April 5/17 17:49 pm - Scheldeprijs results

Posted by Editoress on 04/5/17
 

German Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) won the 105th edition of the Scheldeprijs in Belgium after 203 kilometres from Mol Mol to Schoten.  Kittel lead a bunch sprint just ahead of the Italian Elia Viviani, with  Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) completing the podium

For Kittel a record, his fifth victory at Scheldeprijs in six years.

For Tom Boonen his last official race on Belgian soil.

Immediately after the start seven escapees went away. Belgians Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty - Groupe Gobert), Stijn Steels (Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise),  Christophe Premont (Verandas Willems-Crelan) and Julien Stassen (LA Vera Classic) were joined by Dutchman Pim Ligthart (Roompot),  German Marco Mathis (Katusha) and the Albanian Eugert Zhupa (Wilier Triestina).

Although the gap would reach 5 minutes after 80 km, by 38 km to go the gap was down to 1 minute. For Zhupa it was all too slow, so he attacked with only Ligthart able to follow. With just 20 kilometres to go Ligthart Zhupa were joined by a reduced peloton.

Tom Boonen then went to the front of the Quick-Step train, towing over the cobbles of the Broekstraat. With four kilometres to go a crash took down a large pack of riders including André Greipel and Dylan Groenewegen. Peter Sagan had at that time just attacked and avoided the mayhem. In the final sprint Marcel Kittel took the wheel of Team Sky's Viviani and passed him at the line with Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis, Solutions Credits) taking third.

Results