"I would have liked to see what I could have done in the Tour of Flanders" - Quinten Hermans left rueing decision to opt for Itzulia Basque Country

Whilst Mathieu van der Poel was coming second at the Tour of Flanders in Belgium, teammate Quinten Hermans was in the Basque region, preparing for the Itzulia Basque Country, a decision he admits leaves him with a tinge of regret.

"The choice to ride the Tour of the Basque Country was made a long time ago. And I know that I need this stage race to get a few percent better towards the climbing classics," the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider tells Sporza. "I also felt ready to go to the Ronde. I would have liked to see what I could have done in the Tour of Flanders with this condition."

Runner-up at Liege-Bastogne-Liege last year, Hermans has the race in his sights yet again and hopes to go one better this time around. "Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a very nice race that suits me," he explains. "But I especially marked La Flèche Wallonne with a dot. It is a fantastically beautiful course because we arrive on top of the Mur de Huy. I have a kind of love affair with it."

"The Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race should also suit me very well," he continues. "The 3rd stage of Itzulia Basque Country is a very nice ride. It is a bit like La Flèche Wallonne with a final kilometre that goes up steeply. An ideal gauge for the climbing classics."