Preview: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Cobbled classics campaign starts and the Muur awaits star-studded peloton

The opening weekend is just around the corner as we are riding into the first one-day World Tour race of the season. It will be in Flandres that this first event will take place as many of the spring classics specialists will be looking to test themselves on a set of classics through these traditional roads, opening up with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

On the menu are 204 kilometers to munch up, just a warm-up for the classics riders who really want to thrive later on in the spring. The race is divided into two halves, the first one being mostly flat and with only a couple of cobbled sectors who should be meaningless, and with the 100 kilometer mark the true race begins as the peloton hits the first set of closely-followed complicated sections. The race hit several complicated sections but it is not as selective as some of the other race is in the spring, with the decisive sections being left to the final two sectors.

Those are the Muur de Geraardsbergen, summiting with 17 kilometers to go, needs no introduction, will be a place where any group ahead of the peloton will lose time as the lead out to the cobbles is always furious. Over the top gaps can be created, the Bosberg will follow quickly after with 13 kilometers to go. From there on it's a very fast run-up to Ninove where either a sprint or a sneaky last-minute attack will succeed.

Although the startlist is yet to be confirmed, the preliminary names on it include Greg van Avermaet, Oliver Naesen, Sonny Colbreli, Matej Mohorič, Sep Vanmarcke, Jasper Stuyven, Tom Pidcock, Nils Politt, Michael Valgren, Gianni Moscon, Søren Kragh Andersen, Wout van Aert, Kasper Asgreen, Yves Lampaert, Zdenek Stybar, Matteo Trentin, Anthony Turgis, Stefan Kung and Peter Sagan. These riders, and several more, will be battling in the roads of Flandres for an important race which opens up the World-Tour calendar when it comes to one-day races.

You will be able to keep up with the race here on CyclingUpToDate as we bring you the race report and interviews surrounding the opening weekend.