2016 Scheldeprijs (HC)
(Grand Prix de l'Escaut), Belgium
104th edition: Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Scheldeprijs podium history | 2015 edition | 2017 edition | Participating teams | Race photos
Antwerp - Schoten, 207.8 km; 1 x 157.4 km + 3 x 16.8 km
2016 Scheldeprijs map
Marcel Kittel wins 2016 Scheldeprijs
Race preview: provided by the organizer:
The 104th edition of the Scheldeprijs will take place on 6 April 2016. That makes of the Antwerp Classic the oldest still organized cycling race in Flanders. A race that is much more than alive as everybody can see every year. Furthermore the final part of the event will be even safer. And for that reason the organizers will take a few eye-catching measures.
In a first time, the bunch will be reduced. We won’t see a field of 200 riders representing 25 teams at the start anymore. To already comply with a rule the UCI will probably apply very soon, the number of participants will be reduced to 176 riders representing 22 teams. That means a reduction of 12 percent and hopefully a safer unfolding for the race.
The Scheldeprijs is considered like the “Sprinters’ World Championship”. And that of course intrinsically increases the risk factor. A massive sprint is indeed often hectic. To increase safety, the trajectory of the final will be modified. To avoid the bunch to form a “bulb” – it indeed seems that was the reason of several crashes in the last years – the final straight in the Churchill Avenue in Schoten will be shortened to roughly 800 meters. The bunch will reach that spot after going through a road narrowing road and several additional curves. As a consequence the riders will launch the sprint in a single line. Basically that should allow to have a safer unfolding for the epilogue of the race.
Who will write his name on the honor roll – many years after Maurice Leturgie, who won the first edition of the Scheldeprijs in… 1907 – is still a question mark.
The Race: as related by winner Marcel Kittel's Etixx-Quick Step team.
Marcel Kittel recorded his seventh victory of the season in a race which will now be forever linked to his name.
With two kilometers left of the 104th Scheldeprijs, Etixx – Quick-Step hit the front with three riders, who were working to bring Marcel Kittel in an ideal position for the bunch sprint. Up until that point, the race had two breakaways in the spotlight, but neither has posed any danger to the peloton who was controlled by the sprinters' teams. Unlike other seasons, this year's edition of the Belgian event was much calmer, without any incidents or crashes to take some riders out of the ecuation.
After his teammates formed a strong lead-out and escorted him up until the final 300 meters, Marcel Kittel – who has already enjoyed success this season at Driedaagse De Panne – opened his powerful sprint and went down to the line against Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), winning for a tire's width and scoring his seventh victory since joining Etixx – Quick-Step, which makes him the most successful rider of the season. Marcel, who made no secret of the fact that Scheldeprijs is one of the biggest goals of the season for him, has written history by finishing first, as he has now became the only rider to win the oldest Flemish race on four occasions.
Complete Results: 207.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.449 km/hr
1 | Marcel Kittel | Etixx-Quick Step | 4hr 54min 5sec |
2 | Mark Cavendish | Dimension Data | s.t. |
3 | André Greipel | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
4 | Edward Theuns | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
5 | Niccolò Bonifazio | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
6 | Danny van Poppel | Sky | s.t. |
7 | Nikias Arndt | Giant-Alpecin | s.t. |
8 | Wouter Wippert | Cannondale | s.t. |
9 | Dylan Groenewegen | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
10 | Daniel McLay | Fortuneo Vital Concept | s.t. |
11 | Bert Van Lerberghe | Topsport Vlaanderen | s.t. |
12 | Sam Bennett | Bora-Argon 18 | s.t. |
13 | Roy Jans | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
14 | Michael Van Staeyen | Cofidis | s.t. |
15 | Alexander Kristoff | Katusha | s.t. |
16 | Boris Vallée | Fortuneo Vital Concept | s.t. |
17 | Marc Sarreau | FDJ | @ 3sec |
18 | André Looij | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
19 | Gediminas Bagdonas | Ag2r | s.t. |
20 | Erik Baška | Tinkoff | s.t. |
21 | Jakub Mareczko | Southeast-Venezuela | s.t. |
22 | Fabio Sabatini | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
23 | Mickaël Delage | FDJ | s.t. |
24 | Eryk Laton | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
25 | Jaroslaw Marycz | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
26 | Jacopo Guarnieri | Katusha | s.t. |
27 | Jonas Rickaert | Topsport Vlaanderen | +9'' |
28 | Maximiliano Richeze | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
29 | Ramon Sinkeldam | Giant-Alpecin | +11'' |
30 | Wesley Kreder | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
31 | Maciej Paterski | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
32 | Jack Bauer | Cannondale | s.t. |
33 | Jesper Asselman | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
34 | Marcel Sieberg | Lotto-Soudal | +14'' |
35 | Barry Markus | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
36 | Franck Bonnamour | Fortuneo Vital Concept | +20'' |
37 | Rayane Bouhanni | Cofidis | s.t. |
38 | Lars Bak | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
39 | Maxime Farazijn | Topsport Vlaanderen | s.t. |
40 | Ignatas Konovalovas | FDJ | s.t. |
41 | Jasper De Buyst | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
42 | Hugo Houle | Ag2r | s.t. |
43 | Boy van Poppel | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
44 | Arman Kamyshev | Astana | s.t. |
45 | Andrea Guardini | Astana | s.t. |
46 | Elia Viviani | Sky | +23'' |
47 | Michael Gogl | Tinkoff | +25'' |
48 | Matteo Draperi | Southeast-Venezuela | s.t. |
49 | Juraj Sagan | Tinkoff | s.t. |
50 | Michal Kolár | Tinkoff | s.t. |
51 | Nikolai Trussov | Tinkoff | s.t. |
52 | Sébastien Turgot | Ag2r | s.t. |
53 | Gatis Smukulis | Astana | s.t. |
54 | Bert De Backer | Giant-Alpecin | s.t. |
55 | Adrian Kurek | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
56 | Grégory Rast | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
57 | Pavel Brutt | Tinkoff | s.t. |
58 | Tom Stamsnijder | Giant-Alpecin | s.t. |
59 | Ryan Mullen | Cannondale | s.t. |
60 | Tyler Farrar | Dimension Data | +29'' |
61 | Kenny Dehaes | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
62 | Simone Ponzi | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
63 | Frederik Backaert | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
64 | Tim Declercq | Topsport Vlaanderen | s.t. |
65 | Shane Archbold | Bora-Argon 18 | s.t. |
66 | Kris Boeckmans | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
67 | Jelle Wallays | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
68 | Tom Van Asbroeck | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
69 | Robert Wagner | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
70 | Markel Irizar | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
71 | Michael Mørkøv | Katusha | s.t. |
72 | Rüdiger Selig | Bora-Argon 18 | +39'' |
73 | Lukasz Wisniowski | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
74 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg | Dimension Data | s.t. |
75 | Alexander Porsev | Katusha | s.t. |
76 | Liam Bertazzo | Southeast-Venezuela | +42'' |
77 | Gianni Moscon | Sky | s.t. |
78 | Sean De Bie | Lotto-Soudal | +49'' |
79 | Scott Thwaites | Bora-Argon 18 | +51'' |
80 | Yaroslav Popovych | Trek-Segafredo | +1' 07'' |
81 | Florian Sénéchal | Cofidis | s.t. |
82 | Jan Bárta | Bora-Argon 18 | +1' 18'' |
83 | Ivar Slik | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
84 | Vyacheslav Kuznetsov | Katusha | +1' 20'' |
85 | Matteo Trentin | Etixx-Quick Step | +1' 23'' |
86 | Nicolas Dougall | Dimension Data | +1' 27'' |
87 | Christian Knees | Sky | +1' 31'' |
88 | Preben Van Hecke | Topsport Vlaanderen | +1' 41'' |
89 | Enrique Sanz | Southeast-Venezuela | +1' 44'' |
90 | Robin Sténuit | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | +1' 50'' |
91 | Zakkari Dempster | Bora-Argon 18 | +1' 52'' |
92 | Andreas Schillinger | Bora-Argon 18 | +2' 03'' |
93 | Ramunas Navardauskas | Cannondale | s.t. |
94 | Alexandre Pichot | Direct Énergie | +2' 07'' |
95 | Borut Božic | Cofidis | s.t. |
96 | Sjoerd van Ginneken | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
97 | Maarten Wynants | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
98 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck | Etixx-Quick Step | +2' 15'' |
99 | Twan Castelijns | LottoNL-Jumbo | +2' 18'' |
100 | Jos van Emden | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
101 | Maarten Tjallingii | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
102 | Kenneth Vanbilsen | Cofidis | s.t. |
103 | Tom Boonen | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
104 | Julien Morice | Direct Énergie | s.t. |
105 | Brian van Goethem | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
106 | Dmitriy Gruzdev | Astana | s.t. |
107 | Stijn Steels | Topsport Vlaanderen | s.t. |
108 | Marco Haller | Katusha | +2' 25'' |
109 | Thomas Boudat | Direct Énergie | +2' 44'' |
110 | Murilo Fischer | FDJ | +3' 05'' |
111 | Fabian Cancellara | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
112 | Matt Brammeier | Dimension Data | s.t. |
113 | Adam Blythe | Tinkoff | s.t. |
114 | Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier | FDJ | s.t. |
115 | Ryan Anderson | Direct Énergie | s.t. |
116 | Jesse Sergent | Ag2r | s.t. |
117 | Frederik Veuchelen | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
118 | Cyril Lemoine | Cofidis | s.t. |
119 | Yohann Gène | Direct Énergie | s.t. |
120 | Sébastien Minard | Ag2r | s.t. |
121 | Bernhard Eisel | Dimension Data | +4' 10'' |
122 | WalesLuke Rowe | Sky | s.t. |
123 | Antoine Duchesne | Direct Énergie | s.t. |
124 | Tom Devriendt | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
125 | Frederik Frison | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
126 | Stijn Devolder | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
127 | Lieuwe Westra | Astana | s.t. |
128 | Maxime Daniel | Ag2r | +5' 12'' |
129 | Steven Tronet | Fortuneo Vital Concept | s.t. |
130 | Lars van der Haar | Giant-Alpecin | s.t. |
131 | Vegard Breen | Fortuneo Vital Concept | +5' 17'' |
132 | Daniel Hoelgård | FDJ | s.t. |
133 | Sebastian Langeveld | Cannondale | s.t. |
134 | Kristoffer Skjerping | Cannondale | s.t. |
135 | Brice Feillu | Fortuneo Vital Concept | s.t. |
136 | Andrew Fenn | Sky | s.t. |
137 | Jay Thomson | Dimension Data | +5' 48'' |
138 | Alan Marangoni | Cannondale | s.t. |
139 | Steven Lammertink | LottoNL-Jumbo | +7' 56'' |
140 | Davide Martinelli | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
141 | Nico Denz | Ag2r | s.t. |
142 | Jean-Marc Bideau | Fortuneo Vital Concept | s.t. |
143 | Lukas Pöstlberger | Bora-Argon 18 | s.t. |
144 | Andrea Dal Col | Southeast-Venezuela | s.t. |
145 | Maxime Cam | Fortuneo Vital Concept | s.t. |
146 | Lander Seynaeve | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
147 | Mirko Trosino | Southeast-Venezuela | s.t. |
148 | Chad Haga | Giant-Alpecin | s.t. |
149 | Nikolay Mihaylov | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
150 | Mirko Tedeschi | Southeast-Venezuela | s.t. |
WorldTour: Etixx-Quick.Step; Lotto-Soudal; Team Tinkoff; Ag2r-La Mondiale; FdJ; Giant-Alpecin; Team Sky; Astana; Team LottoNL-Jumbo; Team Katusha; Cannondale; Trek-Segafredo; Team Dimension Data –
Pro Continental: Wanty-Groupe Gobert; Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise; Cofidis; Fortuneo-Vital Concept; Bora-Argon18; Roompot Oranje Peloton; CCC Sprandi Polkowice; Southeast-Venezuela; Direct Energie
World Champion Peter Sagan heads to the start
Matteo Trentin before the race
Frederik Backaert on the attack
Steven Tronet tries to get away
Marcel Kittel wins the race
Kittel takes the race from Mark Cavendish and André Greipel
Kittel has had a good day.
A teammate congratulates him
Mark Cavendish didn't win this one
The podium, from left: Mark Cavendish (2nd), Marcel Kittel and André Greipel (3rd)