Yves Lampert, one of several Classic leaders on the powerhouse team Dečuninck-Quickstep, heads into 2021 with confidence, having ensured his own goals after a strong finish to a confusing 2020 season.

Last year, the Belgian-born Lemper won his third Classic with a solo victory in the Bourges des Pins ahead of teammate Tim Declercq. He has already won two Doire de Flenderen and a stage win at the Vuelta a España.

Three days earlier, the 29-year-old finished fifth in the Tour de Flanders, his best result in the race and another top finish in one of the two cobbled monuments, following his third in Paris-Roubaix in 2019. The goal is to one day stand at the top of the podium in one of the two monuments.

"I wonder if it's the time for me," Lampert said when asked about the prospect of winning Flanders or Roubaix at the pre-season media day for the Dečuninck Quickstep, held via video link due to the COVID-19 craze, "I don't know if it's the time for me, but I'd like to be there.

"I hope to win a big race like the Classics. First of all I want to prepare well and hopefully I will be able to race as much as possible this year."

"I think last year gave me a lot of confidence for this year. I think we had a very good campaign in the Classics. I was almost always in the top 10 and I was able to win the Bourges des Pannes.

Detuninck-Quickstep, renowned as the strongest Classics team in the peloton, is no different this year. Lampert has world champion Julien Alaphilippe, who dropped out of contention in his Flanders debut, Ghent-Wevelgem runner-up Florian Senechal, longtime contender Zdenek Stibal, and 2019 Flanders runner-up will run on the cobblestones alongside Kasper Asgreen.

Around the peloton, the teams are poised to meet them, as well as their all-star rivals Mathieu van der Pol and Wout van Aert: at AG2R Citroen, Greg Van Avermaert and Bob Jungels join Oliver Naessen and in Lotto Soudal, John Degenkolb, Tim Wellens, and Philippe Gilbert teamed up again with young support.

But Lampert has no doubts about the strength of his team.

"Of course we come again with a really strong team and I think we can create many scenarios to win races and to make it hard. Hopefully we can do it as a team as much as possible."

"Van der Pol and Van Aert are very strong right now. I think they have to take more responsibility in the race too. They can't hide behind us anymore. That's one point, but I'm still convinced we are very strong."

"We can force the race pretty early on and not have to chase just one main leader. Last year in Flanders, with a little more luck Julien would have finished. Let's see what happens this year. We know they are there, but we have to have confidence in our own strength."

While Lampert enjoyed a 2020 campaign that included a second-place finish at Omloop Het Niusbrod in February, teammate Stival had a tougher time. The Czech veteran won in San Juan and finished sixth in Strade Bianche, but was out of the mix in October's cobbled classic. He will be competing in the same race again this year.

"It's hard to say [my goal] at the beginning of the season because there are still some uncertainties, but of course my goal is the classics."

"Omloop is my first goal, then Stradivarius Bianche. Then it goes on to Paris-Roubaix. I always want to be well prepared and in good shape, and I hope to win something in that."