Every year they come out to play: the Flandriens and the Gladiators of the cobble-stoned classics. They are a different breed, with a hunger for these races which unless experienced can never be truly understood.

What makes people turn off perfectly good asphalt roads to go hell for leather over cobbled, pot-holed streets built decades ago when man still travelled by horse and cart? Some of these lanes have been here since the Romans.

Like clockwork the big players line up just on time with the form gauge on full. Juan Antonio Flecha at Het Nieuwsblad, Fabian Cancellara at E3 Prijs, Tom Boonen at Gent Wevelgem, only to mention a few.

Immediately, all the reports from the other contenders start coming in: Alessandro Ballan, who is feeling the best he has ever felt since he won Flanders in 2007. Thor Hushovd, who was doing a ton of work and driving his team to support him - as they did in E3 Prijs last weekend - is looking very strong as he added the final touches to his build-up for the big Flanders and Roubaix double.

I saw Cancellara ride a more impressive race last week in E3 Prijs than during both his Flanders and Roubaix wins of last year. His self-knowledge and confidence is just incredible as he continues to get stronger in time while the spring days are becoming warmer.

Boonen, Flecha and [Philippe] Gilbert are ready, that I’m sure of. And how about Hushovd, Ballan, Stijn Devolder and Filippo Pozzato? They are close enough to challenge but all four will need to find the final percentages of strength and power while resting these final days. The time has been and gone to do any more work on these tough roads.

Some of the likely newcomers will be Peter Sagan and Matt Goss. They are winners but still need to cut their teeth on the cobbles of Flanders and Roubaix for the future. Be sure to watch them, they will not be to far off the pace of the older and experienced Flandriens in the peloton.

But to the race. I believe this year's edition has the chance to be won from a long break. Why?

Cancellara is by far the strongest in the Classics. Born in Switzerland, he must have walked these Flemish roads of Belgium and Northern France in a previous life-time, as he knows them so well.

Fabian has the form of last year, if not better. He has the experience of what it took to achieve the triple - E3 Prijs, Flanders and Roubaix - three weekends in a row in 2010.

After working with him for four years I know Fabian. Even though he smashed everyone last year he would have looked back, analysed and identified the weak moments of his rides to further improve this year.

How can you beat someone who doesn’t even look at beating his competition but tries to beat himself? This is Cancellara, and this is why he continues to improve and why he continues to win, by beating the best - himself.

So, if Garmin-Cervelo, Quick Step or Sky want to beat Spartacus this weekend or the next, they will need to ride aggressively and intelligently. They will need to send out their troops early to weaken the "Spartacus Team".

Riders like Matthew Hayman, Heinrich Haussler, Gert Steegmans, Sagen and Goss, plus riders from other teams will need to be on the attack - be there to drive things along to put the Leopard Trek Team to work and under pressure very early in the race.

This will need to happen without the likes of a in-form Stuart O'Grady - who is showing signs of his 2007 vintage - jumping on the back and putting strong tactics into play for Leopard. It's going to be one team against the rest.

If Leopard Trek can keep Cancellara in shot of the front group with 50 kilometres to go he has the power, speed and resistance to go it alone and ride through and over anyone in front of him, or in his way.

He has proven to us quite a few times over the years he is not scared of the fight, and not scared to take on the fight, alone, without even looking back.

You can follow Scott on twitter: @triplesmc