Greipel to skip Scheldeprijs with eye on Paris-Roubaix

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André Greipel (Lotto Belisol) has opted to skip tomorrow's sprinter-friendly Scheldeprijs in favour of resting up for Sunday's Paris-Roubaix, a decision made with the team's blessing. Greipel rode an aggressive Tour of Flanders on Sunday, helping lay the groundwork for teammate Jurgen Roelandts's podium finish, and wants to arrive at the French monument fully rested.

"André Greipel was registered as our first reserve rider here, but André wants to focus on Paris-Roubaix," Lotto Belisol directeur sportif Bart Leysen told Het Nieuwsblad. "We gave him that choice."

Greipel was Lotto's best finisher in last year's edition of Scheldeprijs in 12th place, a race won by Marcel Kittel in a typically hectic field sprint finale. Greipel's team, however, has other options for the expected sprint finish with Kenny Dehaes and Greg Henderson suiting up to start in Antwerp.

"I want to stand on the podium tomorrow, I am able to finish in the top three," said Dehaes, who has tallied two sprint victories thus far in 2013. "I hope to get as high as possible of course. The team with which I will ride the Scheldeprijs is for a big part the same as that which we have been riding with since Le Samyn. In the Handzame Classic that turned out to be a good combination, I won the race.

"Each one of us knows what his task is and we are all riding well at the moment, so tomorrow we definitely should be able to set up a nice train. I think Omega Pharma-QuickStep, with Cavendish in the team, will control the race. We have to be there in the final, if there is a large breakaway we will send a guy of us with it."

Lotto Belisol for Scheldeprijs: Kenny Dehaes (Bel), Greg Henderson (NZl), Maarten Neyens (Bel), Vicente Reynes (Spa), Fréderique Robert (Bel), Tosh Van der Sande (Bel), Jonas Van Genechten (Bel), Frederik Willems (Bel)