Sagan Crossing the Cobbles: This Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne race poster is already the best of the year

While the organisers of E3 Harelbeke have often tried to create interest in their race with posters of scantily clad women, the organisers of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne have gone in a very different and considerably more tasteful direction.

For 2018, the organisers have capitalised on the race being the only one won by Peter Sagan during his 2017 Classics campaign by putting the three-time world champion on their poster in a very unusual pose.

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Instead his usual trick of doing a wheelie on his bike, Sagan is depicted riding a horse that is rearing up while pointing his finger towards the sky in a manner similar to Napoleon Bonaparte in Jacques-Louis David's 1801 painting "Napoleon Crossing the Alps".

However instead of showing the Alpine scenery and the French army marching up the Col du Grand St-Bernard in the background, Sagan is shown riding his horse in the cobbles of a Flemish berg with fans cheering him on.

A day after finishing second behind Greg Van Avermaet in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Sagan took victory in the 2017 edition of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne as he out-sprinted a small breakaway group including Jasper Stuyen and Luke Rowe at the finishing in Kuurne.

However that result would prove to be his only cobbled victory of the season as he finished third in Ghent-Wevelgem, was derailed by a crash at the Tour of Flanders, and finished a relatively lowly 38th at Paris-Roubaix.

Sagan will be hoping for a better spring Classics campaign in 2018, and is currently at an alititude training camp at the Sierra Nevada in Spain ahead of what is expected to be his next race appearance at Strade Bianche at the start of March.

The 2018 edition of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne will take place on February 25, taking its usual spot the day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the traditional opener for Belgian cycling season.