Up-and-coming Columbia-Highroad pro. Edvald Boasson-Hagen will have his first real taste of the spring Classics this weekend when he races Het Nieuwsblad [formerly Het Volk] and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

“Edvald has had a great first year as a pro with us in 2008, winning three stages of the Tour of Britain as well as a stage of the Eneco Tour,” pointed out team sports director Allan Peiper. “But we want to see what he can do in the Classics as well.”

He had a bit of a cold so he missed out on the Tour of the Algarve, but we’re sure he’ll put in a good performance here in Belgium. I also know that Marcus [Burghardt - 2007 Ghent-Wevelgem winner] is very motivated after missing out on the Classics last year because he broke his collarbone. He did the Tours of Qatar, Mallorca and the Algarve, which are the right kind of stepping stones to build up for the Classics.”

Het Nieuwsblad is a tough race, though,” continued Peiper, “and so early in the season it’s never easy to know who’s got what kind of form. The combination makes things very unpredictable. The race itself has three big climbs in the final, the Eikenberg, Wolvenberg and Molenberg and three sections of cobbles in the last 40 kilometres. I’ve heard the last one’s extremely muddy!”

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is much more than a revenge match for Het Nieuwsblad, according to Peiper.

"The race is more suited to the sprinters, but it’s also tricky to predict because anybody’s who’s gone all out on the Saturday in Het Nieuwsblad will not be in good shape for Sunday. Really, you’ve got to make a choice. We’re lucky in Columbia-Highroad because we don’t have such a structured set-up as some other teams in that we have no set leader for each race. Here it’s a question of working for whoever’s good on the day.”

Columbia-Highroad is also racing on Sunday in Spain, in the one-day GP Almeria.

"Almeria’s basically a race for sprinters, so with no Mark Cavendish or André Greipel present, it will be a good opportunity for Greg [Henderson] to show what he can do,” Columbia-Highroad’s sports director Tristan Hoffman commented.

Columbia-Highroad for Het Nieuwsblad/Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Nor); Marcus Burghardt (Ger); Bert Dockx (Bel);  Bernhard Eisel (Aut); Bert Grabsch (Ger); Frantisek Rabon (Cze); Vincente Reynes (Spa); Marcel Sieberg (Ger).

Columbia-Highroad for GP Almeria: Michael Albasini (Swi); Greg Henderson (NZ); Craig Lewis (USA); Tony Martin (Ger); Maxime Monfort (Bel); Marco Pinotti (Ita); Morris Possoni (Ita); Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Byl).