Zdenek Stybar (Deceuninck-Quick Step) puts Omloop Het Nieuwsblad high up on the list of one-day races. He says this is thanks to its new final that like the Tour of Flanders years ago, climbs the Muur and Bosberg.

The Czech cyclist won the race last year and returns in 2020, on February 29, to defend his title. He sat down with FloBikes earlier this year at the team's training camp to speak about the cobbled classic.

"Now with the new final from the old Tour of Flanders, it's just really for me one of the nicest one-day races there is on the calendar," he said.

The race retraces the final kilometers that the Tour of Flanders used through 2011. The organizer, which also organizes Flanders, introduced the new final for Omloop in 2009.

It takes the race over the famed Muur-Kapelmuur with 17 kilometers to race and over the Bosberg climb with 13 kilometers. It then finishes in Ninove.

Last year, Stybar dislodged his final rivals including Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) in the flat stretch near Ninove to win solo. Later in the spring, he won the E3 BinckBank Classic.

"And you know, it's always important to perform well directly from the beginning of the season, especially in our team, because then the team gives you more confidence. And you can start the races with a really good plan because nobody hesitates about your condition and about your capability of winning a race like this," he added.

"I think it's always good to show directly from beginning that your shape is good. And, you know, it's first cobblestone classic in Belgium, so it's always important. Maybe not so well known abroad, but in Belgium it's a big race."