New chance for the sprinters in Schoten?

On Wednesday 8 April, the fast men and women will once again be hoping to make their mark in the Scheldeprijs. It promises to be an extra special edition, as the finish of the sprint classic in Schoten is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Moreover, the women’s race will, for the first time, be part of the UCI Women’s ProSeries.

Terneuzen once again provides the backdrop for the start of the men’s race, which covers 202 km. After the start at 13:00, it is traditionally a question of whether the wind will play a role during the first half of the race through Zeeland. After around 75 km of racing, the riders cross the Belgian border in Essen. They then head towards the cobbles of the Broekstraat before the peloton makes its first appearance at the finish in Schoten, where three local laps of 17 km each await, including a passage over the Broekstraat every time.

The women’s race is set for its sixth edition and is, for the first time this year, part of the UCI Women’s ProSeries. At 11:40, the starting gun will signal the beginning of a 130 km course. Initially, the women head towards Wuustwezel and Hoogstraten before returning via the Broekstraat to the local circuit in and around Schoten, where they too will complete three laps.

Will we see royal bunch sprints on the Churchilllaan in Schoten again, just like last year? The women are expected to finish at around 14:45. The successor to Tim Merlier should be known at approximately 17:10.