This weekend, Alexander Kristoff returns to the opening weekend for the first time since 2017, as the UAE Team Emirates sprinter returns to Belgium straight from two fourth-place sprint finishes in southern Portugal and the Volta ao Algarve.

The Norwegian was the victim of an unfortunate crash after the finish of Alto do Malhão on stage 4, but was in good spirits on the final day of racing in Lagoa. After the time trial, Christophe told Cycling News that he does not necessarily expect to repeat his good performances in past races, such as his runner-up finishes in the Coure Brussel-Coulomb in 2015 and 2016.

"I'm not ready yet," he said. 'When I think back to running up front in races like this, I was always pretty far back. I usually need a few extra races to get ready."

"I'm not too worried if I don't stay at the front. Especially since the Kuhne is a bit of an easy race. There's also Jasper [Philipsen], so if I'm a little tired, I'll be able to go for him.

The day before, Christophe was fortunate to escape a crash that could have ruined his spring. On the way back down Mulhern to the team bus, a child ran out into the road and inadvertently caused Christophe to fall.

Christophe, 32, suffered a sore wrist, a thigh injury, and some scratches, but he finished Sunday's race and should be healthy enough to race this weekend.

"I got off at the bus in the middle of the road like normal," he said. 'All of a sudden a kid ran into the road and I couldn't stop in time. So I hit the side of my leg and flew over the bike and the kid."

"I rolled off a little bit and got scratches all over my body. No broken bones, but my wrist is a little sore. There was also some muscle damage to my right thigh. It hurts quite a bit, but I think it will heal nicely."

"Sure, I was a little scared about what happened with the little kid, because usually it's worse when you get hit. But from what I heard, she broke her front teeth, but otherwise she was fine."

Opening weekend is too far away from the big cobbled classic to be a form factor, but as the big race approaches, the race becomes more important to confidence.

Christophe will be racing Paris-Nice, but has had some big results in the past six seasons, winning the Tour de Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem, Scheldeprij, Dreidergues de Panne and Eschborn-Frankfurt (four wins).

He is happy to be part of the Algarve mix again and is ready to enter top form after this one.

"In terms of training, I feel good," Christophe said. "Me and Rui [Costa] were fourth or fifth every day. But at least I was able to get to the top.

"I want to race like I did last year. I won in Wevelgem and finished third in Flanders. If I can do the same, of course I will be very happy."

This year - after a disastrous 2019 Paris-Roubaix in which he suffered multiple punctures - Christophe is racing with Colnago V3Rs after using the Colnago Concept last spring. The 'Difference' Tire Clearance. According to the Norwegian, using 26mm tires last April was the cause of his bad luck in Roubaix.

"I have been training on a climbing frame and I will use that in Roubaix. It has a bigger tire clearance and will be a good bike for the classics. Last year I couldn't ride with more than 26mm tires, which is fine for the Belgian Classics, but the cobblestones in Roubaix are much worse.

"Now we can fit 28mm tires, but we requested 30mm to be safer."

What will not change in 2020 is the partnership between Christophe and Fernando Gaviria. In the past, the Colombian has said he wants to target the Spring Classic, and last year the two worked together to win in Ghent-Wevelgem.

"I think me and Fernando will be on the open card," Christophe said. 'As we saw last year in Wevelgem, it's always better to have more than two players in the final. Everyone thought we would go for Fernando, but Fernando was a bit tired, so I told him to go for myself"

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"Then my opponent went for his wheel, but he sat up and I got a little gap away.