Scheldeprijs: Tim Merlier beats Jasper Philipsen by a bike length in crash-marred final to win second year in a row

Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quickstep) continued to establish himself as the fastest sprinter in the pro peloton in 2025, handily out-sprinting Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to win the Scheldeprijs for the second year in a row. Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5) finished third.

A massive crash sparked by Merlier's teammate with 12km to go fractured the peloton, leaving only a few dozen riders in contention. While Lidl-Trek led the way in for Edward Theuns, he was swamped as Philipsen opened up the sprint.

Merlier showed nerves of steel as he tail-gunned the reduced peloton in the final kilometres, waiting until the final 500 metres to wind his way to the front and timed his sprint to perfection, nipping past Philipsen just before the line.

"I didn't know there was a crash and gap," Merlier said in his post-race interview. "Then I heard [Andrea] Raccagni in the radio saying was a crash, and he is behind, so he can help us anymore."

Merlier still had Jordi Warlop and Bart Van Lerberghe in the finale but used the latter to make his move up the side of the bunch with 1km to go.

"With 1km to go, [Van Lerberghe] launched his lead out and did with his arm a sign that I need to find a good spot. I was a bit too long in the wind, but in the end, I still can come out and was not boxed in."

How it unfolded

The 113th edition of the Scheldeprijs departed from Terneuzen with mild temperatures and sunny skies. Just after the flag drop, a breakaway of eight riders went clear, gaining 3:30 or so on the peloton over the first hour of racing.

With around 150km to go, the race hit an exposed section of road with crosswinds, and the peloton shattered into three main echelons behind the breakaway.

The second and third splits came together quickly and set off in pursuit of the front of the peloton, 45 seconds ahead. The furious pace slashed the breakaway's advantage, rapidly bringing it below one minute.

After 40 kilometres at a brutal pace, the peloton came back together, and a breakaway of four riders - possibly composed of members from the earlier move - established a gap of 50 seconds.

The breakaway included Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto), Ceriel Desal (Wagner Bazin WB), Tijmen Eising (Beat Cycling Club) and Tuur Dens (Flanders-Baloise).

With fewer riders to contribute to the attack, their gap fell to just 30 seconds with 100 kilometres to go.

However, once the race entered a more sheltered area of trees, the breakaway's lead went back out to 45 seconds.

Soudal-Quickstep led the peloton throughout much of the second half of the Scheldeprijs for defending champion Merlier. When the race reached the finishing circuits, the breakaway had clawed out more time, leading by 1:20 with 52km remaining.

Lidl-Trek began to take over from Quickstep on the first of three 16.9-kilometre circuits around Schoten, bringing the gap back below the minute mark again. With 39km to go, Dens had to let his three companions go, leaving just Veistroffer, Desal and Eising

With two laps to go, the breakaway's lead was down to 48 seconds with the sprinters' teams patiently waiting to make their final surge to reel the three escapees in.

Eising lost touch with the attack before the final lap, leaving Desal and Veistroffer to try to stay clear. However, once the peloton heard the bell, they quickly picked up Veistroffer and ramped up the pace for a bunch sprint finish.

Desal kept riding, waiting for the catch to come - which the peloton was set to achieve until a massive crash with 12km to go disrupted proceedings. A Soudal-Quickstep rider in second wheel behind Lidl-Trek looked over his shoulder, touched wheels and fell, sparking a chain-reaction crash that rippled throughout the peloton.

Several riders ended up in the culvert that ran along both sides of the long, straight road, but all most to be up and gathering themselves as the much-reduced bunch got back to work reeling Desal in, which they did just inside 10km to go.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe led the peloton across the Broekstraat cobbles but ceded to Lidl-Trek on the paved section of the run-in along the Schelde. Merlier was sitting almost at the end of the 40-rider remaining peloton but lithely slid up the right side under the 1km banner, slotting into sixth wheel behind Lidl-Trek for Theuns.

Philipsen got the jump first but Merlier was much faster and powered past to claim his second consecutive Scheldeprijs victory.

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