The course

The route has been tweaked slightly from 2015, with two less climbs, but the usual favourites all feature.

Katteberg comes first, a 600m ascent at an average gradient of 6.7 per cent before La Houppe, the longest climb of the race, after 90km of racing.

The climbs then come thick and fast, with Oude Kruisberg, Knokteberg, Hotondberg and Kortekeer all in quick succession, before the short, steep cobbled ascent of the Taaienberg.

The Boigneberg, and cobbled climbs of the Eikenberg and Stationberg complete the run of climbs, though the respite does not last long.

The Kapelberg features next but it is the Paterberg (700m at 12 per cent, with some sections closer to 20 per cent) where selections might be made and the fight for position is vital.

– E3 Harelbeke: TV schedule –

It is followed by the 2.2km Oude Kwaremont, where Thomas attacked last year, with the final cobbled ascent averaging 4.2 per cent in gradient.

After that, any escapees will have to stay clear on the 1.5km Karnemelkbeekstraat and 1km Tiegemberg before getting their arms in the air.

Thomas’ attack last year, and the move he instigated before Peter Sagan won in 2014 both proved too much for the chasers to reel back so anybody with an advantage over the Oude Kwaremont will fancy their chances of making it stick.

Peter Sagan (Tinkoff)

The curse of the rainbow jersey appears to have struck Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) in some style this season, as he continues to search for an elusive first win in the rainbow bands.

He has been close though – within one second of an overall win at Tirreno-Adriatico for starters, and was unlucky to be impeded by Fernando Gaviria’s crash on the final straight at Milan-San Remo.

Second at the Omloop, seventh at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and fourth at Strade Bianche, Sagan has already shown well at the semi-Classics however.

He came in for criticism last season for below-par form in the Classics, so he has a point to prove to Oleg Tinkov.

And while he is still after a first win as world champion, if he can get away in a small group a la 2014, he will surely be among the favourites in the sprint.

Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep)

Five-time former winner Tom Boonen leads Etixx-QuickStep ahead of what is also likely to be his final Classics season.

But the Belgian super team have proved in recent years that strength in depth is their key to success, and Zdenek Stybar – last year’s runner-up – is without doubt a man to watch.

Runner-up at Strade Bianche, Stybar proved his form with a stage win at Tirreno-Adriatico but crashed at Milan-San Remo after a dog ran across his path.

An over-zealous fan has already cost him a Monument too, when he crashed at Paris-Roubaix in 2013, but the Czech former ‘cross world champion is more than capable of E3 Harelbeke success.

With Boonen another obvious option, and 2014 Paris-Roubaix champion Niki Terpstra also in their ranks alongside last year’s third-place finisher Matteo Trentin, Etixx-QuickStep have plenty of cards to play.

Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing)

Greg van Avermaet has enjoyed a great start to the 2016 season, and already boasts one win on the cobbles at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Since then, van Avermaet has also won a stage and held on for overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico and was fifth at Milan-San Remo at the weekend.

The Belgian ace has always been there or thereabouts at the Classics, and was third at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix 12 months ago.

It would not be a huge surprise if he were to better those results this year, and victory at E3 Harelbeke will certainly shorten his odds of doing just that.