Niki Terpstra will start as defending champion at the Tour of Flanders ©Getty Images

Defending champion Niki Terpstra will start among the favourites for the Tour of Flanders, the second monument classic of the season.

Terpstra became the first Dutch rider since 1986 to win the race when he triumphed last year, having attacked solo on the Kruisberg climb.

He remained clear for the final 25 kilometres of the 164km race, which features repeated cobbled ascents.

The famous Muur van Geraardsbergen is among the climbs expected to test the field, along with gradients at Steenbekdries, Taaienberg, Kruisberg and Hotond.

Terpstra will hope to continue his impressive record at the race having finished in the top 10 six times in his career, including his triumph in 2018.

Rio 2016 Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet is expected to lead the Belgian challenge, while compatriot and cyclo-cross specialist Wout Van Aert is considered another contender.

Mathieu van der Poel has emerged as a potential winner following his maiden International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour success at Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier this week.

Greg Van Avermaet is expected to lead Belgium's challenge ©Getty Images
Greg Van Avermaet is expected to lead Belgium's challenge ©Getty Images

The Dutchman has two world titles in cyclo-cross and will hope to claim his biggest victory on the road.

Slovakia’s three-time world champion Peter Sagan is also expected to be in contention to win the one-day race.

The Netherlands’ Anna van der Breggen, the defending champion, has elected not to start the women’s race.

Last year’s runner-up Amy Pieters and 2013 champion Marianne Vos, also of the Netherlands, are considered potential winners.