Brussels (AFP)

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, who has "ants in his legs", is the favorite of the Het Nieuwsblad circuit, the opening race of the cycling season in Belgium on Saturday between Ghent and Ninove.

The 2020 world champion who finished second in the Tour de la Provence for his return to school in mid-February, recognized on Thursday the 200-kilometer course with its thirteen mountains (including the Bosberg and the Mur de Grammont) and nine cobbled sectors.

"Our leader will be Julian Alaphilippe. He is highly motivated, with ants in his legs," Patrick Lefevere, manager of the Deceunink team, told RTBF television.

"He tasted a bit of the Tour of Flanders last year and absolutely wants to compete in all the first Flemish events of the season", continued the boss of the "Wolfpack".

A team that will certainly be the formation to beat on its favorite field.

Alaphilippe will be surrounded by the Czech Zdenek Stybar (winner in 2019), the Belgian Yves Lampaert (2nd last year) and the Danish Kasper Asgreen who won the semi-classic Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne last year.

In the absence of the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (who will be at the start on Sunday from Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne), Alaphilippe's main rival could well be the Belgian Greg Van Avermaet, winner in 2016 and 2017.

"I'm generally good at the start of the season, explains the Olympic champion. That's probably why I have already been able to win the Nieuwsblad twice."

Van Avermaet has joined AG2R-Citroën this season, where he will find in Oliver Naesen a solid team-mate in the Flemish classics.

Another name regularly cited among the candidates for victory, that of the Briton Tom Pidcock (21).

The Ineos rider will take his first steps on the mountains and cobblestones of Flanders, on a course that should suit his qualities as a cyclo-cross specialist.

It will also be his first appearance in the Ineos jersey, where he arrived at the beginning of February in the wake of his fourth place at the World Cyclo-cross in Ostend.

If the favorites are therefore known, a surprise cannot be ruled out, the uncertainty hanging over the real state of form of many riders, since the Covid-19 pandemic has made the start of the season chaotic, with several cancellations of races. , and many runners are in lack of benchmarks.

© 2021 AFP