Team BikeExchange-Jayco will go all-in for Dutch sprint star Dylan Groenewegen at the ‘sprinter’s classic’ Scheldeprijs tomorrow.
The 28-year-old narrowly missed out on his third win of the season at Brugge-De Panne, before bad luck ruled him out of contention at Gent-Wevelgem, but the Amsterdam fast-man is motivated in his pursuit for his first European victory of 2022.
Slovenian Luka Mezgec returns to the squad and will be a valuable asset to Groenewgen as his final lead out man, alongside Alex Edmondson, Campbell Stewart and Sam Bewley. Kell O’Brien will continue his Belgian classics education with another one-day outing, while Alexandre Balmer will make his debut for the team.
The 198.7km race from Terneuzen to Schoten starts in the Netherlands before winding its way into Belgium and onto the final circuit. The laps feature a short cobbled sector, but the potential crosswinds and positioning are the main obstacles of the race.
Team BikeExchange-Jayco Line-Up:
Alexandre Balmer (SUI)
Sam Bewley (NZL)
Alex Edmondson (AUS)
Dylan Groenewegen (NED)
Luka Mezgec (SLO)
Kell O’Brien (AUS)
Campbell Stewart (NZL)
Dylan Groenewegen:
“I think I have a good condition after my second place at De Panne’s and Dwars door Vlaanderen last Wednesday. I think this year’s route may be affected by the wind, especially in the first part of the race. The finish line in Schoten is also different from the previous two editions, but I expect the usual mass sprint.
Scheldeprijs also starts from the Netherlands, and this is one more reason why I am happy to participate in this historic race.”
Mat Hayman (Sport Director):
“Scheldeprijs is traditionally a sprinter’s race, but there may be an added factor tomorrow as it looks like there will be a lot of wind and the potential for rain. We go through the open fields in Holland before we get to the circuit at the end, so we will have to deal with that as a team.
Dylan will be our leader and we’ll be looking to get a result with him. The guys rode great in De Panne and after being so close to the win there, I think Dylan is keen to comeback and see what he can do. This race suits him and we’re hoping we can get him to the final and set him up for a chance at the win.”
2022 Scheldeprijs – Race Details:
Wednesday, 6th April: Terneuzen – Schoten, 198.7km
Photo: Getty Sport
