Time has come for the powerful men of cycling to take on the fast and historic Scheldeprijs, with 200km of racing in Northern Flanders around the diamond capital of Antwerp. Tinkoff-Saxo is at the start on Wednesday, led by Nikolay Trusov and Michael Mørkøv looking to secure a result in the final hectic sprint.
 
On Wednesday, for the 103rd edition of Scheldeprijs, Tinkoff-Saxo lines up Nikolay Trusov, Michael Mørkøv, Peter Sagan, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Pavel Brutt, Maciej Bodnar and Matteo Tosatto.
 
Sports Director Tristan Hoffman notes that Mørkøv and Trusov will take on a lead role in the search for a result, whilst Sagan has his eyes fixed on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, a mere four days later.
 
“We are at the start with seven riders, since Breschel went home for the birth of his second child. As with the past cobbled races, I think we have a homogenous team, only this time Nikolay and Michael will get the chance to show themselves and create a result for the team. They are both fast riders, so they will talk to each other in the race and decide, who should spearhead the sprint or try to catch the wheel of one of the favorites”, says Tristan Hoffman and adds:

“Peter Sagan will ride with less responsibility, as we want to ensure that he’s ready for Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. But he’s participating, getting kilometers into the legs and supporting our race strategy. Scheldeprijs is one of the oldest races in the word, for sure in Belgium, and we want to align a strong team for this race”.
 
A bunch sprint decision is almost a foregone conclusion, when considering the 200km Flemish race despite a few sections of cobblestones. The near pancake flat parcours takes the riders from the center of Antwerp in a big circle around northern Flanders and back to Schoten – a suburb, 10km outside Antwerp. Here, the riders finish off by doing three 16km laps before the final hectic sprint. According to Nikolay Trusov, an ideal position in the dangerous sprint is crucial.
 
“The Scheldeprijs is similar to a sprint championship. It is completely flat and very fast. I don't know what wind conditions we’ll encounter but it will undoubtedly be very fast and I would say that we have a 99% chance of a fast final sprint. I know that race quite well now, I took part four times and the finale is very dangerous. It is important to position ourselves at the front and stay in the wheels of one of the big sprinters. That way, even if you aren't a pure sprinter, you can still create opportunities”, explains Nikolay Trusov before adding:
 
“For Sagan, the main focus is on Paris-Roubaix. This is undeniably the biggest goal for him and the entire team. Scheldeprijs will be a good training race for him but we don't want to take risks. I don’t think that a lead out train will be necessary, since other teams will do it. Michael Mørkøv is a fast sprinter as well and in the last 30-40 km we will see how we feel and we will take a decision. We will work together so that one of us takes part in the final sprint”.