Robert Gesink will test the cobblestones in Flanders. The organisers of Dwars door Vlaanderen reports via Twitter that Team LottoNL-Jumbo will include the classification rider and his permanent domestique Kevin de Weert in their line up.

It is the first time that he will ride a cobblestone race. At the end of last year, the leader of Team LottoNL-Jumbo said it would help him at the upcoming Tour de France if he rode a semi-classic. ''It might not be such a bad idea to ride such a race in the spring to get the feeling,'' Gesink said at the time.

Earlier, Bradley Wiggins and Nairo Quintana announced their attack on the Flemish boulders in Dwars door Vlaanderen (1.HC). Het Nieuwsblad reported that Lars Boom (Astana) will also appear at the start. On March 25, the successor of Niki Terpstra known at Dwars door Vlaanderen.