Marcel Kittel has won the 104th Scheldeprijs race in Belgium.
This year's race which is the oldest of all the races in the Flanders region was a 207.8km mainly flat stage from Antwerp to Schoten and featured World Champion and Tour Of Flanders winner Peter Sagan who missed the start of the race due to the hoardes of autograph and picture hunters.
When Sagan, trying out his new Specialized bike, did start the race, it was one that saw Westra (Astana), Helven (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), De Vries (Roompot) Tronet (Fortuneo), Denz (AG2R) and Kiendys (CCC) get in to a break which was 1.42 ahead with 90kms left.
They were caught with 54kms left and Belgian national champion Preben Van Hecke kicked off a move whch saw him and another rider away until the peloton with Sagan on the front and Mark Cavendish near the main action, brought them back for the final twenty four kilometres.
The sprint trains ensured that no-one could make a break for it in the final kilometres and it came down to a sprint between Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel.
Cavendish had a right good go but Kittel of Etixx Quick Step beat him by half a wheel to take the victory.
Greipel did get third place followed by Trek Segafredo duo Edward Theuns and Niccolo Bonifazio
British rider Daniel Mclay of Fortuneo - Vital Concept was tenth.
“The team did a super job to get me in the right position. It was a good fight with Mark,” Kittel said.
“I said before the race that I'm not here to make history, I'm racing for joy, for pleasure, just riding my bike. It's even better if I could get the record here for the wins in the Scheldeprijs. I like this race. Sometimes it's not easy, like today. You normally always have the best sprinters here, and it's great to win.”