Sagan back in Belgium for E3 Harelbeke
Cannondale leader looking to overcome Milan-San Remo disappointment
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 the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.