Mark Cavendish (Astana Kazakstan) and Caleb Yuan (Lot Doustny) will clash with their biggest sprint rivals, including 2021 winner Yasper Philipsen (Alpecin Deceuninck), in Wednesday's Scheldepri.

The Belgians received a surprise boost when Mathieu van der Pol made a late entry.

The three former winners are 2022 winner Alexander Kristoff (Uno X), Fabio Jacobsen (Sudar-Quick Step), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco Alura), Sam Welsford (Team DSM), Giacomo Nizzolo ( Israel-Premiere Tech), Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5), and others will face off in what is called the unofficial sprinters' world championship.

Since Scheldeprijs is not part of the World Tour, not all World Tour teams will be competing this year, and Jumbo Visma is absent.

Cavendish won the Scheldeprijs in 2007, 2008, and 2011, and finished third in 2021; in 2021 he took the Tour de France green jersey and won four stages. He has yet to find success since moving to Astana Kazakstan this year, with his best result at the UAE Tour in January coming in third place on the windswept first stage.

Yuan is another rider with a point to prove. The Australian won the 2020 Scheldepri, but has only won the Tour Down Under criterium this season. Overshadowed by teammate Arnaud de Lee, Lotto Doustony is saving his young talent for Paris-Roubaix. Euan will therefore be looking for a confidence-boosting win in Chautémain, with the support of Jasper de Baist, Jarrad Drizners, Liam Throck, and Jacopo Guarnieri.

"The wind seems to be less of an issue, which should work in our favor," predicts sport director Alan Davis.

"Caleb Yuan will have the fast legs.

"We want to keep the momentum from the Classic going and build on the success of the last few weeks. The Classic is going well and we want to continue this good trend."

"Strong winds are blowing.

Last year, Scheldepri was hit by strong winds, transforming it from a sprinters' classic to an echelon battle. On the exposed roads of Zeeland, near the North Sea, 17 riders escaped and kept on escaping. Christophe attacked in the last kilometer and rode solo to victory. Since then, Christophe has moved from Intermarque to Uno-X, but remains one of the favorites to win, having won a stage at the Volta Ao Algarve and narrowly missing the podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

The weather will have less of an impact on Wednesday, with a sprint finish likely.

"There will be a northeast wind, but it will be very little," predicts Bram Verbruggen, a meteorologist in Flanders.

"In the afternoon, the winds will be changeable. Therefore, wind will play no role in Scheldeprijs. Nor should other weather elements. It should remain dry and solar.