Scheldeprijs 2019 [FULL RACE]

April 10, 2019

Scheldeprijs 2019 – Borsele – Schoten : 202,3 km

Sandwiched between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix is Flanders’ oldest race, Scheldeprijs. Since 2010, the race has held this prestigious spot and it is an opportunity for the pure sprinters to show their mettle. Though it sits in the centre of the two biggest cobbled races on the calendar there is barely a cobble to speak of in this often-chaotic race. The race generally attracts a few of the big Classics contenders looking for a chance to do some in-race training, though most chose to stay away.

Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) punched his chest and then the air as he dashed across the finish line with the victory at the mid-week classic Scheldeprijs in Schoten. The 22-year-old Dutchman keyed off of a perfectly timed lead-out to take a repeat win ahead of Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb) and Chris Lawless (Team Sky).

Deceunink-QuickStep hit the front and dragged the field under the kilometre banner and through the final corners of the race. While Jakobsen surfed the front of top sprinters, his teammate Michael Mørkøv offered one last surge as his final lead-out man.

Marco Haller (Katusha-Alpecin) jumped a little too early and was caught and passed by a faster Lawless, and then Walscheid. A patient Jakobsen bided his time and then accelerated off of Walscheid’s wheel, with what was the fastest sprint, passing both the Sunweb rider and then Lawless to take a convincing victory.

How it unfolded

It was a sunny morning in Terneuzen [Netherlands] when the riders signed on at the market square for the 107th edition of the Scheldeprijs. Ever since starting in Terneuzen, the wind has often been a crucial factor in the first part of the race.

This year, the wind from the northeast would result in a headwind start, followed after about 30km by an endless cross-wind section, until reaching the two local laps of 17km. It made for a much harder race than in previous years.

After a 15km roll-out that passed through the 6.6km Western Scheldt Tunnel, the race kicked off straight away. Kenneth Vanbilsen (Cofidis) and Tom Wirtgen (Wallonie-Bruxelles) were the first attackers, anticipating the fight in the echelons. The duo was quickly caught back by a first echelon when the race reached the former North Beveland island.

By the time the riders completed the first hour of racing, 47 kilometres were covered. There were several groups up the road, with the first one including 35 riders. They battled against a second large group that trailed them by 30 seconds. While a third group was losing ground and they trailed by more than a minute.

The first groups came back together as the pace dropped toward the 60km mark of the race. The riders from EF Education First seemed motivated and upped the pace again when approaching Goes.

Bora-Hansgrohe was well represented in the first group with their sprinter Pascal Ackermann, but also among the front were Nils Politt (Katusha), Ryan Mullen (Trek-Segafredo), Taylor Phinney (EF Education First), Lawrence Naesen and Nikolas Maes (both Lotto-Soudal), and Chris Lawless and Gianni Moscon (both Team Sky).

A second group with many Deceuninck-QuickStep riders worked hard to bring back the leaders. But after 80km of racing, there were eight groups of riders spread out over the course, with the first group distancing the last group by nearly four minutes.

At the feed zone, 100km into the race, the pace dropped back again, and Dries De Bondt (Corendon-Circus) and Brian van Goethem (Lotto-Soudal) tried their luck. The duo collected an advantage of nearly a minute until the pace upped again and the leaders were caught back. Defending champion Jakobsen and last year’s runner-up Achermann were victims of a crash. And only after 135km of racing, when approaching Belgium, the wind battles were over and the peloton was back together.

The main question was how much had those efforts taken their toll on the sprinters such as five-time winner Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin), who had been struggling all day.

Vanbilsen and De Bondt attacked to get some publicity in the final hours of racing. When reaching the two final laps, the duo was 1:15 ahead of the peloton, but by the time they hit the last lap their adventure was over.

Still too early to begin their lead-outs, the field spread wide across the road, riders jockeying for the front positions while still conserving some energy before crucial final kilometres.

A crash among the field took down some of the Katusha-Alpecin riders including Kittel, while simultaneously Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) jumped from the field. Lionel Taminiaux (Wallonie Bruxelles) bridged across but then struggled to stay on the Norwegian’s wheel and eventually popped and drifted back to the main field.

Deceuninck-QuickStep were the first team to start the lead-out, drawing in Boasson Hagen and keeping the speeds fast enough to deter any late-race attacks. They provided the perfect set up for Jakobsen, who proved to be unrivalled in the final sprint as he claimed his second consecutive win.

Results :
1 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:26:45
2 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb
3 Christopher Lawless (GBr) Team Sky
4 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
5 Roy Jans (Bel) Corendon-Circus
6 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
7 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin
8 Emils Liepins (Lat) Wallonie Bruxelles
9 Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates
10 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
11 Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
12 Maarten van Trijp (Ned) Corendon-Circus
13 Nicolai Philip Brochner Nielsen (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
14 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
15 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
16 Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
17 Daniel McLay (GBr) EF Education First
18 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
19 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal
20 Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
21 André Greipel (Ger) Arkéa Samsic
22 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
23 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb
24 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy
25 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
26 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
27 Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Roompot-Charles
28 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
29 Justin Timmermans (Ned) Roompot-Charles
30 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
31 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
32 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
33 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Cycling Academy
34 Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal
35 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:09
36 Rasmus Bøgh Wallin (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:00:11
37 Adrien Garel (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel 0:00:12
38 Corentin Ermenault (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
39 Milan Menten (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:00:17
40 Julien Vermote (Bel) Dimension Data
41 Clément Russo (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
42 Senne Leysen (Bel) Roompot-Charles
43 Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra) Direct Energie
44 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Corendon-Circus
45 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
46 Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
47 Julien Morice (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
48 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
49 Hamish Schreurs (NZl) Israel Cycling Academy
50 Brian van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal
51 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-Alpecin
52 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
53 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:20
54 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data 0:00:22
55 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin
56 Asbjørn Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb 0:00:24
57 Taylor Phinney (USA) EF Education First 0:00:27
58 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:30
59 Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
60 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:31
61 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep
62 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
63 Dennis van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy
64 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb
65 Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:00:40
66 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
67 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky 0:00:42
68 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
69 Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:49
70 Tom Bohli (Swi) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
71 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Gobert
72 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First 0:01:06
73 Tobias Mørch Kongstad (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:01:09
74 Torkil Veyhe (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:01:16
75 Emil Nygaard Vinjebo (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
76 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb
77 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
78 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:01:31
79 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Team Sunweb
80 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:01:39
81 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
82 Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
83 Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
84 Davide Martinelli (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:46
85 Alvaro Hodeg (Col) Deceuninck-QuickStep
86 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data 0:01:50
87 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky 0:02:12
88 Adam Blythe (GBr) Lotto Soudal
89 Filippo Fortin (Ita) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
90 Logan Owen (USA) EF Education First 0:02:23
91 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:40
92 Robbe Ghys (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:02:44
93 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:05
94 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 0:04:36
95 Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education First
96 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
97 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
98 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
99 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
100 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
101 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:46
102 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
103 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot-Charles 0:06:01
104 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
105 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
106 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
107 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
108 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
109 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
110 Alan Riou (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
111 Florian Vachon (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
112 Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Dimension Data 0:11:05
DNF Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Thibault Guernalec (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Brice Feillu (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Franklin Six (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Kenny Molly (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Matti Breschel (Den) EF Education First
DNF Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
DNF Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty-Gobert
DNF Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
DNF Stijn Steels (Bel) Roompot-Charles
DNF Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
DNF Zico Waeytens (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
DNF Filippo Ganna (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Corendon-Circus
DNF Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky
DNF Joeri Stallaert (Bel) Corendon-Circus
DNF Pim Ligthart (Ned) Direct Energie
DNF Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Simon Sellier (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Riccardo Minali (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Kim Magnusson (Swe) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
DNF Mathias Norsgaard Jørgensen (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
DNF Boy van Poppel (Ned) Roompot-Charles
DNF Alex Frame (NZl) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Sacha Modolo (Ita) EF Education First
DNF Marco Mathis (Ger) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Direct Energie
DNS Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data