Quick Step is so deep in talent on its classics team it can put up a half-dozen candidates for victory.

With the team’s big stars Tom Boonen and Paolo Bettini resting their guns for Saturday’s Milan-San Remo, other riders are getting a chance to step into the spotlight. Last week, it was Gert Steegmans winning two stages at Paris-Nice.

On Wednesday in the 63rd Nokere-Koerse in Belgium, rising star Wouter Weylandt took advantage of his opportunity.

The 23-year-old easily out-kicked the pack in the 196km course through cool and windy weather to claim the mid-week semi-classic for his first win this season.

“I’m very happy with this victory. Today was a difficult race, conditioned by the strong wind and bitter cold. The team was super and they put me in the best position for the final sprint,” Weylandt said. “On Easter, I’ll be racing the Ronde Van Groen Hart-Utrech, where I already won last year. This result even gives me more confidence for (Waregem) on March 26, a very important race in which I want to do well.”

Three riders tried their luck early, with David Boucher, Sep Vanmarcke and Bjorn Papstein peeling away at 50km. The trio opened up a gap of more than 10 minutes before the sprinter teams got busy with the chase.

With 45km to go, the gap was down to three minutes and Vanmarcke fought to the end, but the main pack swallowed him up to set up the mass sprint.

Weylandt — a fourth-year pro who enjoyed a breakthrough season last year with five wins – made easy work of his rivals to snag the victory. Coming through second was Jurgen Roelandts (Silence-Lotto) while Andre Greipel (High Road) slotted in for third. American John Devine (High Road) came through 33rd with the main pack.