Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) is "happy just to be at the start" of the Tour of Flanders this April 5 in Antwerp.

The Frenchman – already winner of Strade Bianche, Flèche Wallonne, and Milano-Sanremo – is debuting in the Monument with cycling's top Classics team.

"I'm happy [to race Flanders]. I really want to do this race one day and I think it's a good year," he told FloBikes in an interview.

"We will have again a strong team at the start. And the main goal is to try to win so every rider will be important and for my first participation, I hope I will be important."

He is expected to be one of the important leaders in the team's seven-man roster for the Cobbled Classic. Alongside Alaphilippe, Zdenek Stybar, Yves Lampaert, Bob Jungels, and Kasper Asgreen should be given their chance.

Though traditionally he is more suited to the Ardennes Classics, given his palmarès, rivals will not rule out Alaphilippe.

"First of all, I want to do some recon, I will also do Waregem [Dwars door Vlaanderen, April 1] just before, and during [Flanders], I will see how I feel," he added.

"It will be my first participation and it's really difficult to predict something, but I just can say that I'm happy to be at the start."