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Description
April 8, 2026
114th Scheldeprijs 2026 🇧🇪 (1.Pro) ME – Terneuzen – Schoten : 205,2 km
Classified as a 1.Pro event by the UCI, the Scheldeprijs is a prominent one-day race in the Flanders region that is widely recognized as the unofficial world championship for sprinters.
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April 8, 2026
114th Scheldeprijs 2026 🇧🇪 (1.Pro) ME – Terneuzen – Schoten : 205,2 km
Classified as a 1.Pro event by the UCI, the Scheldeprijs is a prominent one-day race in the Flanders region that is widely recognized as the unofficial world championship for sprinters. The route is famously flat, typically starting in the Netherlands and traversing the wind-exposed polders of the Zeeland region before crossing into Belgium. These open sections often subject the peloton to significant crosswinds, which can fracture the field well before reaching the finishing circuits. The race concludes with multiple local laps in a traditional urban setting, featuring a mix of wide roads and technical sections, including a notable sector of cobblestones that tests positioning in the final kilometers. Due to its terrain, the event almost invariably culminates in a high-speed bunch sprint, making it a definitive showcase for the world’s fastest finishers and a key fixture for teams specializing in lead-out train efficiency.
After a winter of struggling with a knee injury and a season delayed by months, Tim Merlier gave Soudal-Quickstep their first Spring Classic victory in the Scheldeprijs. Pavel Bittner (Picnic-PostNL) and Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) rounded out the podium.
The victory came after a crash near the head of the peloton with 9km to go split the bunch, leaving only about 40 riders in contention for the sprint. Among those left was Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), but after getting an early lead-out, Philipsen was boxed in and had to settle for eighth.
Merlier’s victory is remarkable because he had only one day of racing in his legs before coming into the 205-kilometre race. Because of his knee injury, he had missed the UAE Tour and other planned early-season races. However, having won Scheldeprijs in 2024 and 2025, he knew exactly when to launch his sprint.
“It feels really good, especially after the problems I had in the winter” Merlier said.
“I wasn’t on my best day, and on the final lap there was also that crash which I was lucky to avoid thanks to my cyclo-cross skills. At that moment, I thought there was nothing left anymore in the legs and that the explosion was gone. In the sprint, I got boxed in for a moment but found some space and decided to go, despite being 250 meters from the line.
“Three victories in Scheldeprijs, I guess that’s not too bad. There were a lot of question marks for me before the start, that’s why this victory gives me a lot of confidence for the next races.”
How it unfolded
The day’s breakaway contained Robin Carpenter (Modern Adventure), Bram Dissel and Joost Nat (BEAT CC p/b Saxo), Jonah Killy (Tarteletto Isorex), Đorđe Đurić (Solution Tech Nippo Rali), and Jelle Harteel (Tarteletto – Isorex).
With nice weather and little wind, the sprinters’ classic played out true to form, with the six escapees getting just over two minutes on the field before being brought to within one minute with 55km to go.
The six leaders just dangled in front of the bunch until Đurić, Harteel and Nat were dropped. Then the remaining trio continued to hang just under 30 seconds ahead of the peloton.
With 9km to go, a crash near the front of the peloton disrupted proceedings, taking down a dozen riders, including Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) and holding up many more.
When the breakaway hit the final stretch of cobbles on the Broekstraat, they had just 13 seconds. Dissel accelerated, leaving Carpenter behind.
He and Killy persisted but were finally brought back by a much-reduced peloton with 4km to go. Killy gladly sat up, but Dissel continued to power on until he was finally swept up with 3.5km to go by the bunch led by his own teammates.
Alpecin-Premier Tech led into the final kilometre, but Max Walscheid (Lidl-Trek) tried to force his hand with a long sprint. Once the German faded, Merlier pounced, and Philipsen had no response. He got boxed in, and Bittner and Jeannière trailed Merlier in for the podium spots.
Results :
 ME </strong> - Terneuzen - Schoten : 205,2 km
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Classified as a 1.Pro event by the UCI, the Scheldeprijs is a prominent one-day race in the Flanders region that is widely recognized as the unofficial world championship for sprinters. The route is famously flat, typically starting in the Netherlands and traversing the wind-exposed polders of the Zeeland region before crossing into Belgium. These open sections often subject the peloton to significant crosswinds, which can fracture the field well before reaching the finishing circuits. The race concludes with multiple local laps in a traditional urban setting, featuring a mix of wide roads and technical sections, including a notable sector of cobblestones that tests positioning in the final kilometers. Due to its terrain, the event almost invariably culminates in a high-speed bunch sprint, making it a definitive showcase for the world's fastest finishers and a key fixture for teams specializing in lead-out train efficiency.
After a winter of struggling with a knee injury and a season delayed by months, Tim Merlier gave Soudal-Quickstep their first Spring Classic victory in the Scheldeprijs. Pavel Bittner (Picnic-PostNL) and Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) rounded out the podium.
The victory came after a crash near the head of the peloton with 9km to go split the bunch, leaving only about 40 riders in contention for the sprint. Among those left was Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), but after getting an early lead-out, Philipsen was boxed in and had to settle for eighth.
Merlier's victory is remarkable because he had only one day of racing in his legs before coming into the 205-kilometre race. Because of his knee injury, he had missed the UAE Tour and other planned early-season races. However, having won Scheldeprijs in 2024 and 2025, he knew exactly when to launch his sprint.
“It feels really good, especially after the problems I had in the winter" Merlier said.
"I wasn’t on my best day, and on the final lap there was also that crash which I was lucky to avoid thanks to my cyclo-cross skills. At that moment, I thought there was nothing left anymore in the legs and that the explosion was gone. In the sprint, I got boxed in for a moment but found some space and decided to go, despite being 250 meters from the line.
“Three victories in Scheldeprijs, I guess that’s not too bad. There were a lot of question marks for me before the start, that’s why this victory gives me a lot of confidence for the next races."
<strong>How it unfolded</strong>
The day's breakaway contained Robin Carpenter (Modern Adventure), Bram Dissel and Joost Nat (BEAT CC p/b Saxo), Jonah Killy (Tarteletto Isorex), Đorđe Đurić (Solution Tech Nippo Rali), and Jelle Harteel (Tarteletto - Isorex).
With nice weather and little wind, the sprinters' classic played out true to form, with the six escapees getting just over two minutes on the field before being brought to within one minute with 55km to go.
The six leaders just dangled in front of the bunch until Đurić, Harteel and Nat were dropped. Then the remaining trio continued to hang just under 30 seconds ahead of the peloton.
With 9km to go, a crash near the front of the peloton disrupted proceedings, taking down a dozen riders, including Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) and holding up many more.
When the breakaway hit the final stretch of cobbles on the Broekstraat, they had just 13 seconds. Dissel accelerated, leaving Carpenter behind.
He and Killy persisted but were finally brought back by a much-reduced peloton with 4km to go. Killy gladly sat up, but Dissel continued to power on until he was finally swept up with 3.5km to go by the bunch led by his own teammates.
Alpecin-Premier Tech led into the final kilometre, but Max Walscheid (Lidl-Trek) tried to force his hand with a long sprint. Once the German faded, Merlier pounced, and Philipsen had no response. He got boxed in, and Bittner and Jeannière trailed Merlier in for the podium spots.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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