In the chaotic final of Wednesday’s hundredth edition of the Scheldeprijs, Marcel Kittel showed he was the strongest rider of the pack. The sprinter of Team Argos-Shimano won the Belgian semi-classic by winning the sprint of a thinned down peloton.
The pack was watered down because of some crashes due to heavy rain. The peloton was cracked into at least four groups. At t the front only twenty to twenty-five riders where able to sustain. Kittel had Bert de Backer and Tom Veelers on his side and was able to beat Tyler Farrar and Theo Bos.
“It was a chaotic final,” Kittel said afterwards. “For several reasons. First of course because of the rain, but also because of the fact I got a bit enclosed in the sprint. I was happy that eventually I got free. That was the moment I had to go, even though the line was still far away. Fortunately, I was able to hold on. “
The 23-year old German continued: “I’m very glad that I’ve won. Especially since this is the hundredth edition. And besides that: as a sprinter you want to win the Scheldeprijs at least once in your career.”
Kittel’s victory is the first since Project 1t4i changed its name to Team Argos-Shimano.
