The surfers’ top favorites in our poll are also the biggest contenders today according to our jury: Fabio Jakobsen on Caleb Ewan.
Jakobsen has started the season well, his counter is already on 4 victories. The Dutchman won 2 stages in the Tour of Valencia and in the Tour of the Algarve and will undoubtedly be the spearhead of Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl on Sunday, which will be out for revenge after a dull round.
Ewan may be somewhat of an oddball during a Flemish spring race, but the Australian is fast without a doubt. He already showed that this year with victories in the Saudi Tour and the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var. For Ewan it will be his 2nd participation in Kuurne. Six years ago, when Jasper Stuyven won, he finished 15th.
If there is a sprint in Kuurne Tim Merlier of course also one of the names to keep an eye on. The Belgian is today the undisputed leader of Alpecin-Fenix, because Jasper Philipsen has been in the UAE Tour in recent days. In the Algarve he was already 2nd this season after Jakobsen.
The Sporza jury also hands out 2 stars Christophe Laporte, also tipped by our experts as a points gun in our Wielermanager. In the absence of Wout van Aert, the Frenchman can count on the full support of the strong Jumbo-Visma block. Will he strike immediately in his first race for his new team?
After all, two stars are also for it Sonny Colbrelli, yesterday 2nd in the Omloop behind an inimitable Wout van Aert. He will not be there on Sunday and if Colbrelli can make it to the finish with a group, he can present nice papers anyway.
The Sporza jury awards 1 more star to a quintet of riders, including Tom Pidcock, still 18th in the Omloop yesterday. The young Briton finished 3rd in Kuurne last year and has already proven that he still has a strong final shot in his legs after a tough race.
That can also be said of Giacomo Nizzolo, who only had to tolerate Wout van Aert in Ghent-Wevelgem last year. The Italian fast boy, already 2nd in Kuurne in 2020, already collected 2 places of honor in Spain this season. So the form is there.
Also John Degenkolb is a name to be reckoned with according to our experts. Yesterday, the German anonymously finished 43rd in the Omloop, which was his first race of the year for the DSM rider.
Always a name not to lose sight of when sprinting is allowed, is Alexander Kristoff† The strong Norwegian has the volume to survive the toughest sections on the course and the fast legs to finish it off at the finish. He was already on the podium 3 times in Kuurne, but he never managed to win.
The last star is for Florian Senechal, the freebooter of Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl. The Frenchman may have to tolerate Jakobsen within his own team in the pecking order, but if the Dutchman fails, Sénéchal is undoubtedly on the checkerline.
