After starting Bruges for the past 19 years, the Tour of Flanders packed its bags for Antwerp on Sunday morning. Sun beat down on the city's Grote Markt, which was packed with a reported 60,000 people.
The atmosphere was palpable around the place, particularly when home hero Tom Boonen rode from the Quick-Step Floors team bus by the river and into the main square. Boonen was greeted with a spine tingling roar from the crowds who had turned out to see him start his final Tour of Flanders.
His teammates were brought up on stage for the sign-on presentation, but Boonen was held back. A silence fell over the crowd before they began the slow clap made famous by Iceland football fans at the European Championships last year.
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Greg Van Avermaet also received a rapturous welcome, as did world champion Peter Sagan, the last of the big favourites to be introduced to the crowd.
Cyclingnews caught up with all of the main contenders and a few more at the start. Read below for a selection of quotes and flick through the gallery above for photos from the start of the Tour of Flanders.
Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)
"Will I be on the podium? It’s hard to predict the future. Many people want me to finish on the podium, so I will try."
Tom Boonen (Quick-Step Floors)
Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing)
Luke Durbridge (Orica-Scott)
John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo)
Sep Vanmarcke (Cannondale-Drapac)
Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal)
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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