On a slightly modified course of 10 laps around Schoten the Scheldeprijs took the riders today over 173 kilometers. Traditionally it’s a race for the sprinters and therefore the bunch controlled an early break of 8 riders at around 1:30. As predicted the front group was caught right on time to set up a bunch sprint, when also BORA – hansgrohe formed at the head of the peloton. The pace was really high on the last 5km with teams battling for the best positions. BORA – hansgrohe launched its lead-out with 2km remaining while C. Ewan took advantage of the best position on the home straight. Pascal Ackermann came from a little further back but found a hole at the 150m mark to break out on the right side with one rider crashing behind him. It was too late to catch Ewan, but he crossed the line in 2nd place. Unfortunately, Pascal was relegated after a jury decision little later.
Results
01 C. Ewan 0:00:00 (no times available)
02 N. Bonifazio +0:00
03 B. Coquard +0:00
From the Finish Line
“This was clearly miss-judged from the jury. Pascal found a hole and launched his sprint without touching any rider. Unfortunately, one guy touched his back wheel then and took a fall. But this was a racing incident we see quite often. From my view this is simply the wrong decision. It’s a pity for Pascal but also for all the other guys as they did a really good job today in the finale.” – Steffen Radochla, Sports Director
