After the first bar of racing at the Tour Down Under, the South American notes from Colombia and San Juan, and the underscore of European races, it's time to tune into the cobbled Classics, and the Opening Weekend of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. We've selected 12 riders to watch for across one or both races.
Michael Valgren (Dimension Data)
Spotlight: A win in last year's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, coupled with a resilient fourth place in the Tour of Flanders, provided insurmountable proof that Valgren could blend his talents between the cobbles and the Ardennes. He ended the season in the same vein, with a gutsy ride at the World Championships that eventually netted a fine top-ten. An off-season move to Dimension Data followed, with the African team making one of the leading transfers of the year. In theory, at least, everything is now in place for the Danish all-rounder to cement his place as one of the most prolific and exciting one-day specialists of his generation. However, in comparison to some others, Valgren's form has been far from scintillating since the start of the season, but few will fret at this stage. The Dane is a class act, and it's a case of when he'll take another major win, rather than if.
Race programme: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
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Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Spotlight: So what if he's never raced Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and that his best and only performance in Kuurne netted 130th place - Ackermann is a genuine contender for at least the latter of the Opening Weekend's salvos. The form has been impressive, with wins in the Clasica de Almeria, in which he held off a resurgent Marcel Kittel, and the points jersey in the Volta ao Algarve. This is an important season for the German, who has earned a Giro d'Italia spot thanks to a breakthrough 2018 campaign that included wins in several WorldTour stage races. With Peter Sagan training and Sam Bennett heading to Paris-Nice after the UAE Tour, Ackermann has the space to generate growing authority in the team's sprinting hierarchy.
Race programme: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ)
Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb)
Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-QuickStep)
Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team)
Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott)
Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First)
Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates)
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo)
Niki Terpstra (Direct Energie)
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/12-riders-to-watch-during-opening-weekend
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