When the peloton rolls out to the start of the Tour of Flanders in Brugge on Sunday, three riders will stand above the rest as the top favourites for glory six hours later in Oudenaarde.
Two-time champion Mathieu van der Poel heads up Alpecin-Deceuninck, while Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) represent his greatest threats to making it victory number three in Oudenaarde.
The trio, who were the class of the field at the 'mini-Flanders' E3 Saxo Classic last week, are each backed up with a strong squad of lieutenants, among them Van der Poel's new teammate Søren Kragh Andersen.
The Dane had spent his pro career with Team DSM before making the switch to the Belgian squad over the winter, and despite only logging two race days at Van der Poel's side so far, he's already proving an invaluable ally for the star.
This week, Van der Poel has eschewed the usual course recons to instead decamp to Spain for some warm weather training. Kragh Andersen, however, was on hand in Flanders to discuss his new partnership.
"So far, we only did two races [Milan-San Remo and the E3 Saxo Classic] together," the Dane said during a press conference from his car on Thursday. "I have to say that I also really enjoyed it. I was quite excited about it to see what will happen.
"So far, it's been two super cool races with him. If he says he's more relaxed, I guess he likes that I'm around quite far into the races. I don't know him too well yet, but I have the feeling that we understand each other's way of racing."
Kragh Andersen had enjoyed numerous big wins – including two breakaway stage wins at the 2020 Tour de France – with his former squad DSM. Though results have been harder to come by since then, hence the new surroundings for 2023.
The early results look promising, with a fifth place at San Remo as Van der Poel escaped to victory and ninth at E3 as the Dutchman took second. Kragh Andersen said that his spring is going better than expected.
"After the races, I've had a good feeling, but not before the races," he said. "In the winter I was in a good place and happy with my team. Of course, I hoped to be good, but at E3 I think I surprised myself a bit because normally, with my former team, this race was hard for me.
"I haven't won a big cobbled Classic yet, but this year – as we just spoke about – it's promising so far. I'm just behind a few guys who are on a really high level. But so far, I'm among the best of the rest.
"Maybe it can turn to my advantage. We'll have to see in the coming weeks," he concluded, adding that he might be among the "dark horses" for success at the weekend.
Asked for his opinion on Alpecin-Deceuninck's rivals at Flanders, Kragh Andersen noted that perhaps Tadej Pogačar, third at E3 and fourth here last spring, is perhaps not being talked about enough in light of Jumbo-Visma's cobbled Classics win streak.
"I've been thinking about the different scenarios," he said. "But a lot of people forget that Pogačar is in this big formula.
"If he wants to rip up the race, then even jumbo-Visma won't have many guys left. Us and them will have to race our race but we can't forget about him. Our leader Van der Poel has shown he has good legs, and we have to believe in ourselves as well.
Outsiders at the race – Kragh Andersen now very much among them – will include a swathe of cobbled contenders outside of the 'big three', They include seasoned campaigners like Sep Vanmarcke and Alexander Kristoff as well as relative newcomer Tom Pidcock, who will be racing his second day after returning from a concussion suffered at Tirreno-Adriatico, and the usual Classics powerhouse of Soudal-QuickStep.
"For sure you have to count them in," Kragh Andersen said of QuickStep, who have been the great underperformers so far this cobbled season. "They have a super strong squad and they're working hard to turn things around.
"I would never underestimate them with the squad they have. You cannot underestimate the big leaders of that team.
"Of course, there are a lot of guys who can win but my feeling is that [Pidcock] can be there," he added, also mentioning Groupama-FDJ rider Valentin Madouas, who took third at last year's race.
"You see the guy so far in his career – he has a feeling of when is the time to be good. He knows the big races and he likes it, at least it's how I see it. When the big goals come, he's ready."
