Can Evenepoel come out on top against Pogačar in France? Photo courtesy of SWpix.
Hi Subscribers,
There are some truly scandalous rumours going around the press room here in Valence that my initial list contained 10 riders, and when I came to upload the copy, I realised that I’d missed Tadej Pogačar. However, I strongly deny these tales and insinuations. So without further ado, here are my top 10 11 riders to watch at this year’s European Continental Championships.
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The best time trialist in the world has just concluded a travelling odyssey that started in Rwanda and took him through Ethiopia, France, and then a long drive from Marseille towards the outskirts of Valence. All within 36 hours and following a mentally exhausting defeat at the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali. On one hand, the long flights will have offered Evenepoel a sense of solitude from the outside world, but even in first class (I assume), the strains of long-haul travel are hard to ignore. Several of his time trial rivals will arrive fresher and comparatively more tuned in, having not had to focus on the Worlds, so it’ll be intriguing to see how Evenepoel takes on the challenge of hanging around Drôme Ardéche for almost a week.
It’s been such a rollercoaster of a season that he must surely be tempted to pull the plug and see defeat in the time trial on Wednesday as the cord he needs to jetison the rest of the campaign. Win though, and take his second TT crown in the race, and he might just reboot the engines and take the double in Sunday’s road race. There are so many permutations, it’ll be one of the main narratives within the championships.
There’s also an argument to suggest that he isn’t too bothered about the TT – he won’t get to wear the jersey next year anyway, even if he wins and that it all comes down to Sunday. Either way, it’s Evenepoel versus Pogačar, round two.