Peter Sagan (Cannondale)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan (Cannondale) went close to victory after chading down Cancellara on the Poggio (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Moreno Moser leads his Cannondale teammate Peter Sagan on the Poggio(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan is in Belgium for his season debut on the Flemish cobbles and narrow roads at the E3 Harelbeke race. The Cannondale team leader will also ride Sunday's Gent-Wevelgem as he looks to put the disappointment of Milan-San Remo behind him.
While most Classics contenders got an early-season taste of the Flemish roads at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, Sagan took a break between the Tour of Oman and Strade Bianche.
Sagan will clash with Cancellara again at E3 Harelbeke, with Tom Boonen leading Omega Pharma-QuickStep. Other names to watch for include Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida), Greg van Avermaert (BMC), Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) and possibly even Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
"If I'll be able to repeat the same performance of last year I will be happy," Sagan said in a press release from the team.
"I don't want to predict any result or to promise anything - these are tough races with strong contenders, I just need to perform at my best. I've said many times I like Belgium races and I want to aim high. This is my goal and I'll try to chase it. I'm really concentrated and the disappointment for Milano-San Remo is set aside."
Sagan will have support from a solid Cannondale team that includes Oscar Gatto, who finished eighth in Wednesday's Dwars door Vlaanderen won by Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Maciej Bodnar, Kristjan Koren, Ted King, Alan Marangoni, Paolo Longo Borghini and Matthias Krizek.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
