Caspar Asgreen was the last Soudal-Quick-Step rider to win the Tour de Flanders, and he earned his stunning 2021 victory in a two-up sprint with then-defending champion Mathieu van der Pol.

This was the year he reigned supreme in the spring classics, winning five one-day races. Asgreen won two of those races, and he scored his lone victory in the E3 Saxo Classic prior to his win at Monument. Julien Alaphilippe won for the third time at La Flèche Wallonne and also made the podium at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

After the 2021 campaign, the steady stream of classic victories has settled down. Remco Evenpole, who won back-to-back Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the past two years, and Tim Mellier, who won twice in Nokélé-Coerse, were the two big winners. In Flanders, Asgreen was the top Quickstep player in 2022 with a 23rd place finish, and last year he finished in the top 10.

"Going into De Ronde, it's clear to everyone that we are in a different situation than in the past, I would have liked to be in the position I was in two or three years ago, but that's not the case now and that's a fact," Asgreen said on Friday before his sixth appearance in the Ronde.

"Getting frustrated with the fact that we're not on the same team anymore, or sitting in a corner and crying, doesn't help. [But it is clear that we need to adapt and bring something different to the table on Sunday afternoon. We are no longer a team that controls the race and dictates how it unfolds, so we want to be in a position to do something interesting with a solid result in mind."

Last year's Flanders runner-up Mathieu van der Pol (Alpecin Deceuninck) is missing several candidates, including Wout van Aert (Vimaris a Bike) and Jasper Steuben (Lidl Trek), who were injured in the Douar de Vlaanderen Now, he returns as the clear frontrunner.

"After Wednesday's Doire de Vlaanderen, things have changed and we are likely to see a different race with a whole new dynamic," said Asgreen.

"You have to expect it, but it's no secret. Flanders is a race with many key points and we need to find the points that suit us and work in our favor."

Asgreen will be alongside Alaphilippe, Mellier, Yves Lemper, Gianni Moscon, Casper Pedersen, and Bert van Lerberghe. Asgreen said that Oude Quaremont is an important section of the course and that many racers could take advantage of this situation. He also said that it is the longest climb and therefore the best place to attack.

"A lot of racers are already struggling and near the top, even if it's not as steep, power can make a difference."

Team manager Patrick Lefebvre told the media on Friday that he is optimistic that the team's "negative spiral" in the Classic can be reversed.

"Things are not going well right now, but the players are doing their best. We are in a negative spiral," he told HLN. I always look forward to the Tour of Flanders. It's a home game. You never know what's going to happen."

Asgreen told HLN.

Asgreen confirmed that the team is motivated for a good result and is not ready to give up without a fight. [As everyone knows, the Wolfpack never gives up. It is a monument, one of the hardest races of the season, and anything can happen."

Get unlimited access to all coverage of the spring classics, including reports, breaking news, and analysis of Paris-Roubaix, Tour de Flanders, Strade Bianchi, and more. More info.