As it happened: After a crash marred final lap Scheldeprijs Women concludes with the expected bunch sprint

2026-04-08T12:34:38.166Z

The calm before the storm now, the lead outs on the front working well to dominate the race ahead of the final. Lidl-Trek, Visma-Lease a Bike, Human Powered Health and Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypoto are all there. SD Worx too, but have they really settled for a sprint?

2026-04-08T12:30:08.783Z

With 15km to go it seems SD Worx’s strategy has changed, they’re one of the teams formed into a lead out close to the front, Schreiber at the front of their train.
Is this for a sprint or maybe for another, all-out attack?

2026-04-08T12:28:32.642Z

The last lap is now underway.

The peloton during the 2026 Scheldeprijs Women (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-08T12:25:59.154Z

As the finish line approached the shape of the peloton changed as the pace lifted and Garau was caught. Teams are now getting together into their lead outs to protect their sprinters.

2026-04-08T12:23:49.998Z

Garau haș 10 seconds on the bunch, but it feels as though the peloton are resigned to the fact the race will conclude in a sprint.

2026-04-08T12:21:16.493Z

Finally someone gets a gap! But it’s not one of the SD Worx riders, instead it’s Marina Garau (Vini Fantini-BePink) who’s been allowed a small advantage.
The WorldTour sprinters’ teams will not see the 23-year-old Spanish rider as a threat, so are allowing her to dangle a few secinds off the front.

2026-04-08T12:16:56.432Z

Onto Broekstraat for the penultimate time and it’s Visma-Lease a Bike who take the lead. Fenix-Premier Tech are making their presence felt too, though no one is attacking.

2026-04-08T12:12:27.276Z

Schreiber was the first of the SD Worx riders to attack on the first passage of the Broekstraat cobbled sector. The team are yet to make any move stick for much more than a few seconds.

Marie Schreiber (SD Worx-Protime) during the 2026 Scheldeprijs Women (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-08T12:09:01.219Z

With the Kopecký group caught Gerritse tries, then Luxembourg champion Marie Schreiber.
Theyr’e trying in a different part of the circuit now and seem to be having more luck, though maybe that’s just fatigue.

2026-04-08T12:06:18.340Z

And Guarischi has a gap, riding with Helène Hesters (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and Daniek Hengeveld (Visma-Lease a Bike).
But they’re caught too and Kopecký draws another small group away.

2026-04-08T12:04:00.667Z

Over the line and Guarischi attacks again!
Since joining SD Worx in 2023, most of Guarischi’s success has come as a lead out for Lorena Wiebes.
She’s a tough competitor and had plenty of wins in her earlier years though.

2026-04-08T11:56:17.727Z

Kopecký was caught and it’s Guarischi’s turn to make a move along the river side. No one’s willing to help though, so Kopecký tries another one!

2026-04-08T11:53:36.860Z

Onto the cobbles of Broekstraat again, Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba) has a bit of a gap, though it’s no surprise she’s been caught by SD Worx’s Kopecký.

2026-04-08T11:50:47.075Z

Lidl-Trek are bossing this race, making sure they’re ever present on or close to the front, they also covered all of the SD Worx attacks on the last lap, making sure Balsamo has the best opportunity to take the victory.

2026-04-08T11:45:55.157Z

And breathe.
With the breakaway caught he race has settled and SD Worx have melted away into the bunch to plan their next move.
Using the cobbles and the later part of the lap could be a good strategy as it’s the most technical part of the circuit, making it easier to snap the elastic.

2026-04-08T11:41:42.469Z

Well, that didn’t last long! Guarischi tired another move, caught the break, but the rest of the bunch were hot on her heels.
The break is caught.

2026-04-08T11:40:11.593Z

Over the line for the first time.
Seynave, Van Dam, Porton, Jäger, Huber, Gadd and Gschwentner have been joined by one of the Vini Fantini riders, but the bunch are just a handful of seconds behind.

2026-04-08T11:37:46.343Z

The problem for SD Worx is that none of the teams with a sprinter are going to work with them and it’s so difficult on a flat course to get away alone. They’ll need to make sure they don’t attack themselves to a standstill.

2026-04-08T11:34:30.331Z

Now it’s Gerritse’s turn, one after another SD Worx are going hard, they’re being brought back each time, but this is wearing on the other teams’ legs.
Now it’s Julia Kopecký’s turn.
All this action has brought the gap to the breakaway down to only 20 seconds.

2026-04-08T11:31:56.119Z

Without Lorena Wiebes SD Worx have said they’re not too interested in a sprint. Though they have Barbara Guarischi, Femke Gerritse and Marta Lach who can all sprint, they’re not top level fast women, so they need to try something else if they want to win.
They’re on it now, Guarischi and Lach have both made moves.

2026-04-08T11:29:11.068Z

Seynave, Van Dam, Porton, Jäger, Huber, Gadd and Gschwentner have finished the first passage of the cobbles now, their lead staying around the 1.20 mark.
Though behind them SD Worx-Protime are on the move.

2026-04-08T11:26:23.117Z

The breakaway’s advantage is now down to 1.12. It seems the peloton want to have control of the race by the time they reach the three closing circuits. Remember, they cross the line with 50.7km to go, but we have the Broekstraat cobbles very soon.

2026-04-08T11:23:51.443Z

Joris was off the front during Monday’s Ronde de Mouscron, she put in a big effort, so if that’s still in the legs today could be a along day as she tries to get back in the bunch.

2026-04-08T11:22:34.874Z

Seynave was another of today’s break who were up the road at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.
We’ve hada big crash in the peloton, with up to 25 riders either down or held up. Imogen Wolff (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Febe Joris (UAE Team ADQ) are two of those affected, but they’re up and off again.

2026-04-08T11:18:16.617Z

In that leading group Seynave and Porton are starting to miss the odd turn, leaving the other five riders to do the work.
Whether they’re suffering or have some tactical plan.
Whatever, the gap is coming down fast now, the peloton only 1.40 behind.

2026-04-08T11:15:03.048Z

Our leading group of Seynave, Van Dam, Porton, Jäger, Huber, Gadd and Gschwentner have lost some of their advantage, which is now down to only 1.55.

2026-04-08T11:12:51.607Z

Broekstraat is the race’s main cobbled sector and it’s ridden four times, once just before the race reaches the finish line for the first time, then on each of the three laps.
It could prove a decisive moment if enough teams want to try a move there, especially as it comes with only 8km of the lap to go.

2026-04-08T11:08:07.028Z

Hashimi and Gissinger’s breakaway is over and they are now back in the bunch, though our seven leaders have maintained their lead.

2026-04-08T11:01:50.140Z

Gissinger and Hashimi are now together, but still over tow minutes behind the leading group.
Seynave, Van Dam, Porton, Jäger, Huber, Gadd and Gschwentner continue to lead the peloton by almost 3 minutes.

2026-04-08T10:56:27.025Z

The race is organised by Flanders Classics and was the last of the their traditional spring classics to get a women’s race, the first edition coming in 2021.

2026-04-08T10:50:21.584Z

The lead for Seynave, Van Dam, Porton, Jäger, Huber, Gadd and Gschwentner is now out to 2.54 on the peloton, however we have two chasers in the gap.
Aude Aune Gissinger (Hitec Products-Fluid Control) is at 1.24 while Afghan champion Fariba Hashimi (Vini Fantini-BePink) is 2.21 behind.

2026-04-08T10:45:27.185Z

Yonna van Dam is creating a remarkable record this spring, she was in the breakaway at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday and at In Flanders Fields 10 days a go. What a rider.

2026-04-08T10:39:02.169Z

Finally we have a breakaway, and they have a decent advantage already, they’re 1.40 ahead of the bunch.
Ilken Seynave (Lotto-Intermarché), Yonna van Dam (Citymesh-Customm), Mari Porton (Handsling Alba Development), Clara Jäger (LKT Team), Lea Huber (NEXETIS), Lucy Gadd and Leila Gschwentner both from the British Smurfit-Westrock team.

2026-04-08T10:33:23.342Z

Charlotte Kool isn’t the only rider here today who has finished on the podium before. Obviously there’s Balsamo, who won last year and finished third once too.
Also, her former leadout rider, Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) was second in 2022 and third in ’23, while Rachele Barbieri (Picnic-PostNL) was third in 2022 and Martina Fidanza (Visma-Lease a Bike) third in 24.

2026-04-08T10:26:25.539Z

There are 10 of the 14 WorldTour teams taking part today, two of the second division ProTeams and 12 Continental squads, making for a big old peloton of just under 140 riders, including some late drop outs.

2026-04-08T10:21:26.726Z

What day for a bike race, it seems like spring has really sprung!

The peloton rolls out of Schoten for the 2026 Scheldeprijs Women (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-08T10:07:04.959Z

Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) has finished third at Scheldeprijs on three occasions and is on flying form so far this season, with a win, a second place and a string of top 10s. Can she do it today?
She’s certainly here!

Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) before the start of the 2026 Scheldeprijs Women (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-08T10:02:33.738Z

Balsamo has had a couple of podium finishes so far this area but she’s yet to take a win. She’s a class act and will click sometime soon, but will it be today?

2026-04-08T09:54:55.240Z

2026-04-08T09:45:28.996Z

One woman not starting the race today is Clara Copponi.

2026-04-08T09:42:14.360Z

And we are rolling!
With only 300m of climbing throughout today’s 130.3km race, this is usually a day for the sprinters, indeed the fast women have battled for the win in all five previous editions.

2026-04-08T09:39:47.659Z

Back to today’s race, we roll out for 2.5km of neutral at 11:40 local time, with the flag dropping for the official start about five minutes later.

2026-04-08T09:31:44.905Z

Sadly Reusser suffered another crash on Sunday and is out injured again. She wouldn’t be riding today anyway as Movistar have opted out of this ProSeries level race. Reading Cat Ferguson’s diary it sounds as though they need the day off!

2026-04-08T09:27:08.241Z

And before that we saw an incredibly tense Dwars Door Vlaanderen where Movistar’s Marlen Reusser took the win in her first race since an injury.

2026-04-08T09:20:47.614Z

Today’s race comes on the back of a breathless series of spring races, not least Sunday’s Tour of Flanders.

2026-04-08T09:13:16.487Z

The riders are already signing on in the Belgian sunshine, here the Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi squad have some fun celebrating Catalina Anais Soto’s birthday on the podium.

The Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi team sign on for the 2026 Scheldeprijs Women. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of yet another Belgian one day race. Today we’re in Schoten, on the north eastern edge of Antwerp, for Scheldeprijs.