Team Sky announce line-up for E3 Harelbeke

Ian Stannard, Dylan van Baarle, Gianni Moscon and Lukasz Wisniowski have all been named as part of Team Sky's versatile line-up for E3 Harelbeke on Friday, March 23.

The British WorldTour team has several options for the Belgian race, which signals a return to northern Europe for the cobbled classics.

Stannard goes into the race as one of the leading favourites, having placed third in the 2016 edition behind team-mate and winner Michal Kwiatkowski. That was Sky's second E3 win, after Geraint Thomas won the previous year.

However, this season both Thomas and Kwiatkowski have other targets and will miss riding in E3.

>>> E3 Harelbeke 2018 start list

Dutch sprinter van Baarle finished ninth last year when riding for Cannondale-Drapac and is perhaps Sky's fastest finisher in its line-up of seven riders.

Moscon – fifth in Paris-Roubaix last year – will be seeking to build as a classics rider, and like Stannard, the Italian could be a factor if the race breaks apart.

Wisniowski has already shown he is on good form this season, placing second in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and eighth in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – suggesting that a big win may not be far away for the 26-year-old Polish talent.

Completing the line-up are British rider Owain Doull, German Christian Knees and Pole Michal Golas.

Luke Rowe was Sky's top finisher last year in 15th behind winner Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing). The Welshman rode in Milan-San Remo on Saturday but is sitting out E3 Harelbeke as he continues his recovery from leg injury.

Sky will be up against the best Classics riders in the current professional peloton: world champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), van Avermaet, Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors), Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal), Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac), John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) among them.

Many of the riders will also contest Sunday's Ghent-Wevelgem.