The cobblestone classic season has begun, and this morning the Ghent-Wevelgem got underway. The peloton will face 249 km of gravel plug streets, North Sea winds, and cobblestone climbs like the Kemelberg, before heading to the finish this afternoon. [Star Classic competitors such as Wout van Aert, Tom Pidcock, Yves Lampaert, Greg Van Avermaet, and Mads Pedersen lined up in the heart of Ypres to battle for the win in the next five or six hours of racing.

Cycling News will be on the ground in Belgium with Patrick Fletcher and Barry Ryan to bring you the big news, interviews, and the rest of this year's Classics in Belgium during the race. You will also be able to watch live coverage of Ghent-Wevelgem.

Here's what the big names had to say at the start of the race.

"The wind is not very strong, but that is not necessary for anything to happen in De Molen. The 'Hill Zone' is also much heavier than it was a few years ago. We are a team that wants to race hard today."

"It's a fun race because it's unpredictable. We want to race hard. That will be our advantage."

"I was actually pretty tired when I woke up this morning. But like today, it's always a tough weekend." (Het Nieuwsblad)

"I'm not 100% but I feel good. My goal today is just to have fun, enjoy the race and really get into it. I want to finish in a good mood

"I'm happy to be back racing in Belgium. The wind is a big factor today. I don't know how strong it will be. The wind will get stronger later. I have never raced here before, so I will rely on the experience of the other guys on the team. The race will be fast and hard and it won't be a group sprint.

"I wasn't strong enough on Friday. It happens. I couldn't run my own race. Simple.

"This race suits me better than E3. I hope there will be less sprints. That's what I'm hoping for and I think I can be that way."

"I don't think you can compare because two years ago it was a completely different race with the rain. The wind is stronger than what we are seeing now." (Sporza)

"It's a hard race with a lot of wind and climbing. It won't be easy. I think a small group will come to the finish and it will be a sprint race."

"It's not easy to win like Jumbo. They have the best cards and it will be hard to beat them, but not impossible."

"The classics and the sprinters always have a chance. The final is pretty flat, so they have a chance, but in the end it is still difficult."

"It's a little scary, but I'm happy to be back. Jacobsen is the leader today and depending on this position I will change my race strategy."

"The wind is not too strong today, so I am confident to make my presence felt in the sprint.

"I think Kemmelberg and Plugstreet will be the deciding factor in the race today as the wind is not very strong.

"I'm in good shape. I want to show what I can do in this race after failing on Friday." (37]

"I didn't feel good in E3. I was off the bike for six days before that and felt like I couldn't recover from a big effort.

"Today there is a lot of space between climbs, which suits me. The wind isn't too strong, so I can expect a big group sprint."

"I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to ride in the same way as the rest of the group.

Fabio Jacobsen (Quick Step-Alfa Vinyl): "Above all I have to try not to fall behind. Especially not to run behind Jumbo Visma."

Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe): today's tactic is to "keep the food down."

Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates): "I don't think we are in condition to win today. I am concerned about the conditions today.

Tim Mellier (Alpecin Phoenix): This is an important goal, but not as important as the other races. Plan' The first plan is to survive Kemmel three times. It will be a little easier because there is less wind.

Sepp Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech): outsider" No, I am a participant. I can't fight with the top players yet, but today I want to take another step forward.

Arnaud Des Rieres (Lotto-Soudal): This is my first Flanders Classic. I have never raced such a long race. Let's see how my legs react.

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