 | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Mid April |
| Region | Antwerp, Belgium |
| English name | Grand Prize of the Scheldt |
| Local name(s) | Scheldeprijs(in Dutch) |
| Discipline | Road race |
| Competition | UCI ProSeries |
| Type | Single-day |
| Web site | www |
| Men's history | |
| First edition | 1907 (1907) |
| Editions | 112 (as of 2024) |
| First winner |  Maurice Leturgie (FRA) |
| Most wins |  Marcel Kittel (GER)(5 wins) |
| Most recent |  Tim Merlier (BEL) |
| Women's history | |
| First edition | 2021 (2021) |
| Editions | 4 (as of 2024) |
| First winner |  Lorena Wiebes (NED) |
| Most wins | Lorena Wiebes (NED)(4 wins) |
| Most recent | Lorena Wiebes (NED) |
TheScheldeprijs is acycling race inFlanders and the Netherlands which starts inTerneuzen, crosses theScheldt River, and finishes inSchoten.[1] Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a1.Pro race on theUCI ProSeries, features mostly sprinters on its roll of honour, as it is held on all-flat roads over roughly 200 kilometres.[2]
First held in 1907, it is the oldest still-existing cycling event inFlanders, notably six years older than theTour of Flandersmonument race. The race had its only interruptions during both World Wars and celebrated its 100th edition in 2012. German sprinterMarcel Kittel holds the record with five wins.[3]
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Since 2021, a women's edition of Scheldeprijs is held on the same day as the men's race, starting and finishing in Schoten, approximately 136 kilometres in distance.Lorena Wiebes won the inaugural edition.[4]
The first Scheldeprijs was organised by the Antwerp branch of the Belgian cycling federation (BWB) on July 8, 1907 – making it the oldest cycling race inFlanders.[5] In its early years it started and ended inAntwerp, finishing at the now demolishedZurenborg velodrome. Later the start moved toMerksem and thenDeurne, on the outskirts of Antwerp. In 1996, the start moved back to the centre of Antwerp. The inaugural race in 1907 was won by FrenchmanMaurice Léturgie. It would be 46 years before another non-Belgian – DutchmanHans Dekkers – triumphed in 1953.[6]
From the 1980s until 2009, the race was held in mid-April on the Wednesday followingParis–Roubaix. In 2010, when the Scheldeprijs was purchased byFlanders Classics, the event swapped dates withGent–Wevelgem and has since been held on the Wednesday between theTour of Flanders andParis–Roubaix. It has formerly been known asScheldeprijs Schoten andScheldeprijs Vlaanderen.[N 1] Since 2010, the race is simply known as Scheldeprijs.
Prominent winners includeEddy Merckx,Rik Van Looy,Mario Cipollini,Freddy Maertens,Roger De Vlaeminck,Erik Zabel,Briek Schotte,Stan Ockers,Georges Ronsse,Mark Cavendish, andTom Boonen. German sprinterMarcel Kittel holds the record for most wins with five victories between 2012 and 2017. Belgianclassics specialistJohan Museeuw, who finished second in 1992 and 1997, chose the 2004 event as his final race, saying, "I could have retired after Paris–Roubaix but I felt it important that my last race should be in Belgium. The Scheldeprijs is a great race and I especially love the start on Antwerp's market place."[7]
The current route, starting with the 2018 edition, rolls out from Terneuzen, then passes through theWestern Scheldt Tunnel before racing starts nearEllewoutsdijk. It takes a 129.8 kilometre tour of the islands ofWalcheren,North andSouth Beveland in the province ofZeeland in the Netherlands before crossing the border into Belgium, taking three laps on a local circuit and finishing at Churchilllaan in Schoten.[8]
The previous racecourse consisted of one 155 kilometres lap in the countryside ofAntwerp province followed by three smaller laps of 15 kilometres in and aroundSchoten. That route included seven cobbled sections varying between 1300 and 3000 metres.[9] The race had a neutralised start on the banks of theRiver Schelde in the centre of Antwerp at theGrote Markt outside theCity Hall. Racing begins in Schoten, a few kilometres northeast. The finish was outside Schoten town hall.
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was postponed from the spring to 14 October, and a revised route of 10 laps around Schoten planned, remaining entirely in Belgian territory.[10]
The following cyclists have won the race:[11]
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| Wins | Rider | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Marcel Kittel (GER) | 2012,2013,2014,2016,2017 |
| 3 | Piet Oellibrandt (BEL) | 1960, 1962, 1963 |
 Mark Cavendish (GBR) | 2007,2008,2011 | |
| 2 | Florent Luyckx (BEL) | 1910, 1911 |
| Joseph Van Wetter (BEL) | 1912, 1913 | |
| René Vermandel (BEL) | 1921, 1924 | |
| Godefried De Vocht (BEL) | 1931, 1932 | |
| Achiel Buysse (BEL) | 1939, 1948 | |
| Stan Ockers (BEL) | 1941, 1946 | |
| Rik Van Looy (BEL) | 1956, 1957 | |
| Raymond Vrancken (BEL) | 1958, 1961 | |
| Marc Demeyer (BEL) | 1974, 1977 | |
| Ludo Peeters (BEL) | 1980, 1984 | |
| Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) | 1986, 1988 | |
 Mario Cipollini (ITA) | 1991, 1993 | |
| Endrio Leoni (ITA) | 2000, 2001 | |
| Tom Boonen (BEL) | 2004, 2006 | |
| Fabio Jakobsen (NED) | 2018, 2019 | |
 Alexander Kristoff (NOR) | 2015, 2022 | |
| Jasper Philipsen (BEL) | 2021, 2023 |
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 79 | Belgium |
| 11 | Netherlands |
| 7 | Germany (including West Germany) |
| 6 | Italy |
| 3 | Great Britain |
| 2 |  Australia Norway |
| 1 | France United States |
| Year | Country | Rider | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Netherlands | Lorena Wiebes | Team DSM |
| 2022 | Netherlands | Lorena Wiebes | Team DSM |
| 2023 | Netherlands | Lorena Wiebes | SD Worx |
| 2024 | Netherlands | Lorena Wiebes | Team SD Worx–Protime |
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 4 | Netherlands |
