The Scheldeprijs is a cycling race in Flanders and the Netherlands which starts in Terneuzen, crosses the Scheldt River, and finishes in Schoten.[1] Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a 1.Pro race on the UCI ProSeries, features mostly sprinters on its roll of honour, as it is held on all-flat roads over roughly 200 kilometres.[2]
First held in 1907, it is the oldest still-existing cycling event in Flanders, notably six years older than the Tour of Flandersmonument race. The race had its only interruptions during both World Wars and celebrated its 100th edition in 2012. German sprinter Marcel Kittel holds the record with five wins.[3]
Scheldeprijs finish passage in Schoten, 8 April 2015
Since 2021, a women's edition of Scheldeprijs is held on the same day as the men's race, starting and finishing in Schoten, approximately 136 kilometres in distance. Lorena Wiebes won the inaugural edition.[4]
History
The first Scheldeprijs was organised by the Antwerp branch of the Belgian cycling federation (BWB) on July 8, 1907 – making it the oldest cycling race in Flanders.[5] In its early years it started and ended in Antwerp, finishing at the now demolished Zurenborg velodrome. Later the start moved to Merksem and then Deurne, on the outskirts of Antwerp. In 1996, the start moved back to the centre of Antwerp. The inaugural race in 1907 was won by Frenchman Maurice Léturgie. It would be 46 years before another non-Belgian – Dutchman Hans Dekkers – triumphed in 1953.[6]
From the 1980s until 2009, the race was held in mid-April on the Wednesday following Paris–Roubaix. In 2010, when the Scheldeprijs was purchased by Flanders Classics, the event swapped dates with Gent–Wevelgem and has since been held on the Wednesday between the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. It has formerly been known as Scheldeprijs Schoten and Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen.[N 1] Since 2010, the race is simply known as Scheldeprijs.
The current route, starting with the 2018 edition, rolls out from Terneuzen, then passes through the Western Scheldt Tunnel before racing starts near Ellewoutsdijk. It takes a 129.8 kilometre tour of the islands of Walcheren, North and South Beveland in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands before crossing the border into Belgium, taking three laps on a local circuit and finishing at Churchilllaan in Schoten.[8]
The previous racecourse consisted of one 155 kilometres lap in the countryside of Antwerp province followed by three smaller laps of 15 kilometres in and around Schoten. That route included seven cobbled sections varying between 1300 and 3000 metres.[9] The race had a neutralised start on the banks of the River Schelde in the centre of Antwerp at the Grote Markt outside the City Hall. Racing begins in Schoten, a few kilometres northeast. The finish was outside Schoten town hall.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was postponed from the spring to 14 October, and a revised route of 10 laps around Schoten planned, remaining entirely in Belgian territory.[10]
Frenchman Maurice Léturgie won the inaugural Scheldeprijs in 1907.Local cycling icon Rik Van Looy(pictured in the rainbow jersey) won the race twice in the 1950s.Italian sprinter Mario Cipollini claimed two Scheldeprijs wins in the 1990s.Mark Cavendish had his breakthrough win at the 2007 Scheldeprijs, on the T-Mobile Team, and secured two further victories in later years.German sprinter Marcel Kittel holds the record with five wins between 2012 and 2017.
↑ Until the 1990s, English language sources tended to refer to the race by the French translation of its name (Grand Prix de l'Escaut), even though the race has always been held wholly within Dutch-speaking territory.
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Maurice Leturgie (FRA)
Marcel Kittel (GER)(5 wins)
Tim Merlier (BEL)
Lorena Wiebes (NED)
Elisa Balsamo (ITA)
