SCHELDEPRIJS: THE SPRINTERS PLAYGROUND

Filling the gap between the two mighty monuments of Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix, Scheldeprijs sends teams from the heart of Flandrien country to the northern reaches of Belgium – before the journey continues all the way back down to the French-Belgian border for Roubaix.

Lining up for CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto in this UCI 1.1 sprinter-friendly event are Chiara Consonni, Justyna Czapla, Nastya Kolesava, Zoe Bäckstedt and Maria Martins.

Starting and finishing in Schoten, near Antwerp, the peloton begins with one large 70-kilometre lap before tackling three local loops of 17km – on a course used in each of the past five editions.

In the opening phase of the 130km race, the route covers classic northern Belgian countryside. The riders will draw close to the Dutch border, and encounter flat, open, and largely rural terrain, with long, straight roads flanked by exposed fields. It’s textbook echelon country.

Apart from a brief stretch alongside the Albert Canal, a major transportation waterway through inland Belgium, the majority of the local loop is sheltered. The main challenges arise from narrow roads, tight and twisty suburban areas with road furniture, and the 1km cobbled stretch of Broekstraat. All these elements amplify the tension and constant battle for position within the peloton.

In each of the five years the race has been held for the women’s peloton, it has ended in a large, hectic bunch sprint. With good weather and the wind forecast to be mild on Wednesday, it wouldn’t be bold to suggest that this pattern will continue to hold true.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Scheldeprijs | UCI 1.1 | Wednesday April 9 | 130.3km | 208m elevation | Start 11:40 CET – fastest finish 14:43.

Live coverage begins at 13:00 CET on Eurosport, Discovery Plus, TNT Sports, FloBikes, and with a non-geoblocked livestream provided by Proximus. Stay updated on X with #SP25 and #SPWomen, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for the latest team updates.