Mark Cavendish to race Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Etixx-Quick-Step sprinter Mark Cavendish will attempt to win his second Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne as his team name strong weekend lineups

Mark Cavendish wins Stage 7 of the 2015 Tour de San Luis

(Image credit: Watson)

Mark Cavendish will build up for his classics season at this Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, lining up alongside reigning champion Tom Boonen for Etixx-Quick-Step.

Cavendish won the Belgian semi-classic in 2012 and will be among the favourites for the race once more with a strong team around him.

>>> Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2015 preview

Etixx will hope to stake their Classics ambitions at the earliest opportunity, with one-day specialists Boonen, Stijn Vandenbergh and Paris-Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra in the squad for Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

>>> Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2015 preview

Cavendish was on a reconnaissance mission to northern Italy this week to check out the closing stages of the Milan-San Remo route, one of his main targets this season.

Boonen and Terpstra, meanwhile, will be warming up for tilts at Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, with the former looking for his first Monument win since 2012.

Etixx-QuickStep for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad:

Tom Boonen, Iljo Keisse, Nikolas Maes, Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, Matteo Trentin, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck and Stijn Vandenbergh.

Etixx-QuickStep for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne:

Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Yves Lampaert, Nikolas Maes, Zdenek Stybar, Matteo Trentin, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck and Lukasz Wisniowski.

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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.