Former road race world champion Mathieu Van der Poel will start his season at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium this weekend, his Alpecin-Premier Tech team announced on Wednesday.

One-day specialist Van der Poel ended his winter cyclo-cross campaign unbeaten earlier this month before turning his focus to the road, starting on Saturday with the opening Classic of the campaign.

After Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the 31-year-old will also ride Tirreno-Adriatico, Milano-Sanremo, the E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.

"After a few focused weeks of preparation, he now feels race-ready and confident to line up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the opening race in Belgium," Alpecin-Premier Tech said.

"His program for the remainder of the spring mirrors last season's successful structure," the team added.

Van der Poel, a Tour de France and Giro d'Italia stage winner, is among the leading contenders for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.