Preview: Scheldeprijs. Echelons madness in a world-class sprinter's classic

Scheldeprijs will take place in the sixth of April and is set to bring in a strong set of sprinters back into Belgium as they come into what is one of the most reputable non-World Tour one-day races of the season. Always between the Tour des Flandres and Paris-Roubaix, it also provides for a fine tuning of form for the specialists.

198 kilometers and no climbing whatsoever during the day, Scheldeprijs takes place in the flat roads around Antwerp, with an eye on Schoten where the finish will be placed after three laps of a circuit that includes a cobbled sector. The final circuit will have 17 kilometers in distance and feature the Broekstraat which is 1700 meters. It is not unusual for the riders to ride in the gutter, and the sector itself is not narrow so it’s not necessarily a section where crucial attacks usually come. It is usually all about the sprint.

One that is not technical. A corner with just under 2.5 kilometer, and a chicane at the entrance of the final kilometer will keep all teams on their toes, but the final straight is a kilometer long and allows for riders to regain position. It’s a flat finish, not the widest but should see a normal sprint.

The startlist includes Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Fabio Jakobsen, Zdenek Stybar, Arnaud de Lie, Florian Vermeersch, Alexander Kristoff, Sam Bennett, Nils Politt, Szymon Sajnok, Dylan Groenewegen, Cees Bol, Luka Mezgec, Alberto Dainese, Matteo Moschetti, Jon Aberasturi, Pascal Ackermann, Juan Sebastián Molano, Filippo Fiorelli, Timothy Dupont, Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Nacer Bouhanni, Niccolò Bonifazio and Kristoffer Halvorsen.

Zweeler Fantasy Sports Games predictions:

**** Jakobsen

*** Merlier, Groenewegen

** Bouhanni, de Lie, Philipsen

* Ackermann, Bennett, Kristoff, Dainese