‘The level is a thousand times higher than 2013’ – Tiffany Cromwell on her Omloop Het Nieuwsblad victory and how the Classics have transformed since

When the women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad gets underway on Saturday there will be four former winners on the start line. You can probably easily remember at least two, with defending champion Lotte Claes returning and her compatriot Lotte Kopecky probably the number one favourite to win again this year. The third previous victor is Anna van der Breggen, who won twice in her pre-hiatus career.

But the fourth? Well, you might have to think a little bit further back to remember that one: Canyon-SRAM’s Tiffany Cromwell, the only former winner on the start list not to have claimed victory in this decade, as her Omloop win came all the way back in 2013.