Sprinters will get a rare chance to shine in the Belgian one-day classics in Wednesday's Ghent-Wevelgem race.

The 209-km event is largely flat, making it a key target for the sport's fastmen.

Leading speedsters for the race's 70th edition include 22-year-old Briton Mark Cavendish, Italian Francesco Chicchi, Norwegian Thor Hushovd and German veteran Erik Zabel.

Cavendish has never raced Ghent-Wevelgem before and is aiming to break a 34-year drought of British victories in the Belgian classic.

"He's a big favourite if there's a bunch sprint," Cavendish's High Road team manager Rolf Aldag said. "He proved he's got the form with two wins last week in the De Panne race in Belgium.

"Ghent-Wevelgem is very unpredictable, you need lots of different options to have a chance of winning. But a bunch sprint is a very likely scenario, and that suits Cavendish."

Following a knee injury earlier in the season, 2007 winner Marcus Burghardt will not be taking part. The Kemmelberg climb, tackled twice in the final hour's racing constitutes the main challenge for the sprinters.

Following numerous crashes on the descent of the Kemmelberg in recent years, race organisers have changed the route off the climb to make it safer.

Watch live streaming of the race on uk.eurosport.yahoo.com from 1.45pm on Wednesday.

Reuters