellara in the classics. “During the Omloop, I called Cancellara. We saw Vanmarcke in great shape,” he told Sporza. “And Etixx-QuickStep stood out as the best team.”

Dirk Demol has been looking on the opening of the Belgian season from the sidelines. The sports director called Fabian Cancellara who had just finished his training. “In the finale of the Omloop, I called him. We do it pretty often,” he told Sporza.

“Then we exchange views on the race and certain moments and we have a nice talk. We evaluate the race. We saw Vanmarcke in great shape. He has clearly taken another step.

"As a team, Etixx-Quick Step were above the rest. They were super strong, but Sky has shown that they have a good team too. They rode very organized and we will also have to consider them in the spring.

"What we thought about Boonen? He was good and looks sharp, but he still needs to improve in order to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. In the finale, there was not much power left but he was really already good.

"The battle Boonen-Terpstra within that team would be in our favor. And do not forget that Stybar is very ambitious. If you have too many potential winners, it can turn into a disadvantage. I have learnt that from the past. I would opt for an absolute leader and make sure that everyone knows his role well.

"Riders like Boonen and Cancellara who have dominated for a long time won’t be able to crush the opposition. They are ambitious but the youngsters are getting better.  I hope that we will have good races. It could be quite exciting."