Tim Merlier delivered a statement sprint on Wednesday, claiming his second consecutive Scheldeprijs victory and proving once again that he’s the fastest man in the world over the final 200 meters.

The European champion from Soudal Quick-Step blasted clear on the Churchilllaan, timing his kick perfectly and holding off Jasper Philipsen to take his first one-day race win of the season. Sam Welsford rounded out the podium.

Merlier’s raw speed sealed the deal, but the road to Schoten was anything but straightforward.

Chaos in Scheldeprijs 2025

The action kicked off early with crosswinds ripping through the Dutch coast. Waaiers—echelons— formed almost instantly, fracturing the peloton into five groups and setting off full panic mode.

Eight riders, including five Belgians, got clear at first, but the mayhem in Zeeland was the real story. Riders scrambled to avoid being caught out, but with 150 kilometers still to ride, cooler heads prevailed. The race came back together after re-entering Belgium.

Despite the regrouping, the damage had been done. The second hour of racing saw speeds average 49 km/h, and any sprinter hoping for an easy day was in for a rude awakening.

Scheldeprijs Survivors & Sprinters

After the early break faded, a new quartet animated the front: Veistroffer (Lotto), Eising (BEAT Cycling), and Belgians Dens (Flanders-Baloise) and Desal (Wagner Bazin). They hung on gallantly, but with sprinters’ teams locking things down—Lidl-Trek, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, and Soudal Quick-Step all present and accounted for—the writing was on the wall.

Desal was the last holdout, clinging to a slender lead into the final 10 kilometers before being reeled in as the bunch roared into Schoten.

Late Crash Thins Scheldeprijs

With just under 15 kilometers to go, disaster struck. Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal Quick-Step) looked over his shoulder at the front of the peloton and veered into trouble, clipped by a Lidl-Trek rider drifting left. The Belgian flew into the grass with his helmet smacking a roadside post, triggering a mass pile-up. Fortunately, the top sprinters escaped.

Welsford’s dsm–firmenich PostNL team controlled the pace over the final cobbles on Broekstraat, setting up the high-speed run-in.

Merlier Launches, Philipsen Follows

On the long drag to the line, Roy Eefting slotted Merlier into perfect position. Welsford jumped early, Philipsen moved to counter, but Merlier surged past both with terrifying ease.

The Belgian cannonball launched and never looked back, cleanly repeating his 2024 win and stamping his dominance on a sprint field stacked with stars.

“This was a big target,” Merlier said after the finish. “The team did a perfect job, and when I opened up, I knew I had the legs.”

Philipsen settled for second—again—while Welsford salvaged third on a day that reminded everyone just how brutal the fastest race of the spring can be.