On Saturday, the eve of the 87th Tour of Flanders, some of Johan Museeuw’s fans had already taken to the rough streets that define the gritty spring classic race in northern Belgium. On hallowed climbs including the Old Kwaremont and the infamous 22-percent Koppenberg, the buzz had already begun. The crisp, sunny day brought out scores of supporters wearing their favorite team jerseys and riding their own bikes on the same cobblestone roads that will decide round 2 of the UCI World Cup on Sunday. Many had the same question on their minds: Can Museeuw win Flanders for a fourth time?

According to Museeuw, he’ll know the answer to that question sometime around the 175km mark the 255km race, just about the time the real challenge begins.

"I'll decide on the Old Kwaremont whether to ride to win or to help the team," the 37-year-old Quick Step-Davitamon rider said on Saturday. "A lot will depend on how I feel in that part of the race."

Earlier in the week, Museeuw characteristically downplayed his favorite’s status as he struggled with a respiratory illness. He abandoned the Three Days of De Panne stage race after the first stage and said he wasn’t sure his form would be ready for Sunday.

"I was out on the course with Paolo Bettini and Luca Paolini and, I have to admit, I was struggling more than usual on the climbs," Museeuw said on Friday. "But I'm still Johan Museeuw. Even though I'm not fully fit I'll be giving everything I can. If I can't win the race, I'll be doing everything I can to make sure one of our team does."

If Saturday’s relatively calm conditions hold up on race day — which they man, according to local forecasts — the chances for Museeuw and the other Belgian tough men such as Peter Van Petegem may take a slight hit to the fast finishers. Also touted as a possible favorite is two-time world champion Oscar Freire, riding for the spring classics-savvy Rabobank squad.

Three climbs have been added to this year’s race, which starts in Bruges and finishes in Meerbeke. The short, punchy climbs are stacked in the latter part of the race, which is expected to take close to seven hours to complete. The first of 19 rated climbs comes at kilometer 89.

Tune into VeloNews.com on Sunday for live updates over the closing four hours of the Tour of Flanders, followed by a detailed race report from Kip Mikler, full results and Graham Watson photos.