Wiebes Makes It Four in a Row at Scheldeprijs Women — Kool and Fidanza Complete Podium
Lorena Wiebes underlined her status as the fastest woman in the peloton by winning the 2026 Scheldeprijs Women for a fourth consecutive year. The SD Worx-Protime sprinter was untouchable in the bunch finish in Schoten, powering past Charlotte Kool and Martina Fidanza to claim victory in the race's historic first edition as a UCI ProSeries event.
The upgraded status of the Scheldeprijs Women — elevated from 1.1 to ProSeries for 2026 — attracted the strongest field in the race's history, with every major women's sprinter on the start line in Antwerp. Yet when it mattered most, the outcome was familiar: Wiebes, delivered perfectly to the front by her SD Worx-Protime lead-out, launched her sprint with 200 metres to go and nobody could come close.
Kool, who has established herself as one of the most consistent sprinters in women's cycling this season, managed to hold Wiebes' wheel longer than most but ultimately had to settle for second, finishing a bike length behind the Dutchwoman. Fidanza, representing Ceratizit-WNT, rounded out the podium in third after a strong late surge from a deeper position in the bunch.
The 130-kilometre race, held over flat roads between Antwerp and Schoten, followed a predictable pattern for much of its duration. Several teams attempted to disrupt proceedings with crosswind attacks in the exposed sections north of Antwerp, but the SD Worx-Protime train kept the race together and ensured a sprint finish was all but inevitable by the final 20 kilometres.
Wiebes' four consecutive Scheldeprijs titles is a remarkable streak that mirrors the dominance she has shown across sprint events throughout her career. The 27-year-old Dutchwoman now turns her attention to Paris-Roubaix Femmes this Sunday, where the cobblestones present a very different challenge. At Roubaix she will support teammate Lotte Kopecky, who arrives as the defending champion and overwhelming favourite after her record-breaking Flanders victory last weekend.
Scheldeprijs Women 2026 — Top 5:
1. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
2. Charlotte Kool
3. Martina Fidanza
4. Elisa Balsamo
5. Marianne Vos