“I always like to come back to the place where it all started for me”, says Van Aert, who managed to finish second here in 2019 on his debut. “I remember that I had good legs then. That debut with a podium place gives me a lot of confidence for this edition. In addition, with the E3 you have an ideal warm-up for what’s to come: the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.”

The Belgian rider is also enthusiastic about the course. “The race is difficult early on, so you can make the race tough right away. The long stretch towards Harelbeke makes the race exciting. It always creates a game between groups or a group versus a breakaway rider. This ensures that a group sprint is virtually impossible. It’s simply going to be a great race.”

Two days later, the Team Jumbo-Visma selection is already at the start of the next classic: Ghent-Wevelgem. Like every year, there’s a good chance that in addition to the plugstreets and hills, the wind will have a major influence on the way the race will develop.

In both the E3 and Ghent-Wevelgem, the Belgian leader will be supported by his compatriot Nathan Van Hooydonck, among others. “As a Fleming, it’s extra special to ride these races, especially for a real leader like Wout”, Van Hooydonck says.

After the weekend, it’s time for the shortest classic of the spring, Dwars door Vlaanderen. With thirteen hills and some tough cobbled sections, it’s still a tough race. The short distance means that the final often starts early. Van Aert, Van Hooydonck and Timo Roosen will be replaced in this race by David Dekker, Christoph Pfingsten and Olav Kooij.