Marcel Kittel of Team Argos-Shimano won the Scheldeprijs.in Belgium today.
The 100th edition of this race along the banks of the Schelder river, today saw the race set out from Antwerp and take a 202.2km course to Schoten.
Mark Cavendish, who won the race last year and last night became a father to Deliah Grace, did not compete but there was a good field including Tour Of Flanders winner Tom Boonen.
Three riders crashed before the race officially started but they were able to remount and make it over the start line.
Kun Jiang of Champion Systems was the first to attack, going after five kilometres but he was brought back into the peloton.
Kevin Van Melsen (Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda's), David Boucher (FDJ - Big Mat), Simon Lambert-Lemay (Team Spidertech), Kevin Hulsmans (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Kevin Claeys (Landbouwkrediet – Euphony), Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Kin San Wu (Champion System) did get clear and got six and a half minutes away.
With two laps of the circuit to go or 33kms, Tom Boonen was at the front of the peloton and managed to avoid a touch of wheels which took down three riders.
Around sixty riders were in the peloton and caught up with Kin San Wu (Champion System) and Kevin Van Melsen (Accent Jobs-Willems Veranda's) to leave five out front with 24kms to go.
Whilst Coventry was having snow, Schoton had rain and it was starting to pour as Kevin Hulsmans was now out on his own with twelve to go.
With everyone together, there was a big crash with seven kilometres left on the wet roads. Those not involved continued only for another crash just past the 3kms to go mark.
Marcel Kittel got into the lead before a third crash just before the line and held on to win in a time of 4:30:53 ahead of Tyler Farrar, Theo Bos, Romain Feillu and Manuel Belletti.
"For several reasons. First of course because of the rain, but also because of the fact I got a bit enclosed in the sprint. I was happy that eventually I got free. That was the moment I had to go, even though the line was still far away. Fortunately, I was able to hold on," said Kittel to his team's press office.
The 23-year old German continued: "I’m very glad that I’ve won. Especially since this is the hundredth edition. And besides that: as a sprinter you want to win the Scheldeprijs at least once in your career.”