After a horrible crash in E3 Harelbeke where he went over his handlebars, Greg van Avermaet says that he is still feeling the effects of the crash, but he will be fine to race the Tour of Flanders tomorrow as he told reporters in his pre-race press conference.

“I still feel a bit of pain in my back but I don’t think it’s going to bother me. I couldn’t recover in time for Gent-Wevelgem so I didn’t take any risks there. I’ve had a good week of training and I will be 100 percent on Sunday,” he said. “My hip is hurting a little bit, but more off the bike than on it.”

Van Vaermaet has had his Classics ruined by the emergence of an investigation into him following news that he had worked with Dr Chris Mertens, a man under investigation himself for using illegal Ozone therapy on cyclists.

“It’s not the best situation for the classics,” Van Avermaet said on Friday. “It came out just before Het Nieuwsblad, right at the start of my most important period but I think I’ve handled it as my results show. It’s not the best but you can’t change it, you have to go through it, and I’m pretty confident it will all be ok at the end of it.”

Second last year after anticipating Fabian Cancellara’s always-decisive move over the Kwaremont, Van Avermaet says the race dynamic has changed this year with the absences of Cancellara and Tom Boonen. He says his recent form at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he won an uphill sprint against Sagan and Stybar gives him a new way of racing.

“It depends on how the race goes,” Van Avermaet said of his approach. “Last year I tried to open up the race and I showed that I can go from far out, but then I showed at Tirreno that I’m a good sprinter too, I beat Sagan and Kristoff there, so I think I’ll have to feel the race and see how it’s going.”

He says that while many label Geraint Thomas and Sep Vanmarcke as favourites for the race, he is backing a man who has had an awful Classics campaign so far, as his outside bet to win: Peter Sagan.

“I think Sagan will be close. Maybe nobody is counting on him but I think he will be good on Sunday,” Van Avermaet warned. He was slightly more circumspect on the prospects of his former BMC teammate Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), who dominated the Three Days of De Panne during the week.

“For sure he’s one of the strongest guys, but he raced hard at De Panne so maybe it will be hard to be 100 percent for Sunday,” Van Avermaet said. “But if he’s good, then he’s a hard guy to beat, one of the fastest if there’s a bunch sprint.”