“I’m definitely happy with the opening weekend,” he told TeamSky.com. “You can say it’s nice to be able to get those results and take some confidence from it – but it’s two nice results in itself.

“These are two really hard one-day races. Everyone who is going to be at the thick end of the rest of the Classics is here.

“I’m knocking on the door and not far away. It’s by no means a win which is what we are aiming for – but it’s nice to be on the podium and experience that. Onwards and upwards.

World champion Peter Sagan and Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet were victorious on the opening weekend of the spring Classics, the former prevailed at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne just a day after the latter pipped him to victory at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (pic – Sirotti)

“I’m at the stage now where I’m fairly confident of making those front groups. If it splits and there are 20-30 guys I’d be disappointed if I wasn’t there.

“But at the same time in these Classics you’ve got to be so clinical, and it’s so easy to make a mistake and not be there so it’s great to be on the front and full-on racing again.”

The Omloop proved a crash-laden start to the Classics season, with Tom Boonen (QuickStep Floors), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha-Alpecin) and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) among the big names to hit the deck on the cobbles early in the race.

The chief protagonists came together on the Taaienberg, with Stuyven accelerating and bringing with him a large group of favourites, which Rowe and team-mate Ian Stannard bridged across to on the Eikenberg.