Stars out training on the cobbles for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (gallery)
Tom Boonen, Greg Van Avermaet and friends hit the cobblestones of Belgium to warm up for Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
1
of
9
Tom Boonen
Boonen will be hoping for a better result than last year's Het Nieuwsblad, when he and Etixx-QuickStep team-mates Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh were overhauled by Sky's Ian Stannard.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
2
of
9
Greg Van Avermaet
BMC leader Van Avermaet chats to Preben Van Hecke as they ride along a smoother part of the route. Van Avermaet was sixth last year, and second in 2014.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
3
of
9
Wrap up
Having spent the preceding weeks racing in the likes of Qatar, Oman and Australia, it may be a shock to the system for some riders to return to the cold conditions of northern Europe.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
4
of
9
Team mix
Belgian riders from various teams meet up for a friendly ride on the cobbles: rivalries will only surface when the racing gets underway.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
5
of
9
Etixx-QuickStep
The Belgian WorldTour outfit will field a full-strength team at Het Nieuwsblad, including Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Tony Martin
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
6
of
9
Stark scenery
When the wind blows in Belgium, it can split a race to pieces. Bad weather plays as much of a part in how the race may unfold as the cobbles and hills, and the lack of shelter along the route can make it a bleak experience.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
7
of
9
Taking on the cobbles
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is not only a prestigious race in its own right, but also serves as a warm-up to later races such as the Tour of Flanders.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
8
of
9
Lotto-Soudal
Lotto-Soudal has undertaken a couple of reconnaissance runs on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad route, as they seek to overturn the dominance of fellow Belgian team Etixx-QuickStep. The team may have to do without André Greipel, as the German fractured a rib in the Volta ao Algarve.
Click or tap to zoom into this image
This is an image
9
of
9
Tom Boonen
Boonen has won pretty much every other classic – often more than once – but a win at Het Nieuwsblad has always eluded him. Could this be the year?