Some welcome sunshine greeted the riders in Brugge this morning for the start of the 2015 Tour of Flanders.
In the absence of Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara, it was Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) that received the biggest cheers of the day as they took to the stage. Van Avermaet’s former teammate Cadel Evans was present at the start, waiting outside the team bus as the riders prepared for the day ahead.
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) was another fan favourite after his recent performances made him a firm favourite for the race victory. Also receiving huge welcome were Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep)and recent Milan-San Remo winner John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin).
With the two riders that have dominated this competition in the past out through injury, the 2015 Tour of Flanders is set to be the most open in recent history.
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