The Scheldeprijs is done and dusted, and Maple Ridge B.C.’s Maggie Coles-Lyster was just shy of a top-10.
Charlotte Kool finally took the dub at the 2026 Scheldeprijs in Schoten, Belgium, after three consecutive second-place finishes. The Dutch rider outsprinted compatriot Nienke Veenhoven and Italy’s Elisa Balsamo at the end of a fast, chaotic race.
The women raced 130 km. They did three laps that included a 1,700-m cobbled section. With four-time winner Lorena Wiebes and defending champion Balsamo absent, riders such as Chiara Consonni, Lara Gillespie, Veenhoven, and Kool had a chance to contest the win.
Early break
Early on, a seven-rider break, including Ilken Seynave (Lotto Intermarché Ladies) and Yonna van Dam (Citymesh – Customm), gained nearly three minutes before being reeled in. Later attacks by SD Worx-Protime, including Barbara Guarischi and Femke Gerritse, failed to shake the peloton.
In the finale, high pace and crashes caused chaos, but Kool navigated the sprint perfectly to secure her first Scheldeprijs victory, ending the season’s Belgian classic with a decisive finish.
For Coles-Lyster, it’s another day when she is has shown she is one of the fastwomen of the pro peloton. Earlier this year she took her first pro win in Australia. What made it even more special was it was just Six months after iliac artery surgery and a long recovery period. As well as the one-day Santos Tour Down Under race, she also snagged 4th in the first stage of the UAE Tour. Ava Holmgren (Lidl – Trek) working hard for defending champ Balsamo, finished 44th. The race, although flat–had dozens of DNFs, too, given the speed and tricky course.
There are two Canadian men racing at Scheldeprijs as well. Pinarello 36.5’s Nickolas Zukowsky is there, as well as Modern Adventure Cycling’s Riley Pickrell. The latter has a good shot at another solid result, given his exceptional sprint. Already he’s meshing well with the team created by George and Rich Hincapie. In 2025, he rode for the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech.
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