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Philippe Gilbert (BMC) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Defending champion Sebastiaan Langeveld (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Manuel Quinziato (BMC) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Sylvain Chavanel (Omega-Pharma-QuickStep) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Former world champion Thor Hushovd (BMC) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Home talent Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Barracuda) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Matti Breschel (Rabobank) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Taylor Phinney (BMC) before the race (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Tomas Vaitkus (GreedEdge) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Matt Wilson and David Millar catch up at the start (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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The bunch begins to gather on the startline (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Zachary Bell straight from the Track World Cup (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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American Taylor Phinney (BMC) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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2010 winner Juan Antonio Flecha (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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The start line in Gent (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Van Summeren (Garmin-Barracuda) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Bernhard Eisel (Sky) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda team have hearts on their jerseys (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Bert De Backer (Project 1t4i) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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The Europcar team on the podium (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Sky's Pinarellos (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Project 1t4i will be riding Felts (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Rabobank are on Giant again this year (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Team Type 1 have a busy European schedule ahead of them (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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John Degenkolb (Project 1t4i) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Dominic Klemme in his new team kit (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Leif Hoste (Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Vansummeren's feet (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Johan Vansummeren (Garmin-Barracuda) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Johan Vansummeren's Cervelo (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Rabobank's Lars Boom (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Carlos Barredo (Rabobank) (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

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Vegard Stake Laengen's Colnago (Image credit: Cyclingnews.com)

We’ve had the Tours of Oman and Qatar but for many of the real traditionalists the road season really begins this weekend with the double header of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite start list

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad past winners

Video: Patrick Lefevere ahead of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Omloop is the first race on the menu, starting in the picturesque setting of Gent, Belgium. In the last few years the race has begun in typically Belgian spring weather of rain, cold and gusty winds..

However Saturday’s race set off under clear blue skies, warm temperatures and huge degree of anticipation.

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Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson is the Editor in Chief at both Cyclingnews.com and BikePerfect.com. Based in the UK, he has worked within cycling for almost 15 years, and he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he has reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he runs the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.