actually face off against each other. Take Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, for example—they’ve only gone head-to-head five times in the last three years. Three of those meetings were at the Tour de France, with a solitary encounter at both Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine rounding out the list. This selective scheduling is partly due to the structure of the sport, which allows elite riders to handpick their races, especially when their calendar is filled with major events like the Grand Tours.
But this week’s European Championships stand out as a rare exception, providing an opportunity to see cycling’s “Big Three” together again. Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel—each at the peak of their respective careers—will square off in a one-day race on terrain that is different from their usual battlegrounds. This race has never been won by any of them, but it’s hard to imagine that will remain the case for long.
The Combatants
Tadej Pogacar enters the race as the man with a serious claim to being the greatest of all time. Fresh off a dominant victory at the Road World Championships in Rwanda, Pogacar’s form is undeniable. Despite some setbacks over the past year, including a devastating loss to Vingegaard on the Col de la Loze at the 2023 Tour de France, Pogacar continues to reign supreme, especially in one-day races. His ability to dominate the peloton with fearless attacks, dropping rivals with brutal pace, is his signature.
Evenepoel, on the other hand, comes into the event as possibly the most complete time-trialist of his generation. The Belgian has shown his dominance in the discipline by holding the World, Olympic, European, and national time trial titles simultaneously. Evenepoel’s strength lies in his time-trialling ability and his skill in transitioning to one-day races. However, despite his prowess in individual races, he has yet to claim the ultimate victory against Pogacar in a road race—something he’ll be eager to correct here.
Jonas Vingegaard, who is less of a regular in one-day races, also adds an intriguing element to this European Championship clash. The Danish rider, who secured his third Grand Tour title at the Vuelta a España, is primarily known for his conservative approach to stage races, where he relies on patience and strategy rather than raw aggression. Vingegaard’s tactical style, honed through years of battling Pogacar in the Tour, will be tested here in a completely different race dynamic. He has largely stayed out of the limelight when it comes to major one-day races, but his prior victory in the Drome Classic—a race in the same region as this European Championship—shows he has the ability to win on this terrain.
The Rare Nature of This Battle
The event itself, while not usually a marquee race on the cycling calendar, carries special significance because it’s one of the rare occasions where these three riders will go head-to-head outside the Grand Tours. With each rider having a different background and racing style, the stakes for this event go far beyond just adding another trophy to their cabinet.
Vingegaard’s participation, in particular, is noteworthy. His absence from elite-level championships with the Danish national team, including a refusal to race the under-23 World Championship seven years ago, had long been a curious anomaly. Now, however, his entry into the European Championship adds a fascinating subplot. Not only will he face off against the established titans of Pogacar and Evenepoel, but his strong Vuelta performance also suggests he’s in the kind of form that could see him emerge as a genuine contender. The challenge for Vingegaard is how to translate his grand tour-focused tactics into the cutthroat environment of a one-day race, which often requires different skills, such as positioning, timing, and instinct.
Denmark’s team is stacked, with Vingegaard joined by Mads Pedersen and Matthias Skjelmose—both of whom could contend for the title on a course that plays to their strengths. Denmark’s strength in numbers allows them to employ aggressive tactics, which might force Pogacar into a defensive role, especially in the face of an early attack from one of their riders. It could create a situation similar to what we’ve seen at the Tour, where Vingegaard’s team has dominated through multiple attacks to wear down Pogacar.
The Motivation Behind Each Rider
For Pogacar, the motivation is straightforward: he is chasing the rare World-European double. After a bittersweet loss in the time trial to Evenepoel at the World Championships, Pogacar will no doubt be eager to make up for that result in the road race. Despite his loss to Evenepoel in the time trial, Pogacar remains the dominant force in one-day races. He will be hunting for a victory in the European Championship, where the pressure is high but the competition fierce. He’ll be hoping to show that, after a challenging year, he can continue his dominance on the global stage.
Evenepoel, on the other hand, is driven by the sting of recent defeats. His close battle with Pogacar in Kigali, which saw him ultimately fall short in the road race despite a dominating time trial performance, likely left him frustrated. Evenepoel is known for his fiery attitude and fierce will to win, and he’s the kind of rider who thrives when he has a chip on his shoulder. His chances of success in the European Championships are strong, and he’ll certainly be using his recent disappointment as fuel to prove that he can beat Pogacar in a head-to-head road race.
Vingegaard’s motivations are slightly different. With three Grand Tour wins under his belt, Vingegaard’s place in cycling history is already secured. But after coming up short in his battle with Pogacar at the Tour, there is still a sense that Vingegaard is hungry for more, particularly in one-day races. A victory in the European Championship would add a new dimension to his career, diversifying his achievements and cementing his versatility as a rider.
The Women’s Race
While the men’s race seems to be a three-horse race between the titans, the women’s event is much more open. As is often the case in the world of professional cycling, national championships often lead to unpredictable outcomes. Countries like the Netherlands, Italy, and France bring formidable squads, but the unpredictability of one-day races means that any rider can emerge as a winner.
The Dutch squad, long known for its dominance in the women’s peloton, comes in with multiple strong contenders, including the likes of Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen. The French team, bolstered by rising stars like Romain Gregoire, is also strong, though the absence of Tour champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who was forced to pull out due to illness, will impact their strategy. Italy and Switzerland, meanwhile, bring riders with the form to disrupt the established order, including world and European time trial champion Marlen Reusser and last year’s World Championship medallist, Elisa Longo Borghini.
The women’s race will be exciting not only because of the depth of competition but also because of the absence of the typical super-teams and alliances. Without the usual team tactics at play, the race could become chaotic and thrilling, offering a surprise winner who capitalizes on the fractured nature of the peloton.
Final Thoughts
While the men’s race might seem like a showdown between Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Vingegaard, the outcome is by no means a guarantee for any of them. Similarly, the women’s race, with its wide-open field, will likely be just as unpredictable. This rare reunion of cycling’s best outside of their usual terrain promises to be a spectacle. No matter who emerges victorious, this European Championship will be a fascinating chapter in the ongoing saga of these three incredible talents.
