Our preview of the 98th edition of Scheldeprijs which takes place on 7 April.
Preview of the 98th edition
Now sitting pretty in its new position between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Scheldeprijs will offer the sprinters the chance to strut their stuff in a fortnight otherwise dominated by the hillier cobbled classics.
The race is the oldest in the whole of Flanders and is celebrating its 98th edition this year.
As usual it will begin with a neutralised start outside the City Hall in Antwerp, and once the racing gets underway proper the riders will follow a 152.5km clockwise route which winds its way along the narrow country roads before finishing things off with three laps of a 16.4km circuit in and around the town of Schoten.
That initial route heads north east out of the city centre towards Schoten and gradually works its way up the region, via Sint-Job-in-'t-Goor (8km), Brecht (18.1km) and Loenhout (29.8km), to Meerle (45.1km) before arching back around and down into Hoogstraten (49.8km).
The riders continue in a southerly direction, deviating slightly to take in Beerse (80.3km), Lille (95.5km) and Lichtaart (106km), before heading back west towards the destination town.
Before they make it there though there is a 1.7km cobbled section to take on in Wijnegem (148km) which should liven up the race as the contenders look to break themselves clear of the pack.
When they do finally make it back into Schoten the final three laps also take place in a clockwise direction and another 1.7km cobbled section along the Broekstraat will add a bit of colour to proceedings before a likely gut-busting finish outside the town hall.
