As it happened: Philipsen beats Welsford and Cavendish in Scheldeprijs sprint

Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of the men's Scheldeprijs race.   

The men face 205km of racing but first face a 7.2km neutralised sector.

The Scheldeprijs is considered the Classic for the sprinters. 

It is the oldest road race in Flanders and started in 1907 with a start and finish in Antwerp. The race did not leave the borders of Belgium until a route change in 2018, which included roads in the lower Netherlands. 

The Scheldeprijs is positioned mid-week between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Previously the race has been contested by sprinters and run east from Antwerp on roads almost entirely within the Antwerp province.

Since 2018, however, the inclusion of start towns to the west into the Netherlands' windswept Zeeland province have made for a somewhat more selective affair, depending on the weather.

While Kittel has the most victories in the Scheldeprijs, Fabio Jakobsen has collected two of the last five editions.

However, as the Cyclingnews blimp takes heigh, the sun is out and the weather is very spring like for Scheldeprijs. 

These are the routes of the men's and women's races. 

We'll have full reports from both.  

They off! 

The flag has dropped and he men's 2023 Scheldeprijs is underway. 

The first part of Scheldeprijs rides along the dykes and lowlands of Zeeland. Last year the race split into echelons here but this year there is little wind and so little threat of echelons. 

After 10km, seven riders are on the move.  

The seven are: Ceriel Desal, Josh Kench, Giulio Masotto, Ruben Apers, Filippo Ridolfo, Bram Dissel, Vincent Hoppezak.

The peloton has let them go and their gap is close to 3:00. 

Soudal-Quick Step (for Jakobsen) and Lotto-Dstny (for Ewan) are leading the chase of the break and have pegged the gap to 3:00. 

Caleb Ewan is expecting a high-speed sprint finish. He won Scheldeprijs in 2020.

This was the roll out of the men's race. 

Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny) will clash with some of their biggest sprint rivals at Scheldeprijs, including 2021 winner Jasper Philipsen, who can count on Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel. 

They will go up against 2022 winner Alexander Kristoff (now with Uno-X), Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla), Sam Welsford (Team DSM), Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5) and others in what is often called the unofficial sprinter's World Championships.

Cavendish won Scheldeprijs in 2007, 2008 and 2011 and was third as recently as 2021. 

He enjoyed a renaissance with Quickstep in the past two years – winning the Tour de France green jersey and four stages in 2021. He has yet to find success since moving to Astana Qazaqstan this year, with his best result a third place on a wind-swept first stage of the UAE Tour in January.

Ewan won Scheldeprijs in 2020 but has only won the Tour Down Under criterium this season. 

He has been somewhat overshadowed by teammate Arnaud De Lie but Lotto-Dstny are saving their young talent for Paris-Roubaix. 

That leaves Ewan to target a confidence-boosting victory in Schoten, where he will have the support of Jasper De Buyst, Jarrad Drizners, Liam Slock and Jacopo Guarnieri.

Strong winds transformed last year's Scheldeprijs from a sprinter's classic into an echelon battle. 

On the exposed roads of Zeeland close to the North Sea, 17 riders got away and stayed away. Kristoff attacked in the final kilometres and soloed to victory. Since then, 

The weather should be less of a factor on Wednesday and it is more likely Scheldeprijs will come down to a sprint finish.

"There will be a northeasterly wind, but very little," predicts Flemish weatherman Bram Verbruggen.

"In the course of the afternoon, it even becomes variable. The wind will therefore play no role in the Scheldeprijs. The other weather elements shouldn't be either. It should remain dry and the sun."

The chase has pulled the attackers back to around 2:00. 

Meanwhile, Kristoff needs some mechanical support from his Uno-X team car. 

After defeat at the Tour of Flanders, Mathieu van der Poel decided to add Scheldeprijs to his race schedule.

He will ride for Alpecin-Deceuninck's on-form sprinter Jasper Philipsen and use the race as one last long ride before Sunday's Paris-Roubaix.   

"A race in my own region is always nice," Van der Poel said when he confirmed his ride.

"Some extra race rhythm in the run-up to Paris-Roubaix is good, and besides, I'm looking forward to trying to help - as I did twice in Tirreno - our leader Jasper Philipsen in the sprint." 

Belgian journalist Renaat Schotte appears to be on the Sporza motorbike today and captured this slow-mo video of the breakaway.

Van der Poel spoke to Sporza before the start of Scheldeprijs about his reasons for racing today. 

"In the past I often found that the week between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix rather difficult," he admitted.

 "By riding this race I can still cover 200 kilometres at a good average. It's a good way to keep busy. So it's certainly not the case that I'm looking for fitness here."

In Tirreno-Adriatico he proved to be an excellent lead out for sprinter Jasper Philipsen.

 "It's an ideal combination. I can loosen out my legs but I can also help Jasper," he said.

165km to go

The sprint teams continue to control the break, keeping the gap at between three and four minutes. 

The break is under control but the pace is high. 

The average speed for the first hour was 47.5 km/h.

150km to go

The riders in the peloton are enjoying the sun and warm weather, letting the break hang out front at 3:00. 

Alpecin have placed  Senne Leysen on the front to lead the chase, along with riders from Soudal and Bora. 

135km to go

The men are still on the way to the Schoten circuit but the women are racing hard and on their final lap. 

Watch out for a full report on Cyclingnews .

Fabio Jakobsen is hoping to win Scheldeprijs for Soudal-QuickStep. His logic is simple but he knows the team has made mistakes this season in the absence of lead out man Michael Morkov.  

"If you have already been able to win here 2 times, you should also succeed a 3rd time," Jakobsen told sporza. 

"My feeling is that I am at the level of last year in terms of form and condition, but then I took my chances more often. We've already got our tactically wrong a few times." 

After 75 kilometres of racing in the Netherlands, the riders are in Belgium for the last 130 kilometers of Scheldeprijs. 

They pass through the finish line in Schoten for the first time with 57km to go.

This is a great shot of Lorena Wiebes winning Scheldeprijs women.

The maximum lead of the 7 attackers was 3:30 but it is now only 1:30.

105km to go

There's a long list of sprinters at Scheldeprijs. Sporza have listed them all.

- Fabio Jakbosen
- Dylan Groenewegen
- Jasper Philipsen
- Caleb Ewan
- Alexander Kristoff
- Jordi Meeus
- Danny van Poppel
- Gerben Thijssen
- Sam Welsford
- Mark Cavendish
- Giacomo Nizzolo
- Alberto Dainese
- Hugo Hofstetter
- Edward Theuns

The riders are at the feed zone, just beyond the half-distance point. 

They've enjoyed a steady ride so far but the speed will surely rise in the rest of the race. 

93km to go

As the peloton finishes lunch, the Bora, Alpecin, and Soudal riders return up front to keep the break in check. 

The gap is at 1:50 now.

Mathieu van der Poel might be regretting his decision to ride Scheldeprijs.  He had to drop back to the team car to wipe some bird poop from his helmet. 

73km to go

The peloton is lined out as they chase the break. 

70km to go

Jayco AlUla are also helping to chase the break now. 

With no wind, the sprinters' teams are in total control.  

The Scheldeprijs circuit includes a section of cobbles in the forest. The peloton is on them now. 

They're 10km away from passing through the finish area. 

Wisely, teams are moving up to the front, including Mark Cavendish's Astana squad.

The cobblestones of the Broekstraat section cause some concern in the peloton.  It's 1700 metre long.

These are the brave seven riders in the break:

Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB)

Josh Kench (Bolton Equities Black Spoke)

Giulio Masotto (Team Corratec)

Ruben Apers (Team Flanders-Baloise)

Filippo Ridolfo (Team Novo Nordisk)

Bram Disse (Beat Cycling)

Vincent Hoppezak (Beat Cycling) 

The 7 attacked after just 10km and so have been away for 140km or so now. 

The peloton is letting them hang out front, keeping the gap to around 1:00 now.  

This is the break of the race.

And this was the peloton chasing the break earlier in the race.

This was the ride over the cobbles. 

The riders are about to start the three finishing circuit.

50km to go

The peloton passes the finish at 53 seconds.   

Tim Declercq of Soudal has done a lot of the work chasing the break.

He's shard the load with Marco Haller of Bora. 

40km to go

The peloton is playing cat and mouse with the break as the kilometres tick down. Each is riding steady, trying to control the other. 

The break may try to accelerate soon to try to surprise the peloton. 

Mathieu van der Poel is sat at the back of the peloton. We can expect him to move up soon to lead out Jasper Philipsen, the big favourite for today's finish. 

The peloton passes through the finish again, with 2 laps to go. 

The pace is so steady that Jasper Philipsen stops for a natural break. 

30km ot go

The pace is up in the peloton and so the gap is down to 30 seconds. 

We can see the sprint trains are forming. 

25km to go

The riders in the break are still working hard together but the peloton can seem them now.  

22km to go

Here comes the Alpecin train to the front, as three of the breakaways are caught. 

Four riders remain out front. 

Ding, ding, ding! 

The bell rings to signal one lap to go.

15km to go

Tim Declercq is still working on the front of the peloton. He's a human tractor!

Jakobsen is sat behind his Soudal teammates as the speed rises.

There are still 4 riders up front: Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB), Ruben Apers (Team Flanders-Baloise) Filippo Ridolfo (Team Novo Nordisk), Bram Dissel (Beat Cycling)

They've given their all.

10km to go

Here comes Alpecin-Deceuninck. 

They move up to the front en masse and fill the right side of the road. 

Lotto and Cofidis are on the left as Jayco come-up through the middle.

Van der Poel sits on the front of the peloton, keeping the speed high as they near the cobbled sector.

The break still has 15 seconds but are about to be caught.

The Broekstraat bounces the riders in the saddle and allows some to move up. 

Positioning is vital now.

Alpecin are still on control on the front.

6km to go

They turn long the canal with Alpecin lined out for Philipsen. 

But here comes Jayco for Groenwegen!  

4km to go

The break is caught. 

It's sprint time! 

3km to go

Alpecin still lead the peloton but other teams will surely try to swamp them and move up.

Van der Poel is doing a huge turn on the front. 

Jakobsen is on the Alpecin train, on Philipsen's wheel.

DSM move up for Welsford.

2km to go

They all sweep around a corner at speed.

Lotto drag Ewan up to the front.

1km to go

The road narrows and the peloton lines out.

Alpecin are fighting back to the front.

Moschetti is there too.

It's a fight for the best wheel!

Here we go!

Philipsen takes it!!

As the road opened in the final 300 metres, Cavendish and others moved up and hit the front. 

Philipsen had just a little more speed and emerge to win. 

Philipsen celebrates with and thanks his teammates. 

Van der Poel gets a big huge. 

Cavendish rode a smart sprint, coming up on the outside on Ed Theuns' wheel.

Then Philipsen came up the inside of Theuns near the barriers to accelerate to victory.

The 25-year-old Belgian has now won 27 times. 

Sam Welsford (Team DSM) came along the barriers behind Philipsen to take second, Cavendish was third with a good sprint.

Philipsen has not won a lot in 2023 but has won big.

He won two stages at Tirreno-Adriatico, then Classic Brugge-De Panne and now Scheldeprijs. 

He won Scheldeprijs in 2021 and has now shown that he is consistently the best sprinter in the world. 

This great shot shows Philipsen coming past Teuns along the barriers.

Cavendish hit out early but kept going and took his best result of the season. 

Never, ever, write off Mark Cavendish. He will race the Giro di Sicilia soon and then probably the Giro d'Italia. 

The Corsa Rosa will surely give him the form to compete for stage wins at the Tour de France., where he set a new stage win record and distance Eddy Merckx. 

We've described Philipsen's winning sprint, now you can see it.

The Soudal team have confirmed that a mechanical problem stopped Fabio Jakobsen from contesting the sprint.

Soudal's tough spring continues.

Philipsen got to lift the Scheldeprijs winner's trophy.

Philipsen won Scheldeprijs in 2021 and so now has two wins in the prestigious one-day race close to is home in Mol.  

“I’m happy to win it twice, hopefully I can add more in the future,” Philipsen said.

“The team did an amazing job. We didn’t have a meeting to decide on the lead out but all the guys are all experienced in lead outs so they know what to do and how to lead out.” 

Philipsen, Welsford and Cavendish opened the champagne on the podium. 

These are the full results

For our full Scheldeprijs report and photo gallery, click below.

Scheldeprijs: Jasper Philipsen seizes sprint victory over Welsford, Cavendish

Thanks for joining our full live coverage of Scheldeprijs. We'll be back on Thursday with more live coverage of the Itzulia Basque Country race and then of course the weekend from the women's Paris-Roubaix on Saturday and the men's Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.