Scheldeprijs 2020 – Preview
By David Hunter
Schoten > Schoten 176km
Due to the restrictions over the border in Holland, we have a boring old lap circuit to contend with.
Nothing much to talk about, unless something very strange happens we’ll get a big bunch sprint.
Weather
A cloudy day with a threat of rain. Everyone will hope it stays dry, as it will be very sketchy if the roads are wet.
Contenders
Sam Bennett – the green jersey is here, and what a sprint train he brings with him. They’ll have Steimle to ride on the front controlling the break, then it’s Lampaert, Van Lerberghe, Sénéchal, Archbold and Mørkøv. Without doubt, this is the best train I’ve seen all year. It’s hard to imagine Bennett not starting the sprint in a wonderful position, we’ll then see if he has any legs left after the Tour de France.
Caleb Ewan – arrives with a good train, but nowhere near as good as QuickStep. Ewan took two wins in France, which was a good return considering his lack of teammates from early in the race. Before the race you would have said he had the edge on Bennett, but not anymore. Can Ewan knock him off his perch?
Pascal Ackermann – it’s been a funny couple of months for the German sprinter. He was a little off the pace in Poland, disappointed in his national road race, was back on it in Tirreno, but back being disappointing in the Binck Bank Tour. His form has been inconsistent, which is unusual. Saying that, I still wouldn’t write him off in this race.
Tim Merlier – speaking of inconsistent, it’s Tim “Inconsistent” Merlier. Very fast, but you never know what you’re going to get.
Nacer Bouhanni – current form is good; it’s been a while since I was able to write that. A couple of recent wins in France and he’s full of confidence. Can he beat the big-name sprinters here? I doubt it.
Trek Segafredo – as usual, no one knows who’ll sprint for the Trek boys. I hope it’s Eddie Theuns, he has a good chance if they nail the lead out.
Kaden Groves – young, fast, but rough around the edges.
Alberto Dainese – young, fast, but rough around the edges.
Prediction Time
Sam Bennett
to round off his brilliant season with one more win.
David Hunter
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