2025 Scheldeprijs Women Race Preview

Mathew Mitchell

Published on April 7, 2025
in Women's Cycling

The women’s Scheldeprijs has quickly built a reputation as one of the purest sprint finishes on the calendar—and for good reason. Since the race’s debut in 2021, Lorena Wiebes has owned the finish in Schoten, winning all four editions held so far. With her absence this year, the familiar script is finally set to be rewritten.

Table of Contents

Much like the men’s version, which has long been dubbed the sprinter’s world championships, Scheldeprijs Women has become a reliable battleground for the fastest riders in the peloton. It’s still a 1.1 event on the UCI calendar rather than a WorldTour fixture, but that hasn’t stopped top sprinters from using it as a benchmark for flat racing form.

The route remains largely unchanged: flat, fast, and entirely without climbs. What could potentially make the difference—wind—is unlikely to play a role this year. The 2025 edition is forecast to take place under sunny skies with a gentle breeze of around 6mph. That means the early open roads before the bunch returns to the finishing laps in Schoten are unlikely to split into echelons. For the most part, the damage will be done in the closing kilometres, as sprint trains jostle for position and try to avoid any late crashes.

Without Wiebes, the question this year is who can seize the opportunity—and whether anyone can dominate Scheldeprijs in the same way she has.

Previous Winners

2024
Lorena Wiebes
2023
Lorena Wiebes
2022
Lorena Wiebes

2025 Scheldeprijs Women Race Profile

Live TV Coverage

Wednesday 9th April 2025

Live on Discovery+/Max/TNT Sports Online across most of Europe
Also available non-geolocked on Pickx.be

Live from 12:00-14:00

All times in BST

Twitter: #SP25 or #SPwomen

Startlist: F irstCycling

2025 Scheldeprijs Women 2025 Contenders

With Lorena Wiebes absent, the natural focus shifts to the rider who’s come closest to dethroning her in recent years – Charlotte Kool. The Dutch sprinter has finished 2nd in each of the last two editions, both times directly behind her former teammate. Despite a patchy start to the 2025 season, her podium at Gent-Wevelgem suggests things may be starting to click. Scheldeprijs offers her the best chance yet to step out from Wiebes’ shadow and finally take a major win in one of the sport’s most sprint-friendly races. If she finds the right wheel, there’s no reason she can’t win this outright.

Elisa Balsamo remains the most in-form of the established sprint favourites. 3rd at Brugge-De Panne, 2nd at Gent-Wevelgem and 3rd again at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, her consistency this spring is unmatched. While her results at Scheldeprijs have been more modest—3rd in 2021 and 7th last year—this is the first time she’ll race it without having to beat Wiebes. With Lidl–Trek likely to support her fully, this could be her best shot yet at taking the top step this season.

For Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, Chiara Consonni has podiumed twice here—2nd in 2022 and 3rd in 2023—and usually performs better when she can follow a fast-finishing rival’s wheel. Interestingly, her results tend to drop when Wiebes isn’t present, suggesting she benefits from the dynamic of reacting rather than leading out. She was 5th at Gent-Wevelgem this spring but missed Dwars Door Vlaanderen due to illness, so form and fitness will be key. Maike van der Duin and Maria Martins have both hovered just outside the top 10 in previous editions and could step in if needed.

Georgia Baker is another rider who thrives when the road is flat and the speed is high. She was 4th here in 2022, and her 4th at Brugge-De Panne earlier this spring shows that her form in these types of finishes is holding up. Baker has a well-timed sprint and benefits from a strong sense of positioning in the final kilometre. What she lacks in pure explosive power compared to the biggest names, she often makes up for in precision. In a sprint that may lack the punch of Wiebes, that could be enough to land her on the podium—or even better.

From SD Worx, Femke Gerritse comes into the race with confidence after winning the Volta NXT Classic at the weekend. While she’s not known as a pure sprinter, the removal of Wiebes from the equation opens the door for other finishing types, particularly if it’s a reduced bunch that comes to the line. Barbara Guarischi, 5th here in 2022, could also be a factor if given the freedom to sprint. Usually in a support role, this might be one of her rare chances to ride for her own result.

Marthe Truyen continues to be a steady presence in one-day races and one-day classic-style sprints. Her 6th place last year confirmed her ability to hold her own in a fast, chaotic finale, and she’s backed that up across a variety of spring races. While she may not be the top favourite in a drag race sprint, she’s aggressive, consistent, and knows how to ride in the right places as the pressure builds in the final 10km. Alongside her, Julie de Wilde adds another sprint option for Fenix–Deceuninck. She finished 7th here in 2022 and has shown time and again that she can hang with the top names in these high-speed finishes. De Wilde doesn’t always have the team fully riding for her, but if she finds herself in a good position on the run-in to Schoten, she’s capable of pulling off a surprise result. Like Truyen, she’s a threat in the kind of disrupted sprint where timing and opportunism count just as much as outright speed.

Maggie Coles-Lyster was 8th here last year and opened her 2025 season with a podium at Trofeo Marratxí–Felanitx. While it’s been quiet since, she’s another rider with the ability to read a finish and move into the right spot when others are watching each other. If she’s anywhere near her early-season form, another top-10 is within reach.

Lucie Fityus is emerging as a potential dark horse for St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93. She hasn’t raced here before but has been steadily climbing the results sheet this spring. With 29th at Flanders, 23rd at Dwars Door Vlaanderen and 17th at Brugge-De Panne, she’s edging closer to a breakthrough performance. If she gets the right lead-out or finds the wheels in the final kilometre, she could spring a surprise.

For VolkerWessels, Scarlett Souren returns after finishing 19th here last year and heads into Scheldeprijs fresh from winning the Midwest Cycling Classic. She’s joined by Lonneke Uneken, who was 3rd at both the Midwest Cycling Classic and Volta NXT Classic last weekend. Both are capable of challenging for a top-10 or better, particularly in a slightly more open sprint field this year.

Marith Vanhove rides for AG Insurance U23 and is another under-the-radar rider with potential. She was 17th here in 2023 and has been hovering just outside the results that turn heads. A career-best performance in a UCI 1.1 event could well be on the cards if she gets a clean run to the line.

Martina Alzini gives Cofidis an interesting option, even if this will be her debut appearance at Scheldeprijs. She crashed out at the Tour of Flanders, so there’s a small question mark over her recovery, but before that, she had shown solid sprint form. Most notably, she was 2nd at the Midwest Cycling Classic in a flat finish that closely mirrors the demands of Scheldeprijs. If she’s fully recovered, the Italian has the ability to contest the run-in, especially with the reduced number of big-name sprinters on the start list. Amalie Dideriksen might also feature here. She’s sprinted well earlier this season and has the pedigree to deliver a strong finish, but she now tends to serve in a more selfless road captain role. If the team reshuffles responsibilities or the race opens up unexpectedly, she could be given the nod.

Sarah Roy brings valuable experience to EF Education-Oatly and remains a threat in flat, technical finales. She was 7th in the very first edition of this race back in 2021 and has continued to show flashes of speed, even in a field increasingly stacked with younger sprinters. Her 10th place at Nokere Koerse this spring demonstrated that she still has a competitive kick and an ability to pick the right line in a sprint. The relatively low wind and settled conditions this year should suit her, as it increases the likelihood of a clean bunch finish. With good positioning and a bit of luck, Roy is certainly capable of making her way back into the top-10 here.

Danique Braam has a quiet but respectable record at Scheldeprijs, finishing 14th in 2022 and 23rd in 2023. She tends to ride under the radar but has shown she knows how to handle the build-up and pace of this specific race. Her 2025 season only got underway last weekend at the Volta NXT Classic, where she was 63rd—a result more reflective of a rust-shaking return than a clear indicator of form. Even so, Braam’s familiarity with the course and the style of racing here makes her a useful outsider, especially if others misjudge the sprint or if the race becomes less organised in the final kilometres.

2025 Scheldeprijs Women 2025 Outsiders

Aidi Gerde Tuisk showed her best form in over a year with 8th at the Volta NXT Classic last weekend. The Team Coop–Repsol rider has National Championship results to her name but hasn’t delivered much in international races until now. That top-10 will give her confidence coming into a race that suits her attributes.

New signing Elisabeth Ebras will make her debut for BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni after switching from Hess Cycling. She was 39th in this race last year and is suited to flat finishes like this one. It’s her first start of the 2025 season, so sharpness may be a question, but the profile is a good match for her strengths.

Chloe Patrick is one of the most promising riders on the Cynisca roster. After finishing 7th at the Vuelta CV Feminas, she’s since backed that up with 15th at the Midwest Cycling Classic. The American isn’t yet a household name, but her upward trajectory suggests she could be knocking on the door of the top-10 in a race like this eventually

For DD Group Pro Cycling, Vera Tieleman has been one of the more consistent names from the smaller teams this spring. She’s hovered just outside the top-30 in a string of major classics, including Gent-Wevelgem, Brugge-De Panne and Flanders. Whether she gets in the break or finds herself in a reduced bunch sprint, she has the legs to nudge into the top 20.

Olga Wankiewicz is the latest promising name from MAT ATOM Deweloper Wroclaw. She’s impressed at lower-level races in Croatia, finishing 4th at the Poreč Trophy and 6th at the Umag Trophy. That form carried over to the Midwest Cycling Classic where she was 9th—a sign she’s ready for bigger results in deeper fields.

Top 3 Prediction

⦿ Chiara Consonni
⦿ Elisa Balsamo
⦿ Charlotte Kool