Impressively strong Belgian team will line up without appointed leader in the World Championship road race on Sunday, but Sep Vanmarcke certainly will be one of their best cards to play on the hilly course in Ponferrada. Despite suffering from a jetlag after he has returned from Canada, the 26-year old Belkin rider insisted that he would be ready and wants to play a key role in event’s finale.

After racing both one-day classics in Canada, Vanmarcke returned to Europe and took part in the GP Impanis - Van Petegem last Saturday. The 26-year old Belgian finished the event 1’16” behind the winner Greg Van Avermaet, but remained unfazed by an unimpressive result as he deliberately took it easy to shake off a jetlag.

"I will definitely be ready," Belkin rider told Sporza. “I hope to go deep into the finale and be able to play a significant role. I was in contention in all one-day classics this season. It should be a case again on Sunday.”

“I knew it wouldn’t happen,” Vanmarcke told about failing to stay in contention in the GP Impanis. “I didn’t have fresh legs following races in Canada and so I deliberately took it easy.”

“I wanted to let the jetlag completely off my body and I’ve continued an intense build-up immediately after it happened. I trained hard and clocked a lot of kilometers. The same goes for the next week,” he concluded.