Scheldeprijs 2020 [LAST 10 KM]

October 14, 2020

Scheldeprijs 2020 – Schoten – Schoten : 173,3 km

The Scheldeprijs is normally an interlude between the cobbled Classics, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but in 2020 it is a last-gasp in an unusual season where most of the calendar has been called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The race course is a shadow of its previous self this year. Normally a crosswind battle through the exposed Zeeland region of the Netherlands and the narrow, twisting streets leading to Antwerp, the Scheldeprijs has been reduced to a kermesse in Schoten because of restrictions on sporting events in the Netherlands.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) used his trademark late acceleration to surge away from his rivals and win Scheldeprijs on his debut in the sprinters’ Classic.

The Australian came off a UAE Team Emirates leadout and opened a significant gap before he hit the line and punished the air in celebration.

Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) dived through the pack as they all opened up their sprint, sparking a crash behind him, with August Jensen (Riwal Securitas) going down hard, but reportedly not seriously injured. Ackermann was unable to match Ewan’s speed and crossed the line in second place, but was subsequently relegated for his actions.

Niccolò Bonifazio (Total Direct Énergie) tried to follow Ewan but he was blocked by other riders and could only fight for third place. He was promoted to second after Ackermann’s punishment, with Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) moving to the podium in third place. Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) was fourth, Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) fifth, and Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep) only eighth after being caught out of position.

Mark Cavendish (Bahrain McLaren) was again in the early break of the race and finished 143rd, carefully taking his race number off his bike for what could be a special souvenir of the final race of his career, despite earlier explaining he hoped to race on in 2021.

“It’s one of the biggest sprint Classics there is and I haven’t won a Classic of this level in Belgium before, so this is super nice,” Ewan said happily, knowing the importance of winning Scheldeprijs for a sprinter and for his Belgian team.

“It’s important for me, to be honest, I think it’s more important for the team. We haven’t had a win in a Classics at this level for a long time, so they are going to be really happy. It’s my first time here and now my first win, so I’m super happy to have this on my palmares now.”

Ewan was alone amongst the sprinters in the final 500 metres after a Lotto Soudal teammate pulled off the front. Despite this being his debut at Scheldeprijs, he stayed calm and waited for his moment just as he did so successfully in the two sprints he won at the Tour de France.

“For me [the final kilometre] wasn’t too bad because I was up near the front the whole time and away from all the trouble. I just wanted to be up near the front, out of trouble, and that is what the team did for me,” he explained.

How it unfolded

The riders gathered in Schoten under grey clouds, with cold but dry conditions for the 173km race. Instead of the start in Terneuzen in the Netherlands and a ride south towards Antwerp and Schoten, COVID-19 restrictions forced organisers to use a 17.3km circuit covered 10 times.

Barriers stopped crowds from seeing the riders at the start but some lined the circuit, with huge messages painted on the road for Cavendish and 2019 winner Fabio Jakobsen, who is slowly recovering from his Tour de Pologne crash injuries.

The early break formed quickly, with six riders jumping away. They were soon joined by two others, including Cavendish, after he confirmed pre-race that he had no intention to retire just yet even if he has still to secure a contract for 2021 at Bahrain, or elsewhere.

The riders in the break worked well together, with the sprinter’s teams happy to let them hang out front. Up there were Cavendish, Dmitri Groezdev (Astana), Michael Schär (CCC Team), Travis McCabe (Israel Start-Up Nation), Christopher Juul Jensen (Mitchelton-Scott), Luc Wirtgen (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles), Piotr Havik (Riwal Securitas) and 19-year-old Briton Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ). Daniil Fominykh was initially also there for Astana but soon slipped back to the peloton.

The seven attackers opened a 1:30 gap but Lotto-Soudal, Bora-Hansgrohe, Deceuninck-QuickStep, Alpecin-Fenix and UAE Team Emirates shared the chase, putting a rider on the front of the peloton.

Paris-Tours winner Casper Pedersen (Team Sunweb) crashed during lap two and retired, while soon after former world champion and Gent-Wevelgem winner Mads Pedesen (Trek-Segafredo) eased up and called it a day thinking of Sunday’s Tour of Flanders. Trek-Segafredo later said he had a slight tendon problem.

The laps ticked down at a steady pace with the break and the peloton riding steadily in a game of cat and mouse. Cavendish eventually eased up with 35km to go. He was applauded by the mechanic on the neutral service motorbike but waved away the television camera, avoiding an emotional end to his race.

The break pushed on without Cavendish, but the peloton was closing them down as the final lap approached. Askey kicked away as the bell rang to signal the last lap, but he only lasted a few minutes before the peloton swallowed him and the others as the sprint teams began to fight for position.

The final lap was covered at over 50 km/h with Deceuninick-QuickStep dominating the peloton as they tried to set up Sam Bennett. However a squeeze in the road with 1.6km to go and then a subsequent chicane shuffled the peloton, with Alpecin-Fenix hitting the front to try to set up Tim Merlier and then Trek-Segafredo trying to take over for Edward Theuns.

However they committed too much and too early, with Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) moving past them to hit the front as he lead out Jasper Philipsen in the final 500 metres.

Philipsen and Ewan opened their sprints at the same moment, but Ewan was far faster and surged clear to victory. Philipsen clashed with Bonifazio along the barriers and eventually waved his arm in protest, however, Ewan was well ahead of both of them and able to celebrate a dominant sprint victory on his debut at Scheldeprijs.

Results :
1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 3:34:38
2 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Total Direct Energie
3 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
4 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
5 Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates
6 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
7 Arvid De Kleijn (Ned) Riwal Readynez
8 Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck-Quickstep
9 Itamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel Start-Up Nation
10 Romain Cardis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
11 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
12 Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Tarteletto – Isorex
13 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
14 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
15 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel Start-Up Nation
16 Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling
17 Max Kanter (Ger) Team Sunweb
18 Davide Martinelli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
19 Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
20 Jake Stewart (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
21 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
22 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Nippo Delko Provence 0:00:05
23 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Deceuninck-Quickstep
24 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start-Up Nation
25 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Nippo Delko Provence
26 Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis
27 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott
28 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
29 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis
30 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-Quickstep 0:00:09
31 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) CCC Team 0:00:10
32 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:13
33 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) NTT Pro Cycling 0:00:15
34 Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
35 Artyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
36 Enzo Wouters (Bel) Tarteletto – Isorex
37 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers
38 Maxime De Poorter (Bel) Tarteletto – Isorex
39 Lindsay De Vylder (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
40 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:00:21
41 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:23
42 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
43 Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Bingoal WB
44 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Team
45 Jacob Relaes (Bel) Tarteletto – Isorex
46 Aksel Nõmmela (Est) Bingoal WB
47 Jack Bauer (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
48 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) CCC Team
49 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-Up Nation
50 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team
51 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
52 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Readynez
53 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:27
54 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
55 Barnabás Peák (Hun) Mitchelton-Scott
56 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
57 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
58 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team Sunweb
59 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb
60 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) CCC Team
61 Alexander Krieger (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
62 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:00:30
63 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal
64 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic
65 Julien Vermote (Bel) Cofidis
66 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
67 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
68 Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo Delko Provence
69 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
70 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
71 Alexandar Richardson (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
72 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
73 Jonas Castrique (Bel) Bingoal Wb
74 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) NTT Pro Cycling
75 Mickael Delage (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
76 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
77 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain McLaren
78 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic
79 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
80 Biniam Girmay Hailu (Eri) Nippo Delko Provence
81 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
82 Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
83 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
84 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence
85 Milan Menten (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
86 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
87 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:41
88 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Deceuninck-Quickstep
89 Norman Vahtra (Est) Israel Start-Up Nation
90 Kaden Groves (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
91 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Circus-Wanty Gobert
92 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:45
93 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
94 Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:48
95 Robbe Ghys (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
96 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
97 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:51
98 Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis 0:00:52
99 Piotr Havik (Ned) Riwal Readynez
100 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:57
101 Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:00:59
102 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team
103 Gianni Marchand (Bel) Tarteletto – Isorex 0:01:02
104 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:03
105 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
106 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Development Team Sunweb 0:01:05
107 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis
108 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal WB 0:01:06
109 Florian Maitre (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:01:08
110 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
111 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Total Direct Energie
112 Adrien Garel (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
113 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie
114 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
115 Sondre Holst Enger (Nor) Riwal Readynez
116 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
117 Rasmus Tiller (Nor) NTT Pro Cycling 0:01:11
118 Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:01:13
119 Christian Knees (Ger) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:13
120 Sean De Bie (Bel) Bingoal WB
121 Francisco Jose Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) CCC Team
122 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-Quickstep 0:01:15
123 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
124 Leon Heinschke (Ger) Development Team Sunweb
125 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
126 Joel Suter (Swi) Bingoal WB
127 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
128 Marco Haller (Aut) Bahrain McLaren
129 Tom Bohli (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
130 Chun kai Feng (Tpe) Bahrain McLaren
131 Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ
132 Michael Schär (Swi) CCC Team
133 Travis McCabe (USA) Israel Start-Up Nation
134 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott
135 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama – Fdj
136 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
137 Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Tarteletto – Isorex
138 André Greipel (Ger) Israel Start-Up Nation 0:01:24
139 Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Circus-Wanty Gobert
140 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers
141 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal 0:01:26
142 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain McLaren 0:01:46
143 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Bahrain McLaren 0:01:47
144 Samuele Battistella (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling 0:01:49
145 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Wb 0:01:51
146 Michael Gogl (Aut) NTT Pro Cycling 0:01:52
147 Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
148 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:02:22
149 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:06
150 Tobias Mørch Kongstad (Den) Riwal Readynez 0:03:11
151 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence 0:03:19
152 Christopher Lawless (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:03:27
153 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-Quickstep
154 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain McLaren 0:03:38
155 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:04:29
156 Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:05:09
157 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:05:21
158 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept 0:05:55
DNF Owain Doull (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Ylber Sefa (Alb) Tarteletto – Isorex
DNF Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb
DNF August Jensen (Nor) Riwal Readynez
DNF Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Bahrain McLaren
DNF Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team Sunweb
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) NTT Pro Cycling
DNF Pierre Barbier (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
DNF Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Martijn Budding (Ned) Riwal Readynez
DNF Donavan Vincent Grondin (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNS Shane Archbold (NZl) Deceuninck-Quickstep