Tadej Pogačar's dominance is so powerful and unswerving that it goes beyond demotivating – it takes away all hope – so says Belgian rouleur Oliver Naesen of Decathlon CMA CGM.

He was speaking on the HLN Wielerpodcast, alongside former Classics star-turned-gravel racer Greg Van Avermaet, following yet another emphatic solo victory from Pogačar at the Tour of Flanders.

"What Tadej does actually goes a step further than being demotivating," said Naesen, a former podium finisher at both Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem (now called In Flanders Fields).

"Demotivating would be a rider who is very good – you can’t drop him and he beats you in the sprint," he elaborated. But Pogačar's ability "takes away all hope; the difference is simply that big.”

The Slovenian UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider is so good, he said, that these days even the major Classics specialists like Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) were unable to hold a candle to him.

“We used to sometimes talk about a peloton at two speeds; now there are three," Naesen said, adding: “He is a 10-star rider whom even they [Van der Poel and Van Aert] can’t even dream of keeping up with if the course is a bit tougher.”

Former Paris-Roubaix champion Van Avermaet concurred.

“Where does he get his physiological advantage?" Van Avermaet said. "They really need to examine that boy thoroughly to see what makes him put together so well.”

Van Avermaet qualified his comments by pointing out that Pogačar looked drawn and very tired after his Flanders win, saying: “I could tell by his eyes, which were bright red during the flash interviews, that he had suffered quite a bit, which is not illogical.”

The Slovenian will be put to the test again this Sunday at Paris-Roubaix – one of the two Monuments that he has specifically targeted this season (the other one being Milan-San Remo, which he has already won).

As one of those on the start list, Naesen will have another chance to experience Pogačar's unique brand of demotivating skills; but Van der Poel and Van Aert, as well as Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), will all be there, hoping to prove that Pogačar is, at least sometimes, beatable.

At the finish of last year’s blazingly fast Unbound 200 race, the riders trickled across the line looking battle-worn and wrecked. Everyone was crusted in dust and sweat, some were bleeding, others simply stared a thousand miles into nothing. They crumbled to the ground, wherever there was an unoccupied spot, and stayed down.

Cycling Weekly found Olympic and Roubaix champion Greg van Avermaet sprawled onto a patch of grass, battered and depleted. In his debut Unbound race, the Belgian had experienced just how unforgiving gravel racing in the Flint Hills of Kansas can be. He’d finished in a respectable seventh place, but it had been a crucible of a day.

Over the course of the 330-kilometre race, the 2016 Olympic road race champion was plagued by mechanicals. As the peloton averaged more than 35 kph, he blindly followed wheels, and three times, his tyres were punctured by rocks as sharp as weapons. But as a true champion, Van Avermaet fought back — fixing flats, chasing back on, repeating the pattern for the first 245 kilometres of the race, until he was finally able to get a wheel change at the second supported aid station.

“It took so much energy to come back on [to the group during] the first part of the race that I probably lost places because of that,” Van Avermaet said. “But in the end, I was also quite happy about the seventh place. It’s quite decent for doing that big race and having two flats, etc. I could have also ended up 15th with the same legs and two flats. So, yeah, in the end, I still made a decent, good result.”

While Van Avermaet was happy with his result, it was unclear if he’d ever return to Unbound again. The race is notorious for relentlessly testing the physical and mental limits of athletes. Even the former Gravel World Champion, Matej Mohorič, DNF’d the 2024 race after cracking a rim and vowed to stick to road racing.

At the time, Van Avermaet appeared to have a similar mindset and laughed at the idea of returning, stating: “Now is not the best time to ask. I think if you ask everybody now, the answer will always be no.”

But lo and behold: Van Avermaet is back for 2025.

The 2017 winner of Paris-Roubaix — the “Hell of the North” — knows how to suffer. After all, dealing with adverse conditions, including mechanicals or foul weather, is part of the DNA of Belgian cyclists. They know how to fight back, no matter the challenge.

“The biggest reason why I’m coming back [to Unbound] is just because at the end of the year, I was thinking which races suit me the best and Unbound was one of them,” the 40-year-old said. “I think it’s just one of those races where you at least have a little bit of draft of a peloton… and also the distance [makes the] start a little bit easier because it’s just a big day out — 10 hours on the bike.”

While 10 hours of intense racing may seem daunting to most, Van Avermaet has more than 15 years of WorldTour experience in his legs — something that pays dividends in long, tactical races like Unbound.

“I also feel like on the other gravel races [I’ve done], the longer the distance goes, the better I feel. So, [Unbound is] probably one of the races that will fit me a little bit better after getting more aged and having so many kilometres in the legs." he said.

However, this year Van Avermaet isn’t just at Unbound for himself. He’s built a team, GVA Gold, comprised of three riders, including himself. Jelle Van Damme, a former professional footballer turned gravel cyclist, and newcomer Julian Siemons, who placed sixth at Ranxo Gravel in 2024, round out the squad.

“[Siemons] is expecting a lot of Unbound. It’s kind of cool to have a little bit of a younger guy with us to share our experience with, and also he’s capable of a good result. I think if he has a good day, he can get in the top 20,” Van Avermaet said. “I would love that he just discovers himself and sees how far he can come. I think it’s much more important than having him as a support for me.”

Van Avermaet recognises that racing Unbound requires a team — and that it’s just as important to share his knowledge and experience with the next generation of athletes.

“I think you cannot [race Unbound] on your own and that’s also the great feeling that we experienced last year — that it was not seventh place only for myself but also for the people who took care of me the whole week. Just having the things right at the feed zone, nutrition-wise, cleaning the bikes, etc., etc. That was, for me, a great experience. Like I said, it’s just kind of like what I felt before with road racing — that when you have a professional team, you can reach goals.”

Before Unbound in 2024, Van Avermaet didn’t know what to expect. Never having raced Unbound — or any gravel event in the U.S. — there were a lot of unknowns. This year is quite different. He knows the course. He knows the terrain. He knows to expect anything. And he also knows the calibre of racing is rising. But his ultimate goal is simple: have a race free of problems and ride as hard as he can for 200 miles.

“I just want to have no problems. I think that’s, for me, the biggest [goal]. I would be satisfied with the results… if I can just let out all my energy on that day. No matter what the result is, I will be happy, I think.”

Gravel season's top event, the 200-mile Unbound Gravel race, is just a week away and both the competition and the race course are slated to be tougher than ever before

Following the mud-bogged mayhem of the 2023 event, this year's edition promises a challenge of a different kind. The course is headed north, a direction it has only ventured twice before, where a "relentless onslaught of rough, rocky paths" awaits the riders. 

In the past few years, Unbound has seen an increasing amount of non-American riders making the trek to Kansas to see what all the fuss is about, and competition is fiercer than ever before. In 2022, Dutchman Ivar Slik became the first non-American to win Unbound 200 as part of a Dutch contingent of racers led by Laurens ten Dam. A year later, Carolin Schiff from Germany became the first non-American winner of the women's 200-mile race. These days, the start line is filled with former WorldTour roadies, mountain bike Olympians, former professional rowers and triathletes, all drawn to the long-distance challenge and adventure of gravel racing.

"It's the deepest field we've had," comments Peter Stetina, who was among the first to ditch the WorldTour for the burgeoning gravel discipline. 

Three years into the Life Time Grand Prix, a lot of the North American competitors are "known quantities," he says. "There are no surprises there. I think the big question is the influx of European riders."

New among the European contingent at Unbound Gravel is none other than Olympic champion and Paris-Roubaix winner Greg van Avermaet. 

Just like other thousands of Unbound hopefuls, the Belgian entered the race lottery and waited for his name to be drawn. Now, just days away from the big "adventure," as he calls it, Van Avermaet admits that he's a tad scared of both the distance and the technical nature of the course.

"I'm still scared of the distance," he says. "And you have to organize a lot of things, learn and be ready for everything. Also material-wise, it's very important. I underestimated it a little bit. But I will be ready and I will do my best and keep an open mind."

After 17 seasons at the top, Van Avermaet retired as a legend from the WorldTour peloton at the end of 2023. Never far from the pointy end of races, Van Avermaet enjoyed a fruitful career with wins at some of the biggest Spring Classics, including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and, of course, the prestigious Paris-Roubaix in 2017 when he entered the velodrome part of a group of five riders and came out on top.  

Further career highlights include Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning Tirreno-Adriatico, the GC at the Belgium Tour, and clinching two stages of the Tour de France (where he also racked up a total of 11 days in the yellow jersey).

Doing 'adventure stuff,' some triathlons and 'other things he couldn't do' while racing on the WorldTour was on the Belgian's mind for a while, he admits, and he eagerly jumped in before he'd even raced his last road race. He finished fourth overall at the first official UCI Gravel World Championships and won the Spanish gravel triathlon SGRAIL 100.

At the start of 2024, he was swept up by Team Last Dance, a pro gravel team created by apparel brand Isadore, which also includes fellow WorldTour pro--turned-gravel rider Petr Vakoč from the Czech Republic and Douwe Doorduin, a Dutch filmmaker and racer. His calendar includes the Gravel Earth Series, some UCI gravel races and championships when possible, and, of course, the 200-mile Unbound. 

Despite his cobblestone pedigree and thirst for adventure, life as a gravel racer hasn't come easy, however. 

"I'm enjoying life but it is quite hard," Van Avermaet says. 

The so-called privateer hustle sees riders plan their own season –race registrations and travel logistics included–, test and prepare their own equipment, scout the courses and, of course, train for the long-distance events. 

"You have to admit, I was quite spoiled riding with a big team," the 39-year-old acknowledges. "It takes a lot of time – almost 20 hours a week, which is close to my professional cycling life. But I have a lot of things going on on the side for the moment, so it makes it quite challenging to be at a good level." 

And then there's the technical aspect of the terrain to consider as well. Gravel racing in America is as much a test of fitness as it is equipment and bike handling.

"The course, from what I have seen from the pictures, has some really big rocks and it scares me a little bit," Van Avermaet admits. "You have to be careful with your bike. On the road bike, I could handle my bike quite well on the cobblestones. I was really careful to not flat. Roubaix, I did it 12-15 times, and I only have one time a flat tire. But yeah, gravel racing is more about luck also."

Van Avermaet has been seeking insights and advice from those who have done it before, and won't be going it alone in Emporia. New teammate Petr Vakoč, fresh off his win at the Traka 200, will tackle the Unbound adventure alongside the Belgian, though the two did not devise a team strategy, Van Avermaet says.

Former BMC Racing teammate Stetina certainly considers Van Avermaet a threat and will want to avoid bringing the Belgian with him to the line. 

"He knows the U. S. style and the lifestyle, so he'll be totally comfortable here. But I don't know how much practice Greg has – you know, plugging his tires and all the homework before, but if it comes down to legs, I mean, everyone's got to have to be looking at Greg," he says. 

"I think it will be more interesting to see how the firepower at the front changes things. Gravel is almost a completely different sport than even in 2021, the last time we went north, so that'll be really interesting, and I think it's going to be a record-breaking year here regardless."

Olympic champions are just like us, it turns out. They, too, enter into race lotteries, hoping their names will be drawn. 

In any case, that is what happened to Belgian Greg van Avermaet, whose lucky number was drawn in the Unbound Gravel lottery late last month. The retired pro, an Olympic gold medalist and winner of the Paris-Roubaix, will be tackling the infamous Flint Hills gravel in the 200-mile race this June.  

After 17 seasons at the top, Van Avermaet retired from the WorldTour peloton at the end of 2023 as a legend. Never far from the pointy end of races, Van Avermaet enjoyed a fruitful career with wins at some of the biggest Spring Classics, including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and, of course, the prestigious Paris-Roubaix in 2017 when he entered the velodrome part of a group of five riders and came out on top.  

Further career highlights include Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning Tirreno-Adriatico, the GC at the Belgium Tour, and clinching two stages of the Tour de France (where he also racked up a total of 11 days in the yellow jersey).

The 38-year-old's gravel career is still young but he's off to a good start. The Belgian finished fourth overall at the first official UCI Gravel World Championships and netted the win at the Spanish gravel triathlon, SGRAIL 100.

Van Avermaet says he's enjoying doing the things he couldn't do while being a WorldTour pro, including some triathlons, the Gravel Earth Series and some UCI gravel races. 

In the past few years, Unbound has seen an increasing amount of non-American riders making the trek to the middle of America to see what all the fuss is about, and competition is fiercer than ever before. 

In 2022, Dutchman Ivar Slik became the first non-American to win Unbound 200 for the men as part of a Dutch contingent of racers led by Laurens ten Dam. A year later, Carolin Schiff from Germany became the first non-American winner of the women's 200-mile race. 

These days, the start line is filled with former WorldTour roadies, mountain bike Olympians, former professional rowers and triathletes. While some past participants of note, including Peter Sagan and then-teammate Daniel Oss, ride Unbound purely for the atmosphere and fun of it, it sounds like Van Avermaet means business. And given his cobblestone pedigree, it'll be interesting to see how he stacks up against the gravel pros.

On the British comedy interview podcast Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, guests are often asked whether they think their obituary photo has already been taken. The answers are illuminating: does the guest - usually a comedian - think that their career heights, what they will be known for, has already happened, or do they think their peak is yet to come?

Professional athletes get two obituaries. One when they retire from their sport, and then one when they eventually pass on. For Greg Van Avermaet, who announced on Wednesday that he will be stepping back from the professional peloton at the end of 2023 after 17 seasons at the top, the photos have absolutely already been taken.

The Belgian was consistently one of the best riders from 2015-2020, the winner of Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, stages of the Tour de France and champion of that most elusive of titles, the Olympic Games Road Race, in 2016. There are photos from those wins, of course, but also his time in yellow at the Tour in 2018, which went on longer than anyone would ever have imagined, and many other occasions throughout his career.

It's the Olympics win that stands out, however. The race only happens every four years, is ridden on a brand new course every time, without race radios, in national teams, and is therefore even more unique than the World Championships, although one can argue which one means more to a professional cyclist.

“The most important moment of my career was Rio because it was an Olympic title. I was always the guy who got a lot of good results, every race top 10, but before Rio I never really won a big race,” he told Procycling back in 2019.

“It was a great gift actually to win this because it’s something different to all the other races. You can win Flanders, you can win Roubaix but not a lot of guys get to be Olympic champion in their career.”

On Wednesday morning, the 37-year-old posted on Instagram that the "adventure will come to an end", but that he did not have any regrets. While he was overtaken by a new generation of multi-discipline stars, he kept grinding away. Third at the Tour of Flanders in 2021, behind Kasper Asgreen and Mathieu van der Poel, and third at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2022, behind Wout van Aert and Sonny Colbrelli, are proof of that no regret riding.

It is easy to focus on who an athlete is now at the moment of retiring, rather than who they were in their heyday, simple to look at 37th at Paris-Roubaix 2023 than 1st at Paris-Roubaix 2017, but it is crucial to remember the good times.

After winning the Olympic Road Race in 2016, Van Avermaet won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix in a golden beginning to 2017, which also included second-places at Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders. Given this was the age that Peter Sagan was expected to dominate, it was some achievement. It is fitting that Sagan is also stepping back this year.

2018 didn't reach the same heights, but third at E3, fifth at Flanders and fourth at Roubaix was nothing to be sniffed at, especially as a marked man in his gold Olympic champion helmet.

"Sadly this adventure will come to an end," Van Avermaet, who will be 38 at the end of the season, wrote on Instagram. "As hard as the decision was, when I look back I am extremely proud of my achievements. I gave every day the best of myself, just to not have any regrets afterwards. I did not only enjoy the victory but also the way to it. 

"I wanna thank all the people that believed in me and helped me throughout my career. I’m extremely thankful to all my fans who supported me, not only during my glory days, but also during the difficult times. Now it’s time to spend some time with my wife and kids and to look for other goals in life in which I will hopefully find the same passion. 

"Until the end of the season I will still give my all with my team AG2R Citroën, that I thank for its trust and team spirit for the last 3 years, just like I did from the first day I decided to start cycling. Hopefully I can finish off with some nice results!"

Van Avermaet started off his career at Predictor-Lotto in 2007, where he won his first race, a stage of the Tour of Qatar that year. He moved to BMC Racing in 2011, where his biggest achievements occurred. His victory at 2016's Tirreno-Adriatico set him up for his golden period.

His two Tour de France stage wins also came in his days in the red of BMC, at Rodez in 2015 and Le Lioran in 2016, with spells in yellow totalling 11 days coming in 2016 and 2018.

The Belgian stuck with the same squad when BMC transitioned to CCC in 2019, winning the GP de Montréal that year, before he moved to AG2R Citroën in 2021.

He is set to ride the Tour du Finistère, Boucles de l'Aulne and 4 Jours de Dunkerque this month, and might yet one more Tour de France this summer.

Many of the greatest male Spring Classics contenders will be heading to Italy in the coming days ahead of Strade Bianche on Saturday. All eyes will be on the likes of 2021 champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), two of the biggest favourites in the absence of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) who is sitting out the race due to illness and defending champion Tadej Pogačar. 

Van Aert was originally due to start his 2023 season at Strade Bianche, but will now delay entering the fray until Tirreno-Adriatico which begins a few days later. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), the defending champion after his 2022 victory, also won’t be present this year due to racing Paris-Nice which also begins in early March.

Strade Bianche is famous for its 11 gravel sectors, or sterrato, which make for 63 kilometres of spectacular racing in the 184 kilometre long event. During the last few years the race has been packed full of drama sparked by stunning and brutal attacks from both Van der Poel and Pogačar on the way to both of their wins.

Along with the gravel, the riders face a series of short, steep hills through the breathtaking scenery featuring rolling fields and vineyards meaning the course suits puncheur style riders who have the explosiveness to launch attacks across the varying terrain, and the power to make them last. 

We’ve picked eight of the best to keep an eye on, who are all equally capable of landing the 2023 Strade Bianche title on Saturday.
 

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 

After taking one of the most memorable Strade Bianche victories in recent years, Mathieu van der Poel needs very little introduction to fans of the Italian Classic. 

Back in 2021, Van der Poel simply tore his rivals to shreds while wearing the Dutch National Champions jersey, launching a violent attack on the final gravel sector which only Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) could follow. However, an even more savage attack was still to come. 

Once the trio had entered the streets of Siena, Van der Poel launched a blistering final move on the iconic Via Santa Caterina climb producing 1,300 watts in the process. Alaphilippe, who is normally capable of similar moves, was left stunned as the Dutchman sailed into the distance to take a resounding win. 

Van der Poel will be making his 2023 road debut on Saturday and will no doubt want to start with a bang. 

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers)

Tom Pidcock has begun the 2023 road season in excellent form, and was right in the thick of the action at the recent Omloop Het Nieuwsblad where he finished in fifth place. Prior to the Classics getting underway, Pidcock rode an impressive race at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal taking the win on stage four, beating João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) on a punchy climb in the process.

On paper, there isn’t a Classic more better suited to Pidcock’s attributes than Strade Bianche. The Ineos man possesses the technical ability to survive the various gravel sectors where his cyclo-cross and mountain bike background will shine through. Pidcock also has the speed, acceleration and tenacity to get away from his rivals on the climbs.

If a bunch featuring Pidcock arrives at the foot of the Via Santa Caterina all together, the Leeds-born rider will be extremely tough to beat on an uphill dash for the line. 

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step)

The two-time former World Champion got his Spring campaign off to a flying start with victory at the Faun-Ardèche Classic in France last weekend. Alaphilippe out-sprinted fellow Frenchman, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) after they distanced themselves from a smaller group of riders with just under 30 kilometres remaining.

Alaphilippe is yet another former winner of Strade Bianche, and is exactly the type of rider who thrives here. His bike handling skills are superb, and he possesses a phenomenal ability to launch violent attacks when the road goes uphill that leave other riders trailing in his wake. As well as winning in 2019, Alaphilippe also finished as runner up to Van der Poel in 2021.

He also has a score to settle with Strade Bianche after spectacularly crashing out last year on the longest gravel sector of the race. With the burden of the Rainbow Jersey no longer on his shoulders, watch out for the Soudal Quick-Step puncheur on Saturday. 

Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma)

Without the presence of Wout Van Aert in his team, all eyes will be on Benoot for Jumbo-Visma in Italy this weekend. After winning Strade Bianche in 2018, Benoot knows exactly what it takes to get the job done on the white gravel roads.

The Belgian has started the Spring Classics in excellent form, winning Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Opening Weekend and was in the heart of the action when his teammate, Dylan van Baarle, took the victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. 

Benoot is an out and out Classics rider. The man from Ghent may lack the raw power of the likes of Van Aert, but his lighter build and climbing ability means that if he’s kept out of trouble, he should be able to contest the victory once more.

Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates)

Belgian Tim Wellens has moved to pastures new with UAE Team Emirates for 2023, and briefly got up the road at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad during Opening Weekend. 

Wellens is always ready to go on the offensive, and has finished inside the top 20 on three separate occasions at Strade Bianche with his best result being a third place finish in 2017. The Belgian possesses a varied skill set as a bike rider, and typically thrives on punchy terrain featuring short but sharp climbs, typical of the route of the Italian Classic. 

While the likes of Pidcock, Van der Poel and Alaphilippe watch each other on Saturday, Wellens is exactly the type of rider capable of capitalising and catching them all unawares, making him very much a dark horse for victory.
 

Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo)

Not every team has the fortune of possessing a race winning star in their squad, although Trek-Segafredo will hope they have one in the form of young American Quinn Simmons.

Simmons also has past form at Strade Bianche, finishing in seventh last year behind a rampant Pogacar. The 21-year-old has all the required bike handling skills you need to get around on the dirt roads and is a real livewire on two wheels.

While Simmons doesn’t possess the same raw power as the likes of Van der Poel, he isn’t afraid to attack from distance, and if he’s allowed to slip up the road in a breakaway, he’ll be immensely difficult to reel back in. 

 Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) 

It’s likely that Bahrain Victorious will arrive in Siena with Pello Bilbao as their leader, although Matej Mohorič will provide an outstanding alternative on the sterrato if Bilbao finds himself in difficulty.

Mohorič is fast becoming a proven Classics star, and grabbed his first Monument title with a sensational ride at Milan-San Remo last year. Unlike his team mate Bilbao, the Slovenian hasn’t yet recorded a top ten finish in Siena, but he has all the ability you need in order to do the business here with the parcours suiting him to perfection.

Mohorič isn’t known for his climbing prowess, but he has a huge engine and will be able to stick to the all out favourites like glue. If he gets the jump from distance on his rivals, he has the power and tenacity to then see a huge attack through to the end. His two Tour de France stage wins are solid proof of that. 

Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)

Like Mohorič, Alberto Bettiol is another decent outside bet capable of outfoxing the big three favourites of Alaphilippe, Pidcock and Van der Poel here.

The Italian is an all out powerhouse, and won the Tour of Flanders back in 2019 so has all that it takes for another big result. He also finished fourth at Strade Bianche in 2020 behind Wout van Aert. Not only that, but these are the EF Education-Easy Post rider’s home roads. Bettiol grew up in the region, riding on Tuscany’s gravel tracks on a regular basis before turning professional.

He relishes short, punchy climbs and can pack a fast finish. If anyone can upset the favourites in Siena, then it certainly could be him.

The outsiders

Aleksey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan), Greg van Avermaet (AG2R Citroën Team), Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-Hansgrohe), Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates), Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) can all lay claim to a decent shot if things go their way. But often at Strade it's the big guns that contest the finish, such is the selectiveness of the course.

Adam Blythe, former professional with Lotto-Soudal turned pundit for GCN, is the proud owner of a new 24 carat gold leaf bike. 

As part of a collaboration between Genesis bikes, paint studio Fat Creations and Blythe himself, the trio have designed a beautiful 24 carat gold frame complete with a head tube, designed by Olympic medallist turned carbon supremo Rob Hayles, ready to thread the bike's cables through. 

The rest of the frame appears to be the Genesis Zero Disc carbon bike that the British brand no longer sells.

To some, a flashy gold bike may seem like bad taste, although not if you’re an Olympic gold medal winner or former Lotto-Soudal pro, apparently.

Bylthe unveiled his new wheels on Instagram with the message: “This bike… completely beyond what I could of [sic] imagined it to look like!!!!”

Blythe isn't the first rider to have a gold coloured bike, though it may well be the first to be done in gold leaf.

We look at three other fancy bikes being ridden by Olympic and world champions in the past few years. Featuring rainbow bands, gold flashes and inspiring mottos. 

 RICHARD CARAPAZ’S GOLD DOGMA 

After Richard Carapaz won the Tokyo Olympics road race, taking Ecuador’s first-ever cycling gold medal in the process, it wasn’t going to be long before Pinarello drummed up a fancy new bike for him to hit the road on. 

The gold-ish Dogma that the prestigious brand created was rather special indeed. 

It’s common practice in cycling that when a rider lands a big accolade, sponsors will look to cash in on the golden opportunity and present their rider with various other gold or rainbow inspired livery. 

At this year’s Vuelta a España in which the Ecuadorean won two stages, Carapaz was pictured with another Dogma with the Pinarello logo in gold as well as a Kask helmet complete with gold flashes. 

GREG VAN AVERMAET’S GOLD BMC TEAMMACHINE 

Belgian Greg Van Avermaet was lucky enough to ride the golden wave of Olympic success for several years. 

Since winning the road race at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, Van Avermaet has been seen sporting golden helmets and gold rimmed sunglasses aboard several shiny golden bikes. 

At the start of the 2021 season, the Belgian unveiled his new gold inspired bike after joining the Ag2r-Citröen team. 

His BMC Teammachine SLR01 was complete with a stylish strip of gold on the handlebars and top tube paying homage to his success on the streets of Brazil. 

During his stint with the now defunct CCC Team, Van Avermaet wore a gold helmet complete with his team 's orange kit… Stylish indeed. 

TOM PIDCOCK’S RAINBOW INSPIRED PINARELLO CROSSISTA F 

What does one need after obliterating all competition to take the cyclocross world title in 2022? A rainbow inspired bike of course! 

Pidcock made his first appearance in his cyclocross rainbow jersey at the weekend and as well as the jersey, his fancy new bike was caked in the mud of Belgium by the time he crossed the finish line in Overijse, Belgium on Sunday. 

The beautiful new frame is white with flashes of the rainbow bands on the fork and seat tube as well as inside the tyre rim. 

The top tube of his new machine also features a strip of rainbow colouring along with the motto ‘Play your cards right’. 

After a decent start, we think it won’t be long before Pidcock is taking handfuls of wins on this new weapon. 

After a breakdown in negotiations, the hugely successful Tour de Yorkshire event will not be returning to the calendar, but a new race is set to replace it.

The event first ran in 2015, as a legacy from the previous year's Tour de France Grand Depart, in the county. LIke many other events it was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but since then has not returned. Past winners of the men’s race include Greg Van Avermaet and Thomas Voeckler. 

After the pandemic, talks took place between Silicon Dales (a group which bought the rights to the race) and the owners of the Tour de France, Amaury Sports Organisation. 

Both groups looked to continue the partnership which has previously delivered the race, however it has now been revealed that the talks have failed to find a resolution to bring back the event. 

This morning, the Yorkshire Post revealed that the organisers of the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour, SweetSpot, have been part of an agreement in principle to deliver a new race in Yorkshire in 2024. 

The two groups plan to deliver a new race in the region to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the popular Grand Depart of the Tour de France in the area. The original Tour de Yorkshire was a four-day race for the men, with a two day event for the women’s equivalent, although the new race is likely to be a one-day classics style race. 

According to the Yorkshire Post, it is hoped that the event will be able to carry the same UCI ranking. It is also believed that the new race will include both a men’s and women’s race, both of equal standing. Due to ASO currently owning the Tour de Yorkshire name, organisers of the new race are seeking to create a new name in order to help shape an identity for the event. 

Silicon Dales, which gained a number of Welcome to Yorkshire’s assets earlier this year when the company was put into administration, has sought to reform the agency and prepare to deliver other cycling events in Yorkshire. The company have been trading again as Welcome to Yorkshire since earlier this month. 

The company’s owner, Robin Scott, told the Yorkshire Post: “We couldn’t have tried any harder to get an agreement with ASO for the Tour de Yorkshire event, but we needed a partner on the delivery side who wanted the event to go ahead in the future. In SweetSpot, who organise the Tour of Britain, we have found a partnership which will be good for Yorkshire.”

The deal with SweetSpot has not been completely finalised and signed off, although it’s likely that any arrangement would also see stages of both the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour visit Yorkshire in 2023. The Tour of Britain is due to visit Yorkshire in September this year, with stage four taking place between Redcar and Helmsley.

Scott added: “In 2024, we’re hoping to deliver a marquee event for the region which evokes a similar energy to the amazing 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart we remember so fondly.”

On the return of the Tour of Britain to Yorkshire, Hugh Roberts of SweetSpot said: 

"We are looking forward to returning to Yorkshire this September for what is going to be one of the toughest stages of this year’s race. The route takes in the beautiful coastline around Whitby and the tough climbs of the North York Moors so it will be great way to return in style!"

Greg Van Avermaet has decided to wait to receive his booster vaccine until after the Spring Classics, which begin with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on February 26 and end with Liège–Bastogne–Liège on Sunday 24 April.

Speaking at AG2R-Citroën's media day at their training camp in Denia, Spain, Van Avermaet said he struggled in the second half of 2021 after receiving his second vaccine, and will therefore wait until the Classics are over before getting the booster jab. 

“Especially in the second half of the season things didn't go the way I wanted. I blame it on my vaccination. 

"Since then I no longer race at a level. You really have to time that and I did it just before the Dauphiné, after a hard training period and just before a hard race. That was not a good idea. I have not cycled at a level after that. 

"Normally I'm always good for a place in the top ten or participate in the finals, now I even had a hard time in the grupetto in the Tour de France. I wanted to stop myself, but the team wanted me to continue, including for our classification man Ben O'Connor and I did, but then you wear your body further."

While Van Avermaet still intends to get the booster, he highlights his post-season tests blood values weren't at the same levels as tests in the autumn showed. 

However, there is no definitive evidence available to prove that the vaccine is the reason for this lower value.

The World Health Organisation also suggests "more serious or long-lasting side effects to COVID-19 vaccines are possible but extremely rare."

Indeed, the Covid vaccine response from the 'Whoop Year in Review' reports levels return to baseline by the fourth night following the vaccine. 

Stats from the report revealed: "Differences in physiological data were recorded after taking the Covid-19 vaccine, with resting heart rate and respiratory rate elevated the first night following vaccination, returning to baseline by the fourth night. Deviations in resting heart rate and respiratory rate were larger for females than males and larger in younger members than older members."

On side effects, WHO states: "Experiencing side effects after getting vaccinated means the vaccine is working and your immune system is responding as it should. 

"Vaccines are safe, and getting vaccinated will help protect you against Covid-19," it adds.

The Belgian rider, who finished third in the Tour of Flanders last season, will still wait until after the Classics for the booster as a precaution though.

"I think you have to time that jab very well. I didn't do that last time and I don't want to make the same mistake."

Van Avermaet contracted Covid in November just before he would have resumed training, following a rest period after the end of the season. With positive infections in the French team though, the 36-year-old is confident the necessary precautions have been taken and he isn't too concerned with the results.

"Those four staff members have now gone home, we continue to train here and that is a good thing, because you need a camp like this towards the start of the season.”

Greg Van Avermaet is looking to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on the World Championships on his home roads with a second victory at the rescheduled Paris-Roubaix.

Van Avermaet (Ag2r Citroën Team), now 36-years-old, is looking to re-find that spark which saw him take the final spot on the podium at the Tour of Flanders behind Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) earlier this year.

The Flandrien star has struggled to land major results in recent years with his last win the 2019 GP de Montréal. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons he had his most successful years, winning prolifically including in the Olympic Games road race and Paris-Roubaix.

>>> The Women's Tour will not be broadcast live on TV in 2021

Van Avermaet admitted his performances in 2021 were not good enough to force his way into a strong Belgium line-up for their home World Championships. Instead he rode the French one-day race Classique Paris-Chauny for his trade team, finishing 38th.

"My recent form was not good enough for me to be selected for the World Championships in Belgium," he said. "I have been part of the national team since 2007 and it was a bit difficult for me to miss this edition."

After a spell of illness earlier in the season, Van Avermaet felt his form was picking up after putting in a very solid ride on the final stage of the Benelux Tour around the cobbled climbs of Geraardsbergen, taking eighth place on the day on roads he knows "by heart".

"Despite everything, I will be happy to see Roubaix again after 18 months of waiting. I would have preferred to race it in the spring," Van Avermaet continued. 

"Especially since my form was good which my third place at the Tour of Flanders proved, but that’s how it goes. 

"Paris-Roubaix, even in October, remains a very important moment of the season and I really want to perform well through the end of the season and resume training for 2022 with high ambitions."

Van Avermaet lines up for the Queen of the Classics alongside Oliver Naesen in the seven-man Ag2r Citroën Team, as well as the experienced Michael Schär and Naesen's brother Lawrence.

The last time Paris-Roubaix was held was in 2019 with Belgian Philippe Gilbert (then at Quick-Step) out-sprinting German Nils Politt (then at Katusha-Alpecin) with Van Avermaet finishing in 12th.

This year's event comes after not taking place at all in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and was pushed back Sunday, October 3 in 2021 for the same reason. The race also will take place the day after the inaugural women's Paris-Roubaix.

Greg Van Avermaet and Philippe Gilbert have spoken about their disappointment of missing the selection on the Belgian team for a home World Championships.

The World Road Championships are due to take place in late September in Van Avermaet's home region of Flanders, however, the 36-year-old has been missing his usual combative form and hasn't made the cut. 

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Van Avermaet, who has been on the start line at the World Championships for 14 consecutive years, spoke to Sporza: "It is a huge disappointment. I have been there for 14 years and just now, in my own country, I am not part of the selection. That is not nice news,

"I was secretly hoping for it, but also felt the news myself. With my normal level, I was one of the first on the selection sheet."

The former Olympic champion, Van Avermaet has not had the best couple of seasons, recently suggesting he believes it may be due to health complications.

"I have already ridden World Championships on courses that are less suitable for me. Just think of Innsbruck. That is why I was so looking forward to this World Championships, the first time in my own country, on a course that suits me," he continued.

Philippe Gilbert, a former world champion himself, also missed out on the call up by Belgium's national coach Sven Vanthourenhout, along with Tim Wellens, meaning no Lotto-Soudal riders made the cut.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gilbert said: "It is clear that Wout van Aert is the very best Belgian cyclist of the moment. I would have liked to have helped him on his way to victory with my experience, but I have to accept the selection,"

"I experienced beautiful moments at World Championships, culminating in my world title in Valkenburg in 2012."

Gilbert, now 39-years-old, added how he accepts he has not shown the form he usually expects of himself, but says he was happy with his recent ride at the Benelux Tour where he helped Caleb Ewan and Tim Wellens.

Lotto, who are co-title sponsors on Gilbert's Lotto-Soudal outfit, also sponsor the Belgian national team, however, no Lotto-Soudal riders have been picked to ride: "I am very disappointed with the Belgian National Lottery. Even though politics and sport have little in common, it would have been good if someone from Lotto-Soudal had been there."

Wellens was a surprise rider not to be selected for the race along Ag2r-Citroën rider Oliver Naesen, the latter not even making the reserves.

The reserve list is made up of Van Avermaet, Wellens, Gilbert and then two Alpecin-Fenix riders  Tim Merlier and  Gianni Vermeersch.

The team selected for the road race is to be led by Jumbo-Visma's Wout van Aert with the rest all down to support him. They are Remco Evenepoel, Tiesj Benoot, Yves Lampaert, Victor Campenaerts, Jasper Stuyven, Tim Declerq and Dylan Teuns.

Van Aert and Evenepoel will both be riding the elite men's TT for Belgium. 

Greg Van Avermaet said he’d hoped to be “just a little better” in the Tour of Flanders, but settled for a podium finish.

The Olympic champion, racing his first season as Classics leader for Ag2r-Citroën, wasn’t able to follow the decisive move as Kasper Asgreen, Mathieu van der Poel, and Wout Van Aert broke free of their rivals on the Oude Kwaremont.

But Van Avermaet, 35, rode a patient race in the second group on the road, eventually attacking with one other rider and sprinting to a strong third-place.

Speaking after the finish Van Avermaet, who has longed dreamed of winning the Tour of Flanders, said: “This was the best result achievable. 

“I wasn’t among the best, certainly not among the best three. “I knew from experience that I had to stay in the chasing group and that I could compete for the podium. 

“I am very pleased that I am still on the podium in the Ronde.” 

Van Avermaet has been fighting to win his home Monument, having already won Paris-Roubaix, E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Wevelgem and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

The Belgian has now finished on the podium four times, having said last year he is running out of chances to win the race.

After this year’s edition, he added: “It was a fast pace from the Molenberg and certainly not easy. I had hoped to be just a little better, but felt that I was not enough. I was good in the chase, but I didn't have the punch to follow the big men at those moments.”

>>> Mathieu van der Poel: ‘I started a good sprint, but immediately felt the legs were rough’   

Victory went to Deceuninck - Quick-Step’s Kasper Asgreen who, after launching a decisive attack which established an elite trio out front, took a surprise win by out-printing Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) in the final. 

Greg Van Avermaet has revealed his new machine for 2021, as he returns to a BMC machine.

Belgian Classics star Van Avermaet has switched teams for the new season, as he will be racing in Ag2r-Citröen colours after leaving his old outfit CCC Team at the end of 2020. 

While training with his new squad in Spain the Olympic champion has unveiled his new bike and custom colour-way, as he will be riding a BMC bike for the first time since BMC Racing was taken over in 2018. 

In a video posted on Ag2r’s Facebook page, Van Avermaet said: “Everything is going well. 

“We are training well, we’re doing photo shoots. I’m very motivated. My team-mates are cool and I know them better now. 

“It changes a lot. It’s a new environment. I know some of my team-mates very well. It also changes with the new sponsors and a new bike - it’s going to be great.” 

Van Avermaet’s new bike is a BMC Teammachine SLR01 with mostly Campagnolo components.

The 35-year-old will be running the Campag Super Record EPS groupset with the Campagnolo Shamal wheels to accompany. 

Van Avermaet has also become famed for showing off his Olympic gold medal from the Rio 2016 Games in his kit, and 2021 will be no different.

This year, the former Paris-Roubaix winner has opted for a modest strip of gold on the handlebars and top-tube, also with the slim golden armband on the jersey and gold detailing on his shoes.  

A return to BMC bikes may be a welcome move for Van Avermaet, who spent eight years with BMC Racing Team, taking his biggest victories during that time, including two Tour de France stages, the 2017 Paris-Roubaix, and Olympic gold. 

In 2019, Van Avermaet switched to Giant bikes when BMC was taken over by CCC Team. 

>>> Tom Pidcock wants to race a Grand Tour in his debut WorldTour season 

But as CCC folded at the end of last season, Van Avermaet opted to change up his team entirely, forming part of a strong Classics unit at Ag2r, which also features Oliver Naesen and Bob Jungels.    

Greg Van Avermaet could line up at the Tour of Flanders just two weeks after suffering a fractured vertebrae and collapsed lung at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The Belgian crashed hard in the one-day Classic, but says he is feeling much better and will wait until the end of the week to decide if he is well enough to race the cobbled Classic.

"I feel much better than I did nine days ago. I'm back cycling, I haven't thrown the towel in yet," Van Avermaet told Het Nieuwsblad. "When I was lying on the ground in Liège, I decided to wait for the results and my feelings before making a final decision. I wanted to decide as late as possible whether or not to ride."

Van Avermaet says the pain he's still experiencing is more bearable when he's riding, although were it any other race rather than Flanders he'd have a better chance of making the start line.

>>> British neo-pro Gabriel Cullaigh explains illness battle that curtailed first season with Movistar

"Of course there is still a greater chance that I will not ride than I will. It's not like I'm in super shape here. The pain is more bearable on the bike, I have to look at it day-by-day and see if I can feel better towards the end of this week and also be one hundred percent capable of riding the Tour of Flanders. Because this is not a 'race' around the church tower. Then you have to be 100 percent ready," he said.

Whether or not he does line-up on Sunday will largely depend on what contribution he thinks he can make. Having finished on the podium three times previously, Van Avermaet wants to go there and race, not just simply make up the numbers.

"I can ride from Antwerp to Oudenaarde every day. I want to play a part. That will decide it in the coming days," he said. "At the moment I can ride but there is still a difference between riding and racing."

Van Avermaet also says the news of Paris-Roubaix's cancellation was hard to take, saying if he can't line up at Flanders then all his hard work will have been "almost all for nothing".

"I still have to experience that a bit myself," Van Avermaet said of riding on cobbles with his injuries. "The shocks in themselves are not too bad. When I am stable in the saddle I have the least pain, it only starts when I have to straighten out. The slopes will be a bit more difficult than the cobbles.

"I now want to take advantage of every day and hope I can recover as best I can. It has just been a very exciting year, we have all prepared so much. In my case, it was almost all for nothing. After Liège, I thought about starting the races that suited me best and then something like this happens. It is quite hard to face the truth."

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Greg Van Avermaet suffered multiple fractures and a collapsed lung in his Liège-Bastogne-Liège crash.

The Belgian rider came down with just under 100km to go in the Monument, having collided with a traffic island that wasn't being guarded by a steward, television moto cameras arriving in time to see the Olympic champion lying crumped in a heap on the road.

Having been taking to hospital in Liège, medical staff confirmed Van Avermaet had suffered a number of serious injuries, including three fractured ribs, a fracture to his vertebra, a collapsed lung, and a torn ligament.

"X-rays performed at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Sart-Tilman in Liège revealed that Greg sustained an acromioclavicular joint separation as well as three fractured ribs, a small pneumothorax, and a small fracture of the first thoracic vertebra transverse process. Fortunately, he suffered no concussion," CCC's statement on their rider's condition read.

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Unfortunately, these injuries mean Van Avermaet's season is likely over, meaning he will miss his usual season highlights of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Although, CCC are holding on to hope he may recover in time to wear their orange kit a final time before the team folds at the end of the year.

"These injuries more than likely mean the end of Greg’s season, however, alongside CCC Team’s Chief Medical Officer, Max Testa, we will monitor his recovery and make any decisions accordingly in the coming days and weeks," CCC said.

Van Avermaet will be moving to Ag2r Citroën in 2021, the 35-year-old signing a three-year deal with the French team. CCC team-mates Michael Schär and Gijs Van Hoecke are also making the same move, as is Deceuninck - Quick-Step's Bob Jungels, the WorldTour outfit looking to become a Classics powerhouse, already possessing the talents of Oliver Naesen, who is committed to the team until 2023.

Ag2r La Mondiale have confirmed that they have signed Classics star Greg Van Avermaet for 2021, with the Belgian signing a three-year contract.

Van Avermaet leaves CCC Team after 10 years with the squad formerly known as BMC Racing, and takes current team-mate Michael Schär with him to Ag2r for the new season. Swiss rider Schär, 33, has also signed a three-year deal with the French squad, who will switch to the name Ag2r Citrôen Team next year.

The announcement of the signings came shortly after it was announced Ag2r's Grand Tour star Romain Bardet would move to Team Sunweb for 2021.

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Olympic champion Van Avermaet, who turned 35 this year, last week said he had no choice but to look for a new team with the threat of CCC Team folding. Team manager Jim Ochowicz is still on the hunt for new backing for his team after title sponsor, Polish handbag company CCC, cut short its three-year sponsorship agreement because of the effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on its business.

Ag2r's signing of Van Avermaet and Schär adds formidable strength to their Classics team, currently led by Oliver Naesen. The team already signed Stan Dewulf from Lotto-Soudal and Gijs Van Hoecke from CCC Team to bolster their one-day squad, and Van Avermaet says linking up with Naesen in the Classics was a particular lure to him.

“I am happy and motivated to start a new adventure," Van Avermaet said.

"I have just spent ten beautiful years in the structures of Jim Ochowicz and I am embarking on a new challenge. I am happy that [Ag2r team manager] Vincent Lavenu has shown such confidence in me, and I intend to give my best in order to achieve great results. The prospect of working with Oliver Naesen, with the goal of winning Classics, is particularly exciting.

"My goal is always the same: to win races like the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix, stages of the Tour de France or wear the yellow jersey for as long as possible.”

The Ag2r team manager Vincent Lavenu says the two big name signings will go a long way in helping develop the young riders in the team as well as trying to deliver more immediate success.

“It is a great satisfaction to have secured the signings of Greg Van Avermaet and Michael Schär," Lavenu said.

"Greg is a great champion, showing incredible consistency at the highest level. His experience, his rigor, his hard work will be important in our development project. He will be an example for all our young riders. His bond with his friend Oliver Naesen, with whom he sometimes trains with, will be an added advantage.

"Michaël is one of the best teammates in the world. He will be invaluable in protecting our leaders, whether in stage races or in the classics. He is also a very good time trialist. He will be a pilot fish whose experience will contribute a great deal.”

Greg Van Avermaet has confirmed that he will be leaving CCC Team at the end of 2021; the team he has ridden with for just over nine years through its various guises.

The Classics star has previously said that he is willing to wait and see if his current team could find a new sponsor but he now says he has "no options" but to leave and join a new team for the 2021 season.

Speaking to Sporza, the Olympic champion said: "I've given my manager the green light to look at other teams. I have no options in this team anymore.

"At the moment it does not look like this team will continue. Jim Ochowicz keeps looking, but I can't wait. Other possibilities now need to be worked out in detail. I hope it will be completed in a few weeks."

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It has been rumoured for some time that the 35-year-old may be looking at going elsewhere with multiple teams said to be interested.

"Different teams are interested. It is important for my manager Dries Smets to work out everything and to put forward a concrete offer. Then I can make a decision," Van Avermaet said.

"I'll try to get the best out of it, financially and also on the sporting side."

Israel Start-Up Nation are one of two teams heavily linked to the Belgian rider. The Israeli team are building a very strong squad around Chris Froome for 2021, and have also just lost their main Classics man, Nils Politt, to Bora-Hansgrohe next season.

The other team looking like they are already setting up for the arrival of Van Avermaet is AG2R La Mondiale, who have signed Gijs Van Hoecke and Stan De Wulf to add to their already strong Classics team. Their current Classics leader Oliver Naesen is a good friend of Van Avermaet and would bring great options for them in the cobbled Classics

AG2R have also announced their new title sponsor of French car manufacturer, Citrôen, making them AG2R Citroen for the 2021 season.

Van Avermaet will be focusing on his racing for now, and will next be in action at Milan-San Remo this weekend (August 8), where he'll lead CCC Team along with Matteo Trentin.

As well as having to contend with any potential teething problems of being the first WorldTour race back after the coronavirus break, the peloton at Strade Bianche will also face sweltering heat and stonier gravel than in March.

That is the estimation of CCC's Greg Van Avermaet, who's twice finished runner-up in the Italian one-day race and is once again aiming for the top placings on Saturday.

"It's gonna be super warm. The race looks a little bit different than in March, it's a little bit stonier and a little bit more gravel I think...but every rider is excited to start the season," Van Avermaet said outside his team hotel.

Having reconned the last 75km on Thursday, two-time winner Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos) says the surface is more like "racing on snow" compared to road conditions in March,  the race's normal date.

"The gravel is just looser, it's dustier. So obviously everybody's going to have less grip. I would compare it to racing on snow now.

"There are plenty of rocks, little rocks, dust, everything that's on the road. So it might be hard for someone who's never done it."

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As for safety concerns, the Vuelta a Burgos has so far shown the return of racing is viable, but nevertheless, coronavirus anxiety will likely remain for the foreseeable.

"Yeah, I think we've tried to do [it] as well as possible," Van Avermaet says of the protocols being implemented, while a team staff member pulls a tape barrier across separating the Olympic champion from the press who are leaning in closer and closer to hear the muted Belgian.

"It's not easy because we are traveling quite a lot, it's a big peloton, it's a big bubble. I think the most important is the testing. Seeing who is positive and who is negative and hoping everything in our team can be easily managed. I think [maintaining] these kinds of conditions make it possible to restart racing, which is important for us, for the sponsors and for the whole of cycling."

Kwiatkowski is equally satisfied with the measures put in place but says the worry lingers that at any point he could come into contact with someone who is positive and unknowingly pass it on to someone else.

"Since March, or let's say the beginning of the lockdown, I have one thing in mind. Whoever I meet, they might be a potential person with coronavirus."

Both riders name each other as favourites for the race, as well as the likes of Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) in what is the first of many all-star casts fans can expect in quick succession during the revised calendar.

The pair are quietly assured ahead of shortened seasons and their futures up in the air. With plenty more opportunities for wins in the months ahead, the pressure may be off for now.

Kwiatkowski says he'll focus on racing while letting his agent sort out his deal for 2021, while Van Avermaet has faith in team manager Jim Ochowicz to find a new backer for CCC.

"I'm just keeping my options open," Van Avermaet said when asked about the speculation linking him to teams such as Ag2r La Mondiale and Israel Start-Up Nation. "I'm still confident in my own team finding a new sponsor. But of course, I'm also looking for other teams to go to if it's not working, especially in these times where it's not hard to find a sponsor. So I'm just waiting for some of these decisions from Och [Ochowicz] to find something and afterwards, it's not possible, of course, I will try my chances anywhere else."

The virtual Tour of Flanders was guaranteed to split opinion, as a handful of pros raced from the comfort of their homes during the coronavirus crisis.

With the 2020 edition of Flanders postponed due to the global lockdown, 13 pro took on an online version of the cobbled monument, with the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert and Greg Van Avermaet all lining up.

But how strong were these riders on the day?

Victory went to Belgian superstar Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team), who has spent years chasing a win in the Tour of Flanders.

During his virtual glory, Van Avermaet put out some insane power numbers – the reigning Olympic champion held a staggering 434 watts for the entire of the 43-minute race.

Speaking after the win, Van Avermaet said: “I just tried to do as good as possible. I don’t like to ride inside anyway, so we were luck in Belgium we can still ride outside, so I think I kept my condition better than the other guys.

“I had no idea how this would work. It’s my first time so you don’t know what to expect. It was really hard, especially from the start.

“It was a different effort. In Flanders it’s a long time waiting. It’s hard to keep the good legs and in the end you lose a lot of power. This was a short effort.”

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The second place finisher was Van Avermaet’s compatriot Oliver Naesen (Ag2r La Mondiale), who narrowly beat Nicolas Roche (Sunweb) in the sprint for the line.

Naesen posted his ride on Strava to share his power data with fans and he also put out some crazy power numbers.

He held an average of over 400w for the duration of the race, hitting a maximum power of 783w in the final sprint for the line.

Olympic road race champion Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) says postponing the 2020 Tokyo Games "was the only possible option."

As the world continues to battle with the coronavirus pandemic, the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo Organising Committee took the decision to postpone the Games on Tuesday, saying they will take place by summer 2021.

There are currently over 380,000 recorded Covid-19 cases worldwide with around 16,500 deaths.

Van Avermaet, who won the gold medal in the road race at Rio 2016, says it is the right decision to take, not only in terms of the safety of athletes, staff and spectators, but because most athletes are currently unable to fully train with lockdowns across many countries.

Cycling is currently suspended until April 30 at least, though May's Giro d'Italia has already been suspended. Riders would have little preparation time ahead of the gruelling 234km race, which contains almost 5000m of climbing, if it went ahead as planned on July 25.

"It’s obviously disappointing to see the Olympic Games postponed as they were a big goal for me this year," Van Avermaet said.

"But, I completely support the decision as it is clear at a time like this that health and safety are the biggest priority and it wouldn’t have been possible to safely stage an event like the Olympic Games with thousands of people coming from all over the world.

"I think postponing the Games was the only possible option as we face so many uncertainties in the coming months and it would not have provided a fair playing field with everyone’s preparation and training put on hold right now. Even the selection process for teams would have been impossible."

For riders and athletes, the postponement of races and the Olympics means the opportunity to better prepare for next year once the pandemic has passed, though it also means a year missed in what are relatively short careers.

Van Avermaet, 34 - who would have been targetting a maiden Tour of Flanders victory on April 5 - says it "isn ideal" to be another year older as he looks to defend his gold medal, but says he'll have as much incentive take victory in Tokyo in 2021.

"Of course, the postponement means I will be another year older which isn’t ideal but I know I will be as motivated as ever next year," Van Avermaet added.

"It is an honor to be the Olympic Champion and now I will enjoy some more time wearing the gold bands on my CCC Team jersey and of course, I hope I can wear them beyond 2021 as well."

Greg Van Avermaet is extending his off-season to peak later into the 2020 season for the spring Classics, says his CCC Team.

The 2016 Olympic champion pushed his break out two weeks longer, from four to six, in order to be flying when he faces races like the Tour of Flanders in April.

>>> Mathieu van der Poel hints at debut Tour de France in 2021

"We want to prevent Greg from getting into shape too quickly, so that he can peak for the classics," sports director Valerio Piva told Het Nieuwsblad.

"Greg has been very good during his first races in early February in recent years, but these are actually preparation races. In 2019 he was very good in the Classics, from the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to E3 Harelbeke, but afterwards he fell a bit quiet.

"With this new approach, we want to prevent him from getting back into shape too early."

The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad opens up the Classics season on March 2, but the big cobbled Classics come only one month later. The E3 BinckBank Classic is on March 29, but Van Avermaet and CCC Team want him to be sharp for the Tour of Flanders, April 7, and Paris-Roubaix, April 14.

"When Greg broke his ankle in the winter of 2016 and could only start training later, he rode his best spring. We now want to simulate that plan," continued Piva.

"In consultation with his trainer Max Testa, we have decided to rest for a long time and start again slowly. Greg knows the importance of resting, but he is so driven and has a temperament that made him forget that rest."

That rest left Van Avermaet time to reset. Sometimes he would walk for long periods over the last six weeks, but that is it.

"The intention to insert a long break and to completely reset my body," Van Avermaet said. "I needed it after a tough season.

"I don't have to hurry. It is more than three months before the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad."

On December 2, Van Avermaet will head to a training camp in Spain a week earlier than his team-mates so that he can leave a week earlier to be back home for the birth of his second child.

In early January, he will go to Tenerife to train at altitude. It is a 'new' method for Van Avermaet who tried it for the first time since 2013 to prepare for the 2019 Worlds in Yorkshire. The Worlds on September 29, when he finished eighth, was his last race of the season.

Van Avermaet will stay home instead of going to the Tour of Oman, likely starting his season and run for the Classics with the Vuelta a Valenciana on February 6.

Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) says he "missed an opportunity" to become world champion in Yorkshire on Sunday, but could not reach the same level that has won him an Olympic title and Paris-Roubaix.

He placed eighth after the rain-soaked ride around Harrogate, but was the best of the Belgian team after they lost Philippe Gilbert due to a crash.

>>> Peter Sagan says he definitely mis-read Yorkshire Worlds road race

"We were not at our best," Van Avermaet told Het Laatste Nieuws. "For me, that was tough, when I know that I cannot reach the top level at that moment, while perhaps I can rise above myself in warm conditions.

"I didn't have the top feeling. And to win a Worlds, everything has to be perfect."

Van Avermaet, 34, said before the race that it could the last opportunity to fill an already rich palmarès with a world title. He rules out the Worlds next year in Switzerland, but now says that maybe he could have a chance in 2021.

"I think there will be another chance [to win the Worlds] in Belgium, if you look at someone like Gilbert, who is three years older than me..." he continued.

"There will be opportunities if I can keep my level. Yorkshire is a missed opportunity. But as they say, you can never give up. That is a bit of my character."

The weight of the Belgian team shifted to Van Avermaet when Gilbert crashed and quit the race. Gilbert, however, had been the one who flourishes in the cold and wet conditions. Ahead of the title fight, Van Avermaet had already said that he prefers sun and dry conditions – which is not what the riders faced.

"We had hoped for more from this Worlds, especially with such a team. We should have brought someone in front when they [Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) and Matteo Trentin (Italy)] rode away, but it is easier said than done," he said.

"Everyone did his best, especially in the weather – really cold and all day in the rain – made it very difficult to change anything.

"I always try to be honest, otherwise I should have been with Sagan when attacked [and finished fifth]. But I finished eighth. There are worse ones... Favourites that were dropped at a 100 kilometres from the finish, so to speak."

Van Avermaet's season comes to a close with three wins: stages in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and the Tour de Yorkshire, and the GP Cycliste de Montréal. It is the Classics season and the three weeks in the Tour de France that still annoy him.

"I saw that I am now fourth in the world rankings. If I am among the five best riders in the world in terms of points, I cannot say that it is a bad season," he said.

"The Classics were a bit disappointing. Normally I am extremely good in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and those races were disappointing. I tried to ride a very regular season. That was always my strength. But the outliers are missing a bit."

Now in its tenth year, Canada's GP de Québec and Grand Prix de Montréal duo is an attractive proposition for riders looking to test their legs ahead of the UCI Road World Championships.

Featuring multiple laps of a hilly course and falling two weeks ahead of the Worlds, the shared start list for both events is jostling with star studded names to look out for.

Former winners Michael Matthews (Sunweb), Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) all adorn the start list.

Matthews won both events in 2018, and may look to shine after coming home from the Tour de France empty handed.

Sagan has also raised his hands in both events, Québec in 2016 and 2017 plus Montréal in 2013 - though he's been relatively quiet after returning from Paris with only the EuroEyes Cyclassics Hamburg on his record since July.

We can also expect Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) to be a marked man, following his wins at Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche and La Flèche Wallonne - as well as his long stint yellow in France.

Of the British riders, Geraint Thomas will be building on form with the Yorkshire Time Trial a key goal, he'll be flanked by Ineos' Michal Kwiatkowski perhaps looking to finish the season on a high note.

Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) may also be hunting out a result following a less than ideal Tour campaign, and Innsbruck medalist Michael Woods (EF Education First) will be another rider to watch as he competes on home turf.

Friday's Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec comprises of 16 laps of a 12.6km circuit, with close to 3,000 metres of climbing thanks to the Côte de la Potasse and the Montée de la Fabrique before the 1km finale on the Grande Allée.

After a day's rest, Sunday's Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal rears its head with a 219.6km course which has been extended for 2019 with the addition of two more laps, bringing the total climb to 4,734 metres.

The 12.2km circuit winds through the Parc du Mont-Royal, featuring a trio of climbs: the Côte Camillien-Houde (1.8km at 8%), Côte de Polytechnique (780m at 6%) and Boulevard Mont Royal (800m at 4%) - with that final one rearing its head just 3km from the line.

GP de Québec vital statistics 

Friday September 13 
201.6km distance (16 laps of 12.6km)

2,976m total ascent - 186m per lap

Grand Prix de Montréal vital statistics

Sunday September 15

219.6km (19 laps of 12.2km)

4,734 total ascent - 214m per lap

GP de Québec and Grand Prix de Montréal 2019 start list

Team Sunweb

1 MATTHEWS Michael

2 VERVAEKE Louis

3 BAKELANTS Jan

4 HINDLEY Jai

5 HIRSCHI Marc

6 KÄMNA Lennard

7 FRÖHLINGER Johannes

Deceuninck - Quick Step

11 ALAPHILIPPE Julian

12 ASGREEN Kasper

13 DEVENYNS Dries

14 EVENEPOEL Remco

15 HONORÉ Mikkel Frølich

16 MAS Enric

17 SERRY Pieter

Bora-Hansgrohe

21 SAGAN Peter

22 BENEDETTI Cesare

23 BURGHARDT Marcus

24 KONRAD Patrick

25 MCCARTHY Jay

26 OSS Daniel

27 PFINGSTEN Christoph

CCC Team

31 VAN AVERMAET Greg

32 ČERNÝ Josef

33 GESCHKE Simon

34 PAUWELS Serge

35 ROSSKOPF Joey

36 SCHÄR Michael

37 WIŚNIOWSKI Łukasz

AG2R La Mondiale

41 NAESEN Oliver

42 COSNEFROY Benoît

43 DUVAL Julien

44 FRANK Mathias

45 GOUGEARD Alexis

46 PARET-PEINTRE Aurélien

47 PETERS Nans

Bahrain Merida

51 NIBALI Vincenzo

52 AGNOLI Valerio

53 BOLE Grega

54 CARUSO Damiano

55 COLBRELLI Sonny

56 GARCÍA CORTINA Iván

57 MOHORIČ Matej

Team Ineos

61 THOMAS Geraint

62 BASSO Leonardo

63 KNEES Christian

64 KWIATKOWSKI Michał

65 LAWLESS Chris

66 HALVORSEN Kristoffer

67 CASTROVIEJO Jonathan

UAE-Team Emirates

71 ULISSI Diego

72 BYSTRØM Sven Erik

73 COSTA Rui

74 MARTIN Dan

75 OLIVEIRA Rui

76 PHILIPSEN Jasper

77 POLANC Jan

Astana Pro Team

81 HOULE Hugo

82 BILBAO Pello

83 BALLERINI Davide

84 ZEITS Andrey

85 CORT Magnus

86 VILLELLA Davide

87 GREGAARD Jonas

Lotto Soudal

91 WELLENS Tim

92 DEWULF Stan

93 NAESEN Lawrence

94 MAES Nikolas

95 MONFORT Maxime

96 VANENDERT Jelle

Groupama - FDJ

101 DUCHESNE Antoine

102 GENIETS Kevin

103 LE GAC Olivier

104 MADOUAS Valentin

105 MOLARD Rudy

106 BONNET William

107 ROUX Anthony

EF Education First

111 WOODS Michael

112 VAN DEN BERG Julius

113 BETTIOL Alberto

114 BROWN Nathan

115 HOWES Alex

116 VANMARCKE Sep

117 WHELAN James

Team Jumbo-Visma

121 VAN POPPEL Danny

122 DE PLUS Laurens

123 LEEZER Tom

124 MARTENS Paul

125 VINGEGAARD Jonas

126 ROOSEN Timo

127 TOLHOEK Antwan

Trek - Segafredo

131 PORTE Richie

132 CONCI Nicola

133 BERNARD Julien

134 GOGL Michael

135 MOLLEMA Bauke

136 SKUJIŅŠ Toms

137 STUYVEN Jasper

Movistar Team

141 BETANCUR Carlos

142 CASTRILLO Jaime

143 FERNÁNDEZ Rubén

144 MAS Lluís

145 PRADES Eduard

146 ROELANDTS Jürgen

147 SÜTTERLIN Jasha

Mitchelton-Scott

151 YATES Adam

152 BOOKWALTER Brent

153 HAIG Jack

154 HAMILTON Lucas

155 IMPEY Daryl

156 JUUL-JENSEN Christopher

157 STANNARD Robert

Team Katusha Alpecin

161 HAAS Nathan

162 BIERMANS Jenthe

163 GONÇALVES José

164 HALLER Marco

165 HOLLENSTEIN Reto

166 ZABEL Rick

167 ŠPILAK Simon

Team Dimension Data

171 GASPAROTTO Enrico

172 GIBBONS Ryan

173 VALGREN Michael

174 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt

175 KREUZIGER Roman

176 MÄDER Gino

177 SLAGTER Tom-Jelte

Israel Cycling Academy

181 BOIVIN Guillaume

182 CATAFORD Alexander

183 EARLE Nathan

184 JENSEN August

185 NEILANDS Krists

186 SAGIV Guy

187 SBARAGLI Kristian

Rally UHC Cycling

191 TUFT Svein

192 ANDERSON Ryan

193 BRITTON Rob

194 MANNION Gavin

195 DAL-CIN Matteo

196 DE VOS Adam

197 ELLSAY Nigel

Canada

201 PICCOLI James

202 BURTNIK Evan

203 CHEYNE Jordan

204 CHRÉTIEN Charles-Étienne

205 GERVAIS Laurent

206 ROBERGE Adam

207 ZUKOWSKY Nicolas

Chris Lawless (Team Ineos) says following Greg Van Avermaet's attack with 5km to go on the final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire was the deepest he ever had to go to in a bike race.

Lawless was able to hold on to take the overall win by two seconds over Van Avermaet, who won the final stage into Leeds after attacking with 5km to the finish on the final uncategorised climb to bridge to Eddie Dunbar (Team Ineos) out front, with the three arriving at the finish together and Van Avermaet sprinting to the stage win.

Such was the devastation of the Belgian's initial attack, no-one from the main group was able to follow aside from race leader Lawless, who says the overall win makes up for missing out on the stage win to Scarborough on stage three on Saturday, which left him "genuinely gutted."

"When I got to the top of the climb with 5km to go [I knew I could win]," Lawless said.

"I got dropped on the Chevin climb and [Owain] Doull did a big shift to get me back to the main group. I knew that Greg was going to go. I was ready for it. On a climb like that I’ve got that length of effort and I had a chance of staying with him.

"It’s the deepest I’ve ever dug. If I had to pick out a point that was the race winning effort.

"I was genuinely gutted after losing in Scarborough. Dave Brailsford rang to give him a pep talk. He said I could do it, I just had to believe in myself."

For Van Avermaet - who had a disappointing spring Classics campaign by his own high standards - taking second overall and the win on the queen stage from Halifax to the Leeds was some consolation heading into a mid-season break ahead of the Tour de France in July.

The Olympic champion crashed in his final Classic at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, but was able to gradually look stronger throughout the race, placing himself in contention to defend his overall title after finishing third in the sprint to Scarborough on stage three.

"It’s always good to have a win in the end and I think my spring campaign was not too bad, but also not super," Van Avermaet said.

"I was fighting in every final until Liège-Bastogne-Liège for a good result; I had a few.

"I think I had quite good legs in Flanders and Roubaix but the result was not showing what I could do there. So it was a bit of a disappointment in those two races and I’m expecting much more from myself in these kind of races. [This win] makes it a little bit better, but for sure races like Flanders and Roubaix are more important for me.

"Tactically wise I don’t think there was more that we could do today," he added.

"I’m quite happy with the stage win and second in the overall, it’s also something. I bridged to Dunbar and Lawless was the only guy that could follow me on the climb and for me there was nothing else to do but win the stage.

"He was a bit afraid if the group came back he couldn’t win the overall, so I think for me and him it was a good situation and I couldn’t take more out of it than a second place and winning on the streets of Leeds in the queen stage is also something really nice."

Owain Doull says defending champion Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) has to be the favourite for the Tour de Yorkshire overall title on Sunday's final stage, despite Team Ineos having five riders close enough on general classification to win the race.

Chris Lawless leads the overall after finishing second on the crosswind affected stage three, which saw his team Ineos split the race to pieces with around 50km to go. They initially placed six riders in the lead group, with five making it to the finish and four, Chris Froome, Michał Golas, Eddie Dunbar and Doull, now all sitting 10 seconds behind Lawless in the overall.

Greg Van Avermaet, who finished third on the stage, sits just six seconds off the overall lead thanks to a four-second time bonus on the line with stage winner Alexander Kamp (Riwal Readynez) on the same time as Lawless in second place.

Doull however says Van Avermaet has to be favourite on the tough 175km stage four from Halifax to Leeds , which takes in five categorised climbs, adding that Ineos even held back on Saturday to prepare for the final test.

"Van Avermaet has got to be the favourite tomorrow, the Riwal guys are also pretty strong, but it’s going to be between those lot," Doull told Cycling Weekly at the finish in Scarborough.

"There’s a tinge of disappointment missing [the stage win] I think, to have five guys in a group of 21, you should probably win. But also in the backs of our minds we didn’t want to go burning guys off hitting it up, because tomorrow’s the big GC day. Now we’re in a super-strong position with five guys [close to] the leading time.

"The wind was up today and the weather was pretty grim, we knew it was going to be a hard day and we kind of took the initiative we decided to take it on in the crosswinds at about 60km to go I think, we had numbers in the front - we lost Yogi but he’d done a lot and then we just wanted to keep it together and get a win with Chris I think, but unfortunately he was second."

While Doull was disappointed his team-mate missing out on the stage, Lawless said he was "gutted" to narrowly finish second on the line, missing out on what could have been Ineos' maiden win since the team's sponsor change.

The 23-year-old took third in the sprint on stage two on Friday and came up short again after saying he slightly mistimed his final sprint, also playing down his chances of holding on to the overall lead on the final stage.

"I’m a bit gutted about not winning the stage, but with a new team sponsor it’s always nice to be leading the race," Lawless said. "The main focus today was keeping Doull, Froomey and Eddie in GC contention. Me taking the race lead is a bit of a bonus and second on the stage, but in my mind I was really looking for first.

"There are a couple of things that I could have done differently in the sprint. I should have maybe laid off Doull’s wheel a bit more so that I could rush the gap and carry my speed.

"We didn’t realise how much of a tail-cross (wind) it was and how quick the sprint was going to be. I thought it was going to be more of a direct crosswind. Kamp took advantage of that and pretty much timed his sprint perfectly.

"My climbing has improved this year but I think tomorrow might be a bit far of a stretch. We’ll see as I seem to be going alright."

Whilst Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) finally took a win after a long spring of near misses, another rider who was hoping to turn his Classics campaign around at Liège-Bastogne-Liège was Greg Van Avermaet (CCC), who only signed up to race La Doyenne at the last minute to try and salvage his early season.

Things didn't go to plan for the Belgian, however, who failed to replicate Fuglsang's heroic save as his back wheel slipped with 5km remaining, as he crashed in almost exactly the same spot, eventually finishing seven minutes back.

>>> Five talking points from Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2019

Explaining what happened after crossing the finish line, Van Avermaet said: "We were working hard to come back to the leading group in front of us and we were all working well together but unfortunately on the last corner Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) crashed in front of me and I couldn’t avoid it.

"There was nothing I could do and from that point on my race was done. At first, I thought it was a bigger crash but after a couple of minutes I got back on my bike to try and see how I felt, and some of the initial stiffness went away which was good."

This bad luck underlines an unfortunate early season for Van Avermaet, who has struggled to produce the kind of performance people have come to expect from the Olympic champion. His spring record shows only one top-10 finish in a Monument this spring at the Tour of Flanders with his best races being podium places at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 BinckBank Classic.

"Of course, it’s a disappointing end to my Classics season," said the 33-year-old.

"I was expecting more from this race and I was happy with how I was feeling but in the end, we didn’t get the result I think the team deserved.

"We did a good job together. The guys were great at bringing [Alessandro] De Marchi and me into position for every climb and we were able to cover almost every move, so I think we can take some positives away from that. It is just a pity about the crash."

CCC sports director, Valerio Piva, was confident that Van Avermaet was on for a top-10 finish had he not crashed.

"Greg’s group was almost catching the small group in front and I think, if the crashed hadn’t happened, there was definitely a chance for a top 10 finish or better," Piva said.

"The crash happened on the descent towards the finish, at the point where we also saw Fuglsang almost go down. We knew we needed to pay attention there but unfortunately around three or four riders went down with him on that corner.

"It is, of course, a pity and disappointing because he was looking good and the team was really present in all of the moves. I am happy with how the team rode. It is a shame that at the end of a race like this, one which had a lot of dangerous moments in the rain, that it was at the last moment that Greg crashed."

Luckily, Van Avermaet's crash has not caused him any serious injuries, with the rider set to take the start line in Doncaster on Thursday May 2 for the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire.

His team doctor, Dr Michel Cerfontaine, said: "Fortunately, after an initial examination, it looks like all of Greg’s injuries are superficial. He came down heavily on his right side and has some bruising. He also suffered abrasions on his right hip and knee as well as a cut on the right elbow. We don’t expect him to have to make any changes to his race program at this time and after a few days everything should be fully healed."

Greg Van Avermaet will race on to Liège-Bastogne-Liège next Sunday, his CCC Team have confirmed.

The Belgian was originally set to end his Classics season at Amstel Gold Race last weekend, but he says his condition is good enough that he can carry on to the final Ardennes Classic.

Van Avermaet has struggled to take a major result in the 2019 Classics, with his best result a third place finish at the E3 BinckBank Classic in March. He was unable to follow Alberto Bettiol (EF Education Drapac) in his solo move at the Tour of Flanders, eventually finishing 10th, before missing the key break at Paris-Roubaix, eventually finishing in 12th place.

After a 14th place in Amstel Gold on Sunday, the 33-year-old will now eye a chance at victory in Liège with it's new flat finish that will suit the punchier riders over the climbers.

“I was happy with my legs and condition yesterday at Amstel Gold Race so, after taking a day to think about it, I have decided to line up at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday," Van Avermaet said.

"I think I have managed to maintain my form from the cobbled Classics to the Ardennes and with the new finish in mind, I think I have a good chance to make a nice result.

"For sure, I will not be lining up as a favourite but I will line up motivated to do my best and end the Classics season well."

Van Avermaet has raced Liège just four times in his career, last taking part in 2017 when he finished in 11th place on the old uphill finish to Ans. The 256km race will this year return to a finish in the centre of Liège, with the last climb of the Roche-aux-Fauçons coming 15km from the finish before a flat run to the line.

Fellow Belgian Serge Pauwels will also line up in the CCC Team squad for Liège, along with Italian Alessandro De Marchi with the rest of the team to be decided after Wednesday's La Flèche Wallonne.

“Despite a long Classics season, Greg had good sensations yesterday and is not feeling too tired so, with an easy week this week, he should recover well and be in a good position to start Liège-Bastogne-Liège," sports director Valerio Piva said.

"The new finish will suit Greg more than the previous editions and it will probably mean the race will open up earlier than usual.

“Greg is, of course, our best option for a result but we also have riders like Alessandro De Marchi, who was good yesterday to finish in seventh place, and Serge Pauwels, who showed his condition is also improving, so I think we will line up with a few cards to play. We will make the final team selection for Liège-Bastogne-Liège after La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.”

Greg Van Avermaet says Amstel Gold Race is his “last chance” to go for Classics glory this season.

CCC Team rider Van Avermaet has been in form this spring but missed out on his chances of a win.

The Belgian will now look to Amstel Gold as his last opportunity for a big one-day victory this year.

Van Avermaet said: “Amstel Gold Race is my last chance to get a good result this spring.

“I was really disappointed after Paris-Roubaix, knowing that I had the legs for a better result so I am motivated to line up at Amstel Gold Race and turn things around.

“I have had good legs throughout the Classics and although I am missing a big result, I think I have consistently showed that my form is good.”

>>> Chris Froome to lead Team Sky in final race before name change

The 33-year-old opened his season strongly with a stage win at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, then placed second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the opening Classics weekend.

Van Avermaet took sixth in Strade Bianche, third in the E3 BinckBank Classic, 10th in the Tour of Flanders and 12th in Paris-Roubaix.

But despite this brilliant consistency, he has missed out on the victory his team need.

He added: “Amstel Gold Race is a different kind of race to the cobbled Classics of course, but out of all the Ardennes Classics it is the one that suits me the best.

“Unlike the cobbled Classics, I don’t think there is any pressure on us to control the race, so we will see how the race develops and hopefully we’ll be able to race aggressively.”

>>> Here are some of the best post-race Paris-Roubaix 2019 tweets

Van Avermaet will skip the remaining Ardennes Classics after Amstel Gold, returning to defend his Tour de Yorkshire title before focussing on the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France.

Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) missed his chance to win the Tour of Flanders again, but says it was not his job to chase down solo Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First) and lead the others to the finish line.

Bettiol won the race solo with an attack from the Oude Kwaremont. Behind, the others looked at each other, not willing to work to take strong sprinters like Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), the 2015 winner, and Michael Matthews (Sunweb) to the finish line in Oudenaarde.

"For me it was the case, if I went full, I'd bring a lot of fast guys with me who were not pulling for the whole day," the Belgian said.

>>> Alberto Bettiol takes first career victory with spectacular solo ride at Tour of Flanders 2019

"So you are always making the tempo on the climbs for the guys following so it was not my job to take them to the line and let them win Flanders. That was not the answer.

"I tried to do my best and hoped to do a good race but then yeah, I tried to do a good result but not for first."

Van Averment, 33 years old, rode his 13th Tour of Flanders. He has finished second twice so far, in 2017 and 2014, but is still missing a win to add to his 2018 Paris-Roubaix and 2016 Olympic road race title.

Once Bettiol attacked, the group of 15 still had many danger men for the sprint. He and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) tried to split the group, but it wouldn't happen.

"I was quite good and happy with my form, I think you saw on the climbs, I was with the best in the race," he continued.

"I did my best as much as possible, but we didn't have enough gaps especially on the last climb on the Paterberg, I was hoping to go with a strong group of riders to close the gaps, but when you come on the top with 15 with some fast riders it's hard to work together to catch Bettiol back."

The race began to take shape early after the famous Kapelmuur. Danny Van Poppel (Jumbo-Visma) attacked, Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Bob Jungels (Deceuninck-Quick Step) came to the fore and Van Avermaet too.

"It broke up fast after the Muur, I thought that was a good thing for me because I was was in the first group, but then I spent some energy and it was for nothing because the group came back," he said.

"And then [the race began] on the Kwaremont the second time, like always, but it was really hard to make a big gap on the others. A lot of riders are on the same level and it was hard to make a good race against the others."

Trying to put his finger on any mistakes, Van Avermaet pointed 100 kilometres down the road.

"Maybe I could've saved a bit more after the Muur having known how it ended up but in the end, I did the final how I wanted to do it."

Van Avermaet was not too surprised with Bettiol's win, having had a chance to know him well riding last year with him in Team BMC Racing.

"I think the performance of Bettiol was the biggest one, no one expected him for the win," Van Avermaet continued. "He was my team-mate last year. I saw he had some attention, but he was never had a super level in BMC. No one was expecting this."

In his 12 participations in the Tour of Flanders Greg Van Avermaet has finished as runner-up twice, but he says he is not bothered if he ends his career without a win in what he considers the "most important race of the year."

The 33-year-old Belgian leads the CCC Team on Sunday in Bruges and is marked as one of the favourites along with the strong Deceuninck-Quick-Step squad. The cobbled Monument ends after 270.1 kilometres and many bergs in Oudenaarde.

"If I never win? It will not change my life, but it's a goal as an athlete. First you want to turn pro, you want to reach some goals and then others," he said.

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"I was eighth right away, I thought I'd for sure win soon. I have been close but it didn't happen yet. You have to have to have goals in life and it's my big goal. It fits me the best. I think I still have a few years, but I'd rather win on Sunday than the year after."

Van Avermaet is the reigning Olympic Champion from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games road race and also won the 2017 Paris-Roubaix, his only Monument victory so far. For him, though, Flanders remains the top prize, having dreamt of it since he was a kid growing up in Lokeren, East Flanders.

Van Avermaet ranks himself just below Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Bob Jungels and Zdeněk Štybar, and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) – who he described as the three favourites to win in Oudenaarde.

"For sure I'll be nervous. It's for me the most important race of the year, if you don't get nervous about these things thing you better give up," he added.

"It keeps me going in the winter, it's an honour to start as a favourite. I wanted to be one of them when I was a kid, now I am. For sure, you have to be nervous, it's a healthy thing."

He came out of the gates strong in 2019 by winning a stage in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and has been near the front challenging since, placing second in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and pushing the eventual winning group clear in the E3 BinckBank Classic. They joined a solo Jungels, but Van Avermaet placed third in Harelbeke.

"I'm happy about my form and the races I did, I'm in a good shape to do a good result on Sunday," he said.

"I'm always riding my own races, I like my way of riding, my character is to attack and make the race. I'm not a guy who always follows and waits. If I'm comfortable, I make my own moves," he explained.

"E3 and Omloop give me confidence that that I can make that decisive move, they are the closest races in comparison to Flanders."

Van Avermaet races the next three Sundays with Flanders followed by Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race.

"The two to three races coming now are the most important. I wasn't able to win yet," he said. "It's winning that counts. For me this is the biggest goal of the year, and there's a lot of weight on it."

Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) says he would like to have better support in the cobbled Classics after a hard fought day in Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

The 2017 winner placed 20th on Sunday after riding the final 50 kilometres alone without fellow team-mates in orange at his side; a problem he also faced in Milan-San Remo two weeks ago.

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"I hope the team is a little better," he told Het Nieuwsblad with an eye on Sunday's Tour of Flanders.

"But that is another game. Flanders is more like the E3 Harelbeke. That suits me better. In that race, you have to do it on your own there anyway. "

When the hammer fell early in the race on Sunday, CCC looked after is rider in the echelons. When it began to climb the Kemmelberg, the 2016 Olympic champion lacked help from team-mates.

In the group of 34 speeding towards Wevelgem, where Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) won, even Mathieu Van Der Poel counted on a lead out from his professional continental team Corendon-Circus. WorldTour teams Jumbo-Visma, Trek-Segafredo and Deceuninck-Quick-Step counted three or more, teams UAE and Lotto-Soudal had two.

"It was at a very strange moment," Van Avermaet continued. "The wind at our backs. I thought 'they can't move free here'. But then a gap opened and it had happened anyway. Stupid. I'd rather have had a team-mate with me. Then I would have been at ease."

Van Avermaet was not going to sprint for the win, but with a team-mate, he could have been to play a game as Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) or Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) did by attacking in the final kilometres.

The team management admits its a young and developing team alongside Van Avermaet, who won the 2017 Paris-Roubaix. Pawel Bernas and Szymon Sajnok rode the race for the first time.

"Everyone did his best. But in that large group, I would have liked to have had someone along with me. That would make it so much easier for me," Van Avermaet added.

"I have experience, yes, but you are always racing ahead in the wind. That takes strength. But I can't change anything about it either."

Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) is forced to refocus ahead of the E3 BinckBank Classic and Ghent-Wevelgem after "riding himself to death" in a frustrating series of races cumulating in with Milan-San Remo.

Van Avermaet lost position ahead of the climb to the Poggio on Saturday and missed what he saw as a chance to win.

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"I rode myself to death, doing 480 watts with nine sprints of 800 watts to reach the others," he told Het Laatste Nieuws.

"You must take your own responsibility. I don't blame my team for anything, I blame myself. I could have hit my head through the wall. I was so mad at myself. I am disappointed in myself. Maybe I should comfort myself with the thought that I had no guarantee that I was going to win that sprint."

Van Avermaet rode to 42nd in San Remo behind winner Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step). It was the second time, after 2017, that he left the Italian Monument upset about missing his chance.

"And for the second time I was not there. I was too far on the Poggio. Frustrating, especially when you see how many people rode to the finish line. I had to be there," he said.

"I felt pretty good. At a kilometre and a half from the foot of the Poggio, I was still in the front of Michael Schär's wheel, but I lost him in the turns and pushing. I tried to find my own way, but everywhere I went I got blocked."

He needed to be "more attentive, more aggressive" leading to Milan-San Remo's final climb.

"It's not like in the Tour of Flanders, for sure. The run-up [to the Poggio] is too easy, so to speak, we are still together with 200 riders. You can't let your legs speak for themselves. That makes it a little harder, and I don't like it," he continued.

"There have been years when I was the first on the Poggio. But there are no excuses. Simple, it's my fault."

The frustration comes after finishing second in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and a stage in Tirreno-Adriatico.

Van Averment, winner of the 2017 Paris-Roubaix and the 2016 Olympic road race, returned home to Belgium to face a series of cobbled races starting with the E3 BinckBank Classic on Friday and Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday. Next weekend, he leads the Tour of Flanders team.

"It's always exciting to get to this point in the season, the final races before Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix," he said in a press release.

"I feel good and am confident in the shape I have after Italy. It was frustrating to have a few near misses so I'm going to channel that frustration into these classics and hope to be back on the podium."

Though the northern, cobbled Classics remain his focus, Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet has not ruled out a tilt at winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège this April. 

The route of the final spring Monument has been changed for 2019, the new flatter finish in central Liège favouring the Belgian and he is clearly tempted to add a second Monument to his palmarès.

“Yes, for sure,” he responded when asked if he was considering Liège at the pre-Tour of Oman press conference on Friday. “It will be decided in the week before. Amstel [Gold Race] is always a big target for me, and there has to be some energy left in the tank.

“Two years ago I did Liège and I was 12th in a super-hard race, now they’ve changed the finish a little bit in my favour, but I still need to have some freshness.

“I know the region really well, I have a house there and for me it’s always a really nice race, but with my qualities as a rider I am better off going to Flanders.

“I don’t have the palmarès to say I'm only going to focus on Liège, so first we see how it goes in the Flemish Classics.”

Van Avermaet, who now rides for the newly formed CCC, will be looking to confirm his form at the six stage Tour of Oman starting on Saturday. Last year’s edition saw him take one stage victory and a second place, though 2019 has already brought success.

Last week the 33-year-old won stage three of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, a result which not only gave confidence in his winter training, but helped the team build ahead of the most important period of the season.

The CCC squad is largely a re-branding of the BMC team Van Avermaet rode for and which folded at the end of last season, however only two of his six team-mates in the Middle East this week were with him in 2018.

“A stage win here is always super nice, and it’s always good to get to know the new team-mates better. We did a good job already in Valencia and you need to have the confidence of the team and see what the guys can do, how they are reacting and where their form is.”

While a result in Oman would not go amiss, the Belgian’s eye remains on a Classics prize. 

After having been tarred with the image of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, 2017 brought Van Avermaet unparalleled success. 

He began that year’s northern races without a victory, but his spring streak saw him bag wins throughout the cobbled Classics, starting with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, finishing at Paris-Roubaix, with Ghent-Wevelgem and E3 Harelbeke in between. In 2019 it is once again this time which remains his priority. 

“I am not targeting one race, just the period again. From Nieuwsblad to Amstel are my main goals and one of them would be great. 

“Those races all stand on their own and if you can win a race like this your Classics season is always good. I am always really good with top-10s, I would like to win one of  them, that is the main goal.

“In 2017, the best year of my career, I managed to do well, so I think I have it in me to do well and do a lot of races, of course I would love to peak close to Flanders and Roubaix than in Nieuwsblad, but I am not a guy who picks out one race.

“Nieuwsblad is not long to go but Liège is six weeks afterwards, so it’s a big period.”

While we will have to wait to see whether has the endurance to race in Liège, in Oman Van Avermaet has already identified stages two and three as ones he could realistically win, though Tuesday’s fourth stage, with its short steep finish may also suit.

Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet held off sprinters and overall contenders to take his first victory of 2019 on stage three of the Volta a Valenciana

The Belgian hit the front in the final 100 meters and out-sprinted stage two winner Matteo Trentin at the climax of a course perfectly suited to the Classics specialists.

Race leader Edvald Boasson Hagen held on over the long, undulating day and keeps his yellow jersey.

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Stage three, the longest of the 2019 edition, was an Ardenne-style day of relentless climbing over 194.3km from Quart de Poblet to Chera.

With the top ten on general classification all within 20 seconds of Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), it was all to play for as the overall contenders looked for a shake-up.

Racing opened with breakaway of 10 mostly Pro Continental riders going clear of the bunch.

The break consisted of Julien Duval (Ag2r La Mondiale), Diego Lopez Fuentes (Equipo Euskadi), Diego Rubio Hernandez (Burgos-BH), Mauricio Moreira (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Raul Alarcon (W52-FC Porto), Vladislav Kulikov (Gazprom-Rusvelo), Cyril Barthe, Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Euskadi Basque Country), and Preben Van Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise).

After they drew out a maximum seven minute advantage, the peloton slowly started to wind them in over the closing 100km.

The peloton pulled them well within range with 30km to go, and the break started to collapse on the closing climbs of the day.

With CCC Team setting the pace for their leader Van Avermaet, the break were caught with 8km left to ride.

Movistar worked to keep the tempo high for World Champion Alejandro Valverde, but that didn’t deter a lone attack from Israel Cycling Academy’s Ben Hermans with 5km left to ride.

CCC once again took on the chase over the undulating roads, as Boasson Hagen followed brilliantly on the final ramps, keeping himself in a strong position to hold onto his yellow jersey.

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Hermans was caught by a trio of chasers and the peloton quickly came back together

In the final kilometre, Mitchelton-Scott’s Jack Haig took to the front for team-mate Matteo Trentin, with Valverde, Boasson Hagen, Van Avermaet and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) close behind.

Luis León Sánchez took to the front in the final turns but was quickly passed by Van Avermaet and Trentin 100metres from the line.

Trentin looked desperate to pass the 2017 Paris-Roubaix winner but just didn’t have the legs as Van Avermaet held on to take the glory.

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2019, stage three: Quart de Poblet to Chera (194.3km)

1. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) CCC Team 05-00-16

2. Matteo Trentin (ITA) Mitchelton-Scott

3. Luis León Sanchez (ESP) Astana Pro Team

4. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team

5. Mike Teunissen (NED) Jumbo-Visma

6. Sergio Higuita (COL) Fundacion Euskadi

7. Ben Swift (GBR) Team Sky

8. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) Bahrain-Merida

9. Ion Izaguirre (ESP) Astana Pro Team

10. Marco Canola (ITA) Nippo-Vini Fantini

General classification after stage three

1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data, in 9-23-23

2. Ion Izagirre Insausti (Esp) Astana Pro Team, at 5s

3. Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain-Merida, at 8s

4. Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team, at 11s

5. Pello Bilbao Lopez de Armentia (Esp) Astana Pro Team, at 12s

6. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team, at 14s

7. Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates, at 19s

8. Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Sky, at 20s

9. Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott, at 23 s

10. Jesús Herrada (Esp) Cofidis, at 24s

The leader of the UCI’s new one-day ranking Greg Van Avermaet has revealed he didn’t know the new classification existed.

Classics specialist Van Avermaet tops the season-long competition by one point ahead of Michael Matthews (Sunweb).

The competition has been introduced by the UCI in an attempt to develop a narrative around one-day races.

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But in an interview with Belgian newspaper Het Laastste Nieuws, CCC Team’s Van Avermaet revealed he had no idea the new ranking existed.

When told he was leading the classification, the 34-year-old said: “What exactly are you talking about?

“I do not know the ranking. Is something attached to it?”

The new ranking, introduced at the start of the 2019 season, is a 52-week rolling leaderboard that will be drawn up once a week.

Riders score points based on their performances in one-day races from the last year.

The system is similar to the UCI World Ranking, which is currently lead by Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde.

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Van Avermaet added: “If I did not know, many people will not know it.

“That is the problem of all these classifications.

“Quite complicated, isn’t it? Maybe it can work but they have to make it clearer first.”

The Belgian suggested introducing a specific jersey for the leader of the classifications, to help fans identify the strongest rider.

He drew comparisons with cyclocross, where the leader of the World Cup series is given a jersey.

Van Avermaet leads the classification despite not having won a one-day race in 2018.

But podium finishes in the Montréal and Québec Grand Prix races, as well as strong performances in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix put him at the top of the leaderboard on 1,915 points.

Australian Matthews is just behind on 1,914, followed by Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Oliver Naesen (Ag2r La Mondiale).

Winner of the 2018 Paris-Roubaix, Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) currently sits fifth.

Greg Van Avermaet will chase Tour of Flanders and Yorkshire World Championships success as the sole leader of the new CCC Team in 2019.

The Belgian Classics maestro has stepped up to the top spot in the new Polish WorldTour team after the departure of the general classification hopefuls from the former BMC team.

But Van Avermaet seems comfortable, and confident, as he carries the team’s hopes into the new season.

Speaking at the first CCC training camp in Dénia, eastern Spain last week, the 33-year-old said: “With BMC we had three leaders, with Richie and Rohan in different places.

“Now I’ve got to be the only leader in the team for Classics, so if the Classics go wrong then we’re going to have a problem with the team. Before, Richie or Rohan could have still got results and performed.

“I know what I’m capable of. Most of the races I’m there in the top-10 but it would be nice to win in this team, to take the pressure off and to launch the team for the next year.”

After posing for a dozen team photos (where he sat front and centre), Van Avermaet spoke with journalists during a roundtable event in the team hotel in Dènia.

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He said he decided to stay with CCC, which is formed from the DNA of the BMC Racing Team, out of loyalty after eight years racing for the outfit.

A lot has changed during the transition, most notably the departure of star riders like Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis, who left before the new sponsor was confirmed.

Van Avermaet is not the man to lead CCC to Grand Tour success, but his exploits still generate plenty of excitement for cycling disciples.

In 2018, he won the overall at the Tour de Yorkshire and held the yellow jersey at the Tour de France for more than a week.

But he fell short in the early season where he traditionally shines, his strongest Classics results third in E3 Harelbeke and fourth in Paris-Roubaix, which he won in 2017.

One race that has always eluded the amiable Flandrien, the Tour of Flanders, is high on his priority list for next season.

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“It’s Flanders,” he said.

“I say it every year and it never comes. I think this is the race that fits me the best and I’m always saying Flanders, which is expected I think.

“I haven’t won it yet. I’ve been on the podium so many times and I’m super motivated.

“In Classics we have a really strong team. I don’t see any big difference compared to last year. I think we have seven or eight really good guys on paper. I think our strength is going to be almost equal to last year.”

Van Avermaet will need to hit the ground running and make the most of his premiership role in 2019, as CCC are already on the hunt for a new leader in Grand Tours.

Team bosses have been clear they desire a Polish leader to captain the Polish team, with Michał Kwiatowski and Rafał Majka both receiving honourable mentions from sports directors.

And in the later season, Van Avermaet is looking ahead to the Yorkshire 2019 World Championships, bolstered by his success in the Tour de Yorkshire.

He said: “It’s a good course for me. I like the distance, it’s super long. It’s going to be a hard race. It’s good for me.

“The problem is by the Worlds I’ve had a really long season and sometimes I need some extra freshness in the legs to win at the Worlds.

“I’m going to try to do the combination again, do the Classics and Tour, which is really important, and then try to build up again to the Worlds.

“Yorkshire is a race I love. I’ve been three times and it’s a parcours that suits me. Every time I go there I get good results, so lets hope I can show it in the one-day race.

“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere already.”

"Alejandro Valverde deserves this title," Olympic road race champion Greg Van Avermaet has said after the World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, despite the Spaniard's doping ban, 10 years ago.

The Spaniard, 38, won the world rainbow jersey on Sunday. He emerged over the last climb in a four-man attack group, and won the sprint ahead of Frenchman Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale).

With Valverde donning the rainbow jersey, critics immediately commented on the darker Operación Puerto days - which resulted in a two year doping ban for the Spaniard.

"I don't think you should give a lot of weight to his past," Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) told Het Nieuwsblad.

"He is so consistent in his performances. I don't think he is still doing that sort of stuff."

Valverde served his ban after he was found to be part of a blood doping ring. The backdated suspension covered the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and saw his results including the 2010 Tour de Romandie stripped.

He returned in 2012, just as he'd been before the ban: a smart, tactical and quick cyclist.

"Valverde deserves this title. He had been on the podium so often in the worlds. I am very satisfied with him, he is the best rider of his generation. He had to wait a long time and this was his last chance and he grabbed it," 2016 Olympic road race champion Van Avermant said.

"This is pure talent, and he is there from February to now. That is a sign of pure talent, a real classic rider. He is a deserved winner."

The UCI governing body called it an "incredible finish for Alejandro Valverde."

The UCI's attitude has changed since 2007, when it tried to block Valverde from racing the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

Valverde was one of several riders caught up in Spain's Operación Puerto scandal that erupted in 2006, when police found around 200 stored blood bags. The Spanish federation backed him and he raced in Stuttgart, placing second. The result now counts as one of Valverde's two silver medals and sits alongside four bronze medals.

Italy pursued the case - the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) used DNA evidence it collected from Valverde when the Tour de France passed Italy in 2008. It matched it to some of the coded blood bags seized by Spanish police in May 2006.

The result led to an Italy-wide ban and then, after a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling, a global two-year ban from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2011. Team Movistar, then known as Caisse d'Epargne, continued to back Valverde by lending him a bike and kit to use during his suspension. It tried to present him with its 2012 team over a month before his ban ended, which the UCI blocked.

When he returned, Valverde said, "There will be some that are happy and some that are not."

Others involved in Operación Puerto like Jan Ullrich never raced again. Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi, Jörg Jaksche, Tyler Hamilton, Mario Cipollini were also linked in the case.

Dumoulin, who commented on Chris Froome's asthma case over the last year, was "in no mood" to reflect on Valverde's past. Instead, he recognised a "sharp" cyclist.

"I tried to surprise the other three with a tactical attack, but Valverde was so sharp and so good that he knew it right away. It's a pity, to finish just off the podium," Dumoulin told NU Sport after placing fourth place.

"I always find it difficult to comment on that [Valverde's past]. And I'm in no mood for sour headlines after a very beautiful worlds."

The merged BMC/CCC team have confirmed their name for the 2019 season.

From January 1 the holding company for BMC Racing, Continuum Sports, will be racing under the name CCC Team.

BMC Racing began searching for a new title sponsor after the death of team owner and financial backer Andy Rihs earlier this year.

In July, the team announced that professional continental team CCC Sprandi Polkowice would step in and secure the future of the team.

The new Polish WorldTour team will be a combination of senior management and sports directors from BMC and CCC.

General manager Jim Ochowicz said: “After announcing CCC as the new title sponsor of Continuum Sports in July, we are pleased to confirm that the team will be known as CCC Team from 2019 and become the first Polish UCI WorldTour team.”

The existing professional continental team CCC Sprandi Polkowice will continue as a development team, but will drop down into the third division.

Polish shoe and bag manufacturer CCC will expand their sponsorship to include a women’s team and become the title sponsor of WaowDeals Pro Cycling.

The team will be led by Classics specialist Greg Van Avermaet, alongside BMC riders Joey Rosskopf, Patrick Bevin and Alessandro de Marchi.

Other names confirmed for the new team include Team Sky’s Łukasz Wiśniowski and Simon Geschke from Team Sunweb.

CCC Team’s management will consist of Ochowicz and chief operating officer Gavin Chilcott, who will be joined by CCC Sprandi president Robert Krajewski.

Sports directors Piotr Wadecki and Gabriele Missaglia will join CCC Team from the professional continental outfit, joining Fabio Baldato, Valerio Piva and Jackson Stewart.

Marco Pinotti will remain as head of performance.

Ochowicz said: “Planning for the 2019 season is well underway so there is no better time to confirm our sports director team.

“The rider roster and race program are taking great shape so we are approaching the coming season with a great sense of excitement and motivation to hit the ground running in January.

“All five of our sports directors have many years of experience in cycling and have been instrumental in some of the team’s biggest wins.”

The general manager added: “As planning continues, we will have further announcements to make with new technical sponsors joining us from 2019 and more riders to add to the already confirmed list of 20 riders.”

Belgian Classics star Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) will fight until the last to hold on to the yellow jersey in the Tour de France in order to honour the jersey.

Van Avermaet rode the cobbles to Roubaix with ease in stage nine, but many thought that he would lose the lead in the first Alpine stage on Tuesday. However he fought to maintain it by going in the break and ended up adding nearly two minutes to his overall lead.

"The yellow jersey is as big as a stage win in the Tour de France," Van Avermaet said. "I am really enjoying it.

"It's a real honour to ride with this everyday, and that's why I tried to defend it as much as possible. And that's why I try to show it and be at the front. That's why I attacked in Roubaix, and I have been at the front today.

"I have already spent 11 days in yellow, and not many Belgian guys have had this jersey."

>>> Julian Alaphilippe takes superb Tour de France stage 10 win as Greg Van Avermaet extends lead on first mountain stage

Van Avermaet gave Belgium a gold medal in the road race at the 2016 Olympics. He has also developed to the top level in the Classics, last year going on a winning streak that saw him take E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix.

He had the leader's yellow jersey for three days in 2016, but now he has had it since stage three when his team won the time trial. The ride is for him but for also the team who lost overall leader Richie Porte due to a crash and fractured collarbone on stage nine.

Van Avermaet put in a huge effort to keep the lead over four major climbs on Tuesday after after making into a large breakaway early in the stage.

The group was whittled down byt stayed free over the big Alpine passes including the Col de la Croix Fry and the Col de la Colombière. Van Avermaet lost contact with Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors), who went on to win the stage, but gained 1-39 on Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) and now leads by 2-22.

"Today I went at the right moment that cost a lot of energy. Getting in the break gave me some minutes and that was key to me being able to keep the yellow jersey," Van Avermaet said.

>>> Five talking points from stage 10 of the Tour de France

"Today was a good day, but tomorrow will be a super hard day. In the past, I know I can have a good day the day after a rest day. I also know that I can also pay it back when I go over my limit.

"Tomorrow is probably a little too much. I am happy that I could defend it today but I am giving myself almost zero chance tomorrow to keep the jersey."

Wednesday's stage 11 is shorter than stage 10 at just 108.5km, but features four major climbs, starting with the Montée de Bisanne, Col du Pré, and Cormet de Roselend, before a summit finish to La Rosière.

BMC Racing put in a storming performance to take victory in the Tour de France 2018 team time trial on stage three, with Greg Van Avermaet moving into the overall lead.

Van Avermaet sat at just 16 seconds down on race leader Peter Sagan at the start of the stage, with the world champion's team only able to come home with a deficit of 50 seconds to BMC and Sagan himself dropped in the latter part of the course. Van Avermaet finished ahead of his team-mate Tejay van Garderen to move into yellow with the pair on the same time at the start.

The American team clocked a fastest time of 38-46 over the 35.5km course around Cholet, four seconds faster than Team Sky who had sat in the lead briefly before being beaten.

The only team to look like threatening BMC in the hot seat were Quick-Step Floors, who went through the second intermediate split at just six seconds down, but were unable to make up the ground and eventually finished third at seven seconds.

Richie Porte and Sky's Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas will all finish the day satisfied with their gains in GC. Thomas is the best placed rider sitting in third place at three seconds behind Van Avermaet and van Garderen respectively. Porte sits at 51 seconds, while Froome is back at 55 seconds overall.

Mitchelton-Scott, who had gone off first on the stage, will be satisfied with keeping their leader Adam Yates in touching distance of the likes of Porte, Froome and Thomas, having finished fourth at just nine seconds on the winners and five on Sky.

Former world champions at the discipline Team Sunweb also managed to keep their leader Tom Dumoulin in contention, finishing in fourth place at 10 seconds and leaving the Dutchman 11 seconds behind Van Avermaet on GC.

Movistar may end the day thankful that Alejandro Valverde and Mikel Landa took early gains on some of their rivals in the first two stages, with the Spanish team finishing 53 seconds back and dropping to 53 seconds behind on GC as well. They remain amongst a clustered group of GC contenders however, just ahead of Froome.

Nairo Quintana has a huge amount of ground to make up now though, sitting 2-08 down on the overall lead and 2-05 down the best placed of the GC hopefuls in Welshman Thomas.

Likewise Ag2r La Mondiale's Romain Bardet will be thankful he made the front group on stage one, as his time buffer on some of the favourites was obliterated after the French team came across the line at 1-15 down on BMC.

Dan Martin expectedly finished the day with a big chunk of time to make up after his UAE Team Emirates squad came in 1-38 down. With a time trial coming at the end of the race, the Irishman will need to make significant gains in the mountains if he stands any chance of taking victory.

Of the other contenders, Vincenzo Nibali and Bahrain-Merida finished at 1-06 down after looking like they would mitigate any losses in the early stages, while EF-Education put in a fine ride for Rigoberto Uran at 35 seconds, with the Colombian now in the top-10 overall.

The Tour de France continues on Tuesday with stage four, a flat 195km route from La Baule to Sarzeau.

Results

Tour de France 2018, stage three: Cholet - Cholet (35.5km, TTT)

1 BMC Racing Team, at 38-46

2 Team Sky, at 4s

3 Quick-Step Floors, at 7s

4 Mitchelton-Scott, at 9s

5 Team Sunweb, at 11s

6 EF Education First-Drapac, at 35s

7 Bora-Hansgrohe, at 50s

8 Astana Pro Team, at at 51s

9 Katusha-Alpecin, at 52s

10 Movistar Team, at 53s

11 Bahrain-Merida, at 1-06

12 AG2R La Mondiale, 1-15

13 Team LottoNl-Jumbo, at same time

14 Trek-Segafredo, at 1-16

15 UAE Team Emirates, at 1-38

16 Groupama-FDJ, at 1-42

17 Fortuneo-Samsic, at 1-46

18 Direct Energie, at 1-51

19 Lotto Soudal, at same time

20 Dimension Data, at 1-52

21 Wanty-Groupe Gobert, at 2-24

22 Cofidis, Solutions Credits, at 3-23

General classification after stage three

1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team, in 9-08-55

2 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team, at same time

3 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky, at 3s

4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors, at 5s

5 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors, at 7s

6 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors, st

7 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb, at 11s

8 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb

9 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb, all same time

10 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-First Drapac, at 34s

Others

13 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team, at 51s

14 Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing, at same time

15 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin, at 52s

16 Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar, at 53s

17 Mikel Landa (Esp) Movistar, st

18 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, at 55s

-

20 Adam Yates (Gbr) Mitchelton-Scott, at 1-00

-

22 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, at 1-06

-

25 Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale, at 1-15

-

39 Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates, at 1-38

-

59 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, at 2-08

Australian Richie Porte is competing in the 2018 Tour de France at the moment aiming to give BMC Racing a parting gift, and potentially earn a huge salary boost with new team Trek-Segafredo.

An inside source close to the deal confirmed it to Cycling Weekly, "It's done. Richie is riding with Trek in 2019."

Porte could earn around €1.5 million to perhaps €2.5 million if he wins the Tour de France. Trek-Segafredo has a clause in its deal that will allow Porte to earn more if he wins the French Grand Tour this July.

He earned an estimated €2.2 million with BMC Racing.

The deal will be announced after the official date, August 1, given by the UCI governing body for signing new riders. The team would not confirm the move or the Australian's salary when asked by Cycling Weekly on the ground at the Tour.

Porte spent four years helping Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in Team Sky and joined BMC Racing in 2017. Both last year and this year, insiders named him as a top favourite to win the Tour de France. Last year, he crashed on stage nine and fractured collarbone and pelvis. This year, he is ready again with a victory in the Tour de Suisse before arriving in Vendée.

Trek-Segafredo's current Tour leader Bauke Mollema has a contact that ends, but he will stay with the team. "He didn't have a problem helping [Alberto] Contador in the years before and he works well with other leaders," said a source. "He will stay and race alongside Richie, or different races when they have chances."

Porte's team-mate and fellow Australian Rohan Dennis will not join the team as well from BMC Racing. Dennis, winner of a stage and pink jersey wearer in the Giro d'Italia in May, will switch to Bahrain-Merida.

The Porte move is almost the last of the big classification rider transfers on tap for the 2018/2019 season. The Yates twins Adam and Simon are said to have renewed with Mitchelton-Scott already, but are waiting to announce the deal.

Geraint Thomas is staying with Sky, explained a couple of sources close to Sky and the Welshman. The British super team are already giving him greater responsibilities in this 2018 Tour de France, especially after Froome lost 51 seconds on the first day.

Thomas was hoping to have a deal announced already, but the lawyers are combing over the fine print that could see his salary bumped to around €2.5 million.

Greg Van Avermaet, the Belgian Olympic champion and Paris-Roubaix winner, remains the big move to be sorted. He like others is searching for options with the team now known as BMC Racing facing an uncertain future. The BMC bike manufacturer is leaving the team, but general manager Jim Ochowicz keeps searching for a new backer while his riders search for other options.

Van Avermaet apparently had an option with former Astana manager Marc Biver. Biver's brother Jean-Claude is the CEO of TAG Heuer, the sponsor still confirmed with Ochowicz for 2019 along with the WorldTour licence.

Biver, however, put off the project until 2020 with backers not ready to get the deal rolling in 2019. It closed a possible door for Belgian Van Avermaet and now it appears more likely that he could follow BMC bikes to Dimension Data and form the Classics arm with Mark Cavendish, if he stays, leading the sprint arm.

"You can't say we can't find a sponsor for next year, we are not there yet," Ochowicz said. "We just haven't done it up to this point, today's date."

He is hoping to make the most out of the Tour. "Of course, it's global publicity. It's a global stage and that's' whey people want to sponsor."

Richie Porte, Greg Van Avermaet and Wout Van Aert are close to securing deals for 2019, which could see them leaving their current 2018 teams.

Riders are confirming their contracts for 2019 now even if the official date for signing and announcing new deals starts on August 1.

>>> Tour de France 2018 start list

"BMC Racing, I heard they have about 60 per cent of the budget needed to continue the team under a different name," said one source.

"The problem is, riders like Porte, Van Avermaet, and [Rohan] Dennis are getting nervous, wondering if Jim Ochowicz will come through with the money and in the meantime, if the other teams making them offers will wait. It's a nervous time."

General manager Jim Ochowicz gave his riders a deadline last week for him to get the funding in place to continue the team, but the riders reportedly have yet to hear a confirmation.

BMC is pulling out after a long 12-year run. Ochowicz knew already, working hard to confirm sponsorship over the last year to keep one of cycling's biggest teams rolling into 2019.

It may be too late. He could be losing his star riders; the bait to attack the big catch.

BMC's contribution was big, with a rumoured payout of around €25 million for the 2018 season. Ochowicz needs plenty to continue with Van Avermaet, 2017 Paris-Roubaix victor, and recent Tour de Suisse winner Porte.

"Porte is definitely close to Trek," said another source, commenting on a piece that appeared on Cyclingnews. Porte reportedly already signed a three-year deal with Trek-Segafredo.

Tejay van Garderen, fifth twice in the Tour de France, could be heading home to EF Education First-Drapac. After suffering in recent years, it is unsure if he would race for the classification in Grand Tours or help riders like Michael Woods. In the 2018 Tour, the American will throw his support behind Porte.

Van Avermaet may be too rich for many people's taste. The talented Belgian, winner of the 2016 Olympic road race, will pull in €2 to 3 million euro, but needs support men and staff – an operation that many teams cannot afford.

BMC Bicycles is already rumoured to be supplying Dimension Data in 2019, with current supplier Cervélo going to Team Sunweb with Tom Dumoulin.

Now, Van Avermaet may also be going along to the South African WorldTour team. It would depend on the budget the team has, if it can afford riders like Mark Cavendish and new hires like the Belgian star.

Bahrain-Merida had been trying to sign Van Avermaet, but may instead bring in emerging Belgian talent Wout Van Aert.

The Veranda's Willems-Crelan rider, a three-time cyclocross world champion, soared through his first go at the Classics in 2018. The 23-year-old placed third in Strade Bianche, ninth in the Tour of Flanders and 13th in Paris-Roubaix.

"Van Aert we've always liked, we've been speaking with him and his agent since the Classics this year, but he has a contract through 2019 so it's complicated," Bahrain-Merida general manager Brent Copeland told Cycling Weekly.

"Even if he wants to concentrate on cyclocross, we feel that he wants to move over to the WorldTour. Honestly, I think it's going to be more 2020 than 2019, it'll be difficult for him to leave the contract he's in at the movement. I'm not saying it's impossible for 2019, though."

"I want to make the decision soon," Van Aert told VTM. "I want a strong team, even if I stay where I am. It's really an important decision I'm going to make."

Rohan Dennis, stage winner and wearer of the pink jersey in the 2018 Giro d'Italia, could also leave BMC Racing to join Bahrain-Merida. Copeland would not confirm the move, but it is said to be done.

The Yates twins, Adam and Simon, will stay with Mitchelton-Scott. UAE Team Emirates, with Dan Martin and Fabio Aru, made a "big offer" according to one source, but Englishmen will remain with Australian team they first joined from the amateurs.

BMC Racing and the Belgian national federation have clashed after the American team took the decision not to release any of its riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, for the road race at European Championships in August.

The event, which was started in 2016 and will take place in Glasgow on August 12, has been won by Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff in the past two years, but will not feature any BMC Racing riders in 2018.

According to the team, the decision is based on the timing of the race, which comes two days after the end of the Tour de Pologne, during the Tour of Utah, and only one day before the start of the BinckBank Tour.

"This race is at a very bad time in our calendar," sports director Allan Peiper told Belgian website DH.be. "The BinckBank Tour starts the next day, but there's also the Tour of Poland just before, the Tour of Utah and the EuroEyes Classic. We need to have 24 riders available at that time."

>>> Cervélo to sponsor Team Sunweb in 2019 with Giant joining BMC Racing, say sources

Peiper also said that the team had suffered in the past as a result of riders crashing while riding for their countries, such as when Richie Porte crashed and broke his right scapula at the 2016 Olympic Games that put him out of action for the rest of that season and also disrupted his preparation for the following year.

Reacting to BMC Racing's decision, Belgian national selector Kevin de Weert said that he was disappointed that he was going to have to make do without some of his strongest riders on what is a hilly circuit in Glasgow that would have been well-suited to Van Avermaet.

"Their decision is all the more unfortunate that the route is perfect for Greg and that he was motivated by this event," De Weert said. "Now I will have to do it without the other Belgians from BMC, so I'll make my selection based on that."

De Weert's new team is likely to be based around two or three leaders, with Philippe Gilbert among the contenders for victory.

French rider Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis) won an enthralling, exciting final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire on Sunday. After attacking fellow escapee Max Steadman (Canyon-Eisberg) on the approach to third of the day's six climbs, the 31 year-old rode solo for the final 115km to bag a magnificent victory.

Behind, BMC rode a tactical masterpiece, placing Greg Van Avermaet second at the end of the 189.5km stage allowing him to take overall victory in the four day race. Eduard Prades (Euskadi-Murias) took an impressive second place on general classification, while last year's victor Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) placed third.

British JLT-Condor rider Ian Bibby was pipped to the line by Van Avermaet and finished third on the day.

In what was a fabulously complex race all was up for grabs, with Rossetto cresting the final four classified climbs of the day in first place, thus securing the King of the Mountains jersey to add to his stage win.

How it happened

After an frantic opening few kilometres, a large break went up the road early in the stage between Halifax and Leeds. The 15 riders contained some who could challenge for the overall win, and behind them the Astana team of race leader Magnus Cort Nielsen split under pressure of the high pace, putting the Dane's overall lead in peril.

Meanwhile, between the opening two classified climbs, Stedman and eventual winner Rossetto (Cofidis) escaped the leading group and, with just 40km behind them, led the peloton by more than four minutes.

Taking maximum points on the second and third of the day's six classified climbs, it appeared Stedman was attempting to claim the King of the Mountains jersey Mike Cuming (Madison-Genesis) had worn since stage one. However, as the pair tackled an unclassified ramp just before the day's most challenging climb, Park Rash, the Briton was dropped by his French companion.

At an average gradient of 10.5 per cent Park Rash caused a rearranging of the chase group, with Stedman settling in, taking the place of others who were dropped.

>>> Tour de Yorkshire 2018: Latest news, reports and race info

In that group BMC's Brent Bookwalter and Belgian Steff Cras (Katusha-Alpecin) began the day just 27 seconds behind Cort Nielsen, and were consequently the major threat to the general classification.

As the race settled, Bookwalter and Cras were joined in that chase group by Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Connor Swift (Madison-Genesis), Owain Doull (Sky), Mark Christian (Aqua Blue), Jai Hindley (Sunweb), Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept), Pim Ligthart (Roompot-Nederlandse Lotterij), Tom Baylis (One Pro), Kyle Murphy (Rally) Max Stedman (Canyon Ersberg), Tom Pidcock (GB), Garikoitz Bravo (Euskadi-Murias) and Scott Davies (Dimension Data).

Of those, Bravo and Davies had team mates within 15 seconds of Cort Nielsen's overall lead, so with the group's lead on the peloton at over four minutes, Euskadi-Murias and Dimension Data belatedly sent riders to help Astana's chase.

Meanwhile, at the front Rossetto worked hard to maintain a lead which had settled at about four minutes on the chasing group and approximately double that on the peloton.

Having turned into a headwind around half way through the day, it was only with 65km left that the Frenchman's lead began to drop, possibly due to attacks coming from the group as first Ligthart, then Chavanel made ultimately fruitless digs. However, those attacks dislodged Stedman from the group, ensuring Rossetto would win the mountains classification.

As the gap between the bunch and the chasing group began to drop, attacks on the penultimate climb, the Côte de Greenhow Hill, forced a further selection, Katusha-Alpecin's Robert Kiserlovski making the first move despite having Cras in the group ahead. In the resulting group BMC had four riders, giving Van Avermaet a numerical and tactical advantage.

These moves caused uncertainty among the chasers, allowing Rossetto to take a lead of three minutes onto the day's final climb, the Côte de Otley Chevin, but with Bookwalter still ahead it was Dimension Data who were forced to work to make the catch with 25km to go.

As the remains of the peloton made it onto the Otley climb, attacks first from last year's winner Pauwels, then Aqua Blue's Eddie Dunbar finally distanced race leader Cort Nielsen, isolated after Astana's earlier work.

From there group of around fifteen riders, including four from BMC remained to contest the final 20km.

The general classification success is Olympic champion Van Avemmaet's second win of the season, the Belgian having suffered bad luck and less than optimal form through the spring classics he had dominated in 2017.

Results

Tour de Yorkshire Stage four - Halifax to Leeds

1. Stephane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, in 4-53-22

2. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, at 34 secs

3. Ian Bibby (GBr) JLT-Condor

4. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Aqua Blue

5. Eduard Prades (Esp) Euskadi-Murias

6. Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis

7. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie

8. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data

9. Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Katusha-Alpecin

10. Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb, all at same time

Tour de Yorkshire final general classification

1. Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing in 16-38-00

2. Eduard Prades (Esp) Euskadi-Murias at 9 secs

3. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data at 14 secs

4. Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Katusha-Alpecin at 19 secs

5. Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb at same time

6. Ian Bibby (GBr) JLT-Condor at 23 secs

7. Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis at 25 secs

8. Eddie Dunbar (Ire) Aqua Blue at 27 secs

9. Patrick Bevin (Aus) BMC at 37 secs

10. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie at 39 secs

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) is hoping that entering the decisive final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire without the leader’s jersey will give him a tactical advantage in his effort to win the race.

Van Avermaet was the favourite for Friday’s testing summit finish at the Cow and Calf but was beaten to the line by Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana). The Belgian now sits just four seconds down on GC and with Saturday’s stage expected to finish in a bunch sprint Sunday’s hilly parcours is likely to decide the overall contest.

The Olympic Champion said: “This is a race between some rest for me so I know I’m not in my best shape. I’m happy with how it has gone I’ll just try to survive Sunday, it’s a hard stage, hard to control so maybe it’s not so bad to be in second place.

“We have some guys in the GC maybe Brent [Bookwalter, currently 11 seconds down].. maybe it’s better to have two cards to play in the last stage.”

Van Avermaet launched his sprint on the second stage summit finish with around 450meters left to race but Cort Nielsen reeled him in and came round him. The Belgian said he had no regrets. “I didn’t want to wait any longer I didn’t know who was in my wheel. I think this guy deserved to win he was stronger than me.

Cort Nielsen said: “It was a really hard climb but I was ridden at a stable tempo with few attacks, that suits me. I was sitting there waiting and waiting to open my sprint I went for it an luckily I had the legs.

He added: “It is the perfect day I couldn’t wish for any more… Now you have to hang on two days to go the goal is to keep that jersey now. It’ll be really hard it’s not easy but we’ll fight with everything we have.”

Greg Van Avermaet's BMC Racing team-mates may have taken control on the plugstreets at Ghent-Wevelgem, but the defending champion lacked team support after the race split on the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.

Riding in a group of 23 that included four riders from Quick-Step Floors and two each from EF Education-First Drapac, Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij, and Bora-Hansgrohe, Van Avermaet lacked team support to help position him for the sprint and ended up attack in the finale, eventually finishing 14th behind race winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe).

"We wanted to make the race hard and get a result," Van Avermaet said. "We tried as much as possible to make the race hard, but I'm a bit disappointed I didn't do better in the end of this race because I had super good legs, I was feeling really good. But I made some mistakes I think in the end.

>>> Five things we learned from Ghent-Wevelgem and E3 Harelbeke

"It would also be nice if I had some extra support in the sprint but I had to find my own way. It was a big group and I'm not great in sprints from a big group. It's nice to have some guys to lead you out, but this didn't happen."

Van Avermaet stormed through the Classics season in 2017 with wins in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix.

Despite having picked up just one Classics top 10 in 2018 (at E3 Harelbeke) the Belgian says that he is reaching peak fitness just in time for a try at his first Tour of Flanders title on Sunday and a defence in Paris-Roubaix the following week.

Watch: Cobbled Classics guide 2018

Aside from Quick-Step Floors, BMC looked the strongest at one point in Ghent-Wevelgem with Stefan Küng, Michael Schär, Alberto Bettiol and Francisco Ventoso driving the group over the gravel plugstreets. But when the Kemmelberg was ascended for the second time with 34km to go, the BMC presence melted away to leave the Olympic champion isolated in to the front group.

Quick-Step drove the race towards Wevelgem for the eventual sprint, where team leader Elia Viviani placed second. Van Avermaet tried an attack with 1.5km to go and Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac) attempted one of his own in the final kilometre.

"Winning was going to be hard and I hoped that some guys would join me [in the attack], that there would be some hesitation in the group and we'd get a small gap. But then I think some guy closed it and it was hard to get back in position and hard to do a good sprint."

>>> Peter Sagan after Ghent-Wevelgem victory: 'I don't listen to the critics'

"In contrast with other years, there was too little wind for echelons," added Belgian Vanmarcke, who finished in 21st position.

"But in the hilly zone [between 114km and 34km remaining] , there was hardly any fear for what was yet to come. The coastal section [between 198km and 164km to go] was also a fight, but then nothing happened. I tried to make the race hard on the Kemmelberg and get away with a group. It was in vain, unfortunately. "

Van Avermaet and Vanmarcke race the Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday ahead of the Tour of Flanders on April 1 and Paris-Roubaix on April 8.

"Like I said at the start of the year, the results last year were super good," said Van Avermaet. "Everything went perfectly, especially here in Wevelgem, which is a hard race for me to win.

"Feeling-wise, I have the same feeling as last year, maybe even a little bit better. I'm happy with my form, I'm happy with my legs and I hope to get a result in the coming races."

World champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and defending champion Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) came way from the 2018 E3 Harelbeke in Belgium with no regrets, despite critics doubting their form in a day dominated by Quick-Step Floors.

Both stars looked off their best at times. Sagan, after trying to attack and pull back eventual winner Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors), fell behind on the Paterberg. Van Avermaet, despite finishing third, fought at times to live up to his 'Golden Greg' nickname.

>>> Niki Terpstra takes heroic solo victory at E3 Harelbeke as Quick-Step dominate

"The problem was I did a lot of efforts in the middle of the race, and then a big group came back to us," Van Avermaet said. "It was hard for me to reset my legs a little bit. I tried to find a little bit of rest, but it was hard to close."

With an eye on the Tour of Flanders next Sunday, he added: "I was super happy with my legs, super happy with my race. I put a lot of effort in, and it was a good training for me. And in the end, I am also pretty happy with my result. I'm on the podium."

Quick-Step Floors's Yves Lampaert and Terpstra rode clear on the Taaienberg and left the other stars like Van Avermaet, Sagan, Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) and Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac) struggling to regain. And when they made some ground, another Quick-Step rider was marking them.

"You can say a lot of things, but I think the smartest thing is to say Terpstra deserved the win," added Van Avermaet. He was one of the strongest guys."

"Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. That's life," Sagan explained.

"No, I don't think [it was a bad day]. I crashed once, but nothing heavy. Also, I was lucky.

"It was a hard race for me, I didn't feel very well. What happened? In the end, I was a little bit [flat]. It was hard to stay at the front. Sunday will be better I think."

Sagan tried to attack, but Quick-Step's Philippe Gilbert marked him. Later, Sagan disappeared on the Paterberg climb that features so heavily in Flanders next Sunday.

From the outside, the outcome for the star riders ahead of Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday and of course, Flanders next Sunday looked as grey as the day in East Flanders.

"Quick-Step was again dominating incredibly today," Trek-Segafredo sports director, Dirk Demol said. "They are all good riders. The line-up is seven good riders, even the 'domestiques' are able to ride the final.

"The crash [mid-way in the race] played in their favour, but you can't say that's not fair because they were pulling already. Of course, they are not going to slow down. They were strong and the others weren't strong enough.

"We've seen in the past weeks that Greg is good, he's third today, but I don' believe that he's on his level of last year. The same for Sagan."

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) says it's not just a case of him versus Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) at the upcoming cobbled Classics, but Sagan against everyone, naming the world champion as the outright favourite.

Van Avermaet, who has had a slower start to the season this year compared to 2017, will be primarily targetting Tour of Flanders victory this year after missing out on the title last year in spite of a spectacular run of form that had seen him win E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem the weekend before.

>>> Five things to look out for at E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem

The Belgian told Het Nieuwsblad that it will be "hard to repeat" his double victory at E3 and Ghent, modestly indicating that Sagan is really the man to beat.

Sagan, who has two victories in Ghent-Wevelgem and a victory at the Tour of Flanders from 2016, has cut an increasingly frustrated figure during the Classics, with many riders following in his wheel, marking him and often refusing to work with him.

"He has little to no bad days," Van Avermaet said on Sagan. "He is so complete, he goes everywhere for the win. It's therefore not Peter versus myself, it's mainly Sagan against the rest. And there are a lot of them. Also [Sep] Vanmarcke, [Tiesj] Benoot, [Wout] Van Aert in the races he is riding."

Van Avermaet's dominance last year, which culminated with a maiden Monument victory at Paris-Roubaix, has looked much less assured this year. The 32-year-old is off the mark with a victory, taking a stage at the Tour of Oman, but was unable to feature in the final of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche or Milan-San Remo.

After going on a reconnaissance of the E3 course on Tuesday with his team-mate Stefan Küng, the BMC man says his "condition is there" but places no expectation on repeating last year's double weekend.

"That's hard to repeat, isn't it?" Van Avermaet said.

"That was really out of expectation, a dream that came true. Normally Harelbeke should be better, but in terms of results, Ghent-Wevelgem was slightly better in the past. Still, the condition is there. But my main goal remains the Tour of Flanders, although it is always nice when you end up [with a result] in Harelbeke or Wevelgem. Next Sunday I am really going for it.

"In terms of results [this year], it was not easy. The Strade Bianche was perhaps an off-day because of the cold and the rain.

"In the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad I was at the desired level: not super, but good enough to win. And Saturday [Milan-San Remo] was like every year, this time with a superior [Vincenzo] Nibali.

"The real races start on Friday. "

E3 Harelbeke takes place on Friday March 23 and Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday March 25.

The Muur van Geraardsbergen

It’s that time of year again when the heavyweight hard-men of the peloton take to northern Europe to do battle in the cobbled Classics.

Though it’s still February, and the weather remains very much wintery, this weekend’s double-header of Belgian races signals the start of the spring Classics.

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First up is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a race featuring enough vicious bergs to have been deemed a mini-Tour of Flanders. This year the similarities with that race are even more explicit, as a redesigned finish sees the riders take on the same final 60km that used to conclude the Ronde up until 2011.

That means fans of the previous Tour of Flanders route - of which there are many - will once again get to enjoy the spectacle of the Muur van Geraardsbergen in the closing stages of a classic. Its steep, twisty cobbled ascent remains one of the most stirring sight in cycling, while the 16km distance to the finish has long been proven to be just the right amount to ensure a thrilling final dash.

Sunday’s Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne isn’t quite as difficult, and is eyed up by sprinters who fancy their chances of surviving the 12bergs into the final flat 50km run-in. A bunch sprint is anything but guaranteed, however - in fact, each of the last two editions was won via a breakaway.

Greg Van Avermaet defending his title

Greg Van Avermaet begins his spring facing the impossible task of replicating the historically high standards he set last season.

Het Nieuwsblad will be the first of four titles he will be defending, having won it, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix last year in what was a unique quadruple.

He also won the 2016 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad as well, meaning he could become the first ever rider to win three consecutive editions of the race.

The Belgian therefore goes into the race as hot favourite, and, in the absence of Peter Sagan, the rider everyone will have their eyes on. Every move of his will be marked and pounced upon - it’s just a matter of whether, like last spring, he can win regardless.

He’s also set to ride Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, which was one of the few Classics he didn’t manage to win last year, and one which, with its relative lack of difficulty, he is not so well suited to.

Quick-Step Floors adjusting to life post-Boonen

This will be the first season since 2002 that Quick-Step Floors go into a spring campaign without Tom Boonen.

For most of the years since Boonen has been the team’s talisman, and even as age began to take away his edge, he remained a formidable road captain, carrying himself as a patron of the peloton and taking it upon himself to control races.

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It will be fascinating to see how Quick-Step adapt to his absence. In theory, it shouldn’t be too difficult - they boast an awesome roster, with the likes of Philippe Gilbert, Fernando Gaviria, Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra and Yves Lampaert all set to compete over the weekend.

Gilbert will likely be the main man for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and is one of the few active riders who can boast similar experience to adequately replace Boonen.

In Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Gaviria is the one to look out for as a potential winner in a bunch sprint. As a rapid sprinter who fancies himself in the Classics, the Colombian could yet prove to be Boonen’s long-term successor - victory here, at the same age (23) Boonen landed his first ever Classic, would reinforce that ambitious claim.

Team Sky's inexperienced line-up

Team Sky are bettered only by Quick-Step Floors in the terms of the strength of their Classics squad, but most of the team’s biggest assets won’t be featuring this weekend.

The likes of Michal Kwiatkowski, Gianni Moscon, Geraint Thomas and Ian Stannard will start their Classics campaigns later in the spring, while Luke Rowe is using the Abu Dhabi Tour to cautiously return to racing following last year’s leg break.

Instead, a generally younger, less experienced roster of seven riders will take on both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

Owain Doull, Chris Lawless and Jonathan Dibben are all British riders under the age of 24 who could develop into serious Classics contenders one day, and have a great chance to test themselves against a high calibre field this weekend.

Team leadership duties however will likely be assigned to Dylan van Baarle, an exciting new signing for this season who has already demonstrated his quality at the highest level by finishing fourth at last year’s Tour of Flanders.

Big names set for the Women’s Het Nieuwsblad

Held before the men’s event on Saturday will be the Women’s Het Nieuwsblad, an event that, despite not featuring in the Women’s WorldTour, still attracts a high-class field of the world’s best.

Featuring tricky cobbled climbs, it is among one of the most select races on the spring calendar, with either solo escapees or groups of no larger than four riders usually contesting victory at the finish.

Defending champion Lucinda Brand is part of a very strong Sunweb line-up that also includes Ellen van Dijk and last year’s revelation Coryn Rivera.

By contrast Boels Dolmans haven’t selected their strongest squad, with 2016 winner Lizzie Deignan and 2015 winner Anna van der Breggen both skipping the race.

That leaves newly crowned world champion Chantal Blaak to lead the team and aim for her first win in the rainbow jersey, having finished runner-up in each of the past two editions.

Other contenders include Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) and the Mitchelton-Scott duo of Jolien d’Hoore and Annemiek van Vleuten, while Brits Alice Barnes and Dani Rowe will be hoping to make positive opening impressions for their new teams (Canyon/SRAM and WaowDeals respectively).