Who will succeed Tim Merlier and Lorena Wiebes in the Scheldeprijs?
On Wednesday, April 9, the sprinters will once again make their mark in the Scheldeprijs. Among the men, we will look for a successor to Tim Merlier. Among the women, a battle is expected between Charlotte Kool, Elisa Balsamo, and Chiara Consonni.
Terneuzen will once again serve as the backdrop for the start of the men's race this year. The day begins at 11:40 with the team presentation at the Markt, followed by the starting signal at 13:00 for a 202 km journey through Zeeland towards Schoten.
The women will stay within Belgium’s borders. After presenting the teams one by one to the public from 10:30, the peloton will start at 11:40 on Churchilllaan for a 130 km race. Both races will have their conclusion there. Both the men and women will complete three local laps of 17 km, each featuring the cobblestones of Broekstraat.
The women's finish is expected at 14:45. The successor to Tim Merlier will be known around 17:10.
Participants men
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) will travel to Terneuzen on Wednesday, April 9, to defend his title. His biggest competitor is in the Alpecin-Deceuninck camp with Jasper Philipsen, winner in 2021 and 2023. Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) has also won the Scheldeprijs twice, in 2015 and 2022.
Danny van Poppel and Sam Welsford crossed the finish line in second place in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The two now join forces with Jordi Meeus at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Elia Viviani (Lotto) and Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek) also know what it feels like to be runners-up. The latter will also have young Tim Torn Teutenberg by his side.
Further down the provisional start list, we find the fast legs of Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty), Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla), Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL), Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), and Lukas Kubis (Unibet Tietema Rockets).
Participants women
Among the women, Lorena Wiebes' name already appears four times on the honorary list. For this fifth edition, we are looking forward to the arrival of Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL), second in 2023 and 2024. She will compete against Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto), who has also stood on the Scheldeprijs podium twice.
At Lidl-Trek, we find the fast legs of Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), third in 2021. Further down the provisional start list are also the names of Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck), Femke Gerritse (Team SD Worx – Protime), Silvia Zanardi (Human Powered Health), and Lonneke Uneken (Volkerwessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team).
