![\"Podium](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tadej-pogacar-paul-seixas-remco-evenepoel-68e294fd06369.jpg@webp.webp\")
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The recent World Championships in Montreal add some uncertainty. Evenepoel finished 12th in Canada, while some of his upcoming rivals showed they could stay in contention in an exceptionally selective race. These are the five riders who could challenge him for European gold.<\/p>\n
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Podium of the 2025 men’s elite European Championships road race<\/p>\n
Giulio CicconeGiulio Ciccone<\/a> arrives in Ljubljana with a stronger case than his relatively quiet build-up to the World Championships might suggest. The Italian finished ninth in Montreal, having been part of the front group contesting the medals and joining Tom Pidcock in one of the final attempts to chase down Brandon McNulty. His performance confirmed his good form.<\/p>\n Ciccone is also well suited to explosive finales like this. He can dig deep on longer climbs, respond to changes of pace and, above all, race aggressively when the decisive moments arrive. Mozjanca could suit him if the field is whittled down gradually and the main favourites find themselves without teammates in the final laps.<\/p>\n The Italian will also have an important tactical asset. Italy have a competitive squad featuring riders such as Giulio Pellizzari, Davide Piganzoli and Christian Scaroni. After a strong World Championship performance, Ciccone arrives with more encouraging signs than several of his rivals and could be one of Evenepoel\u2019s most dangerous challengers.<\/p>\n Juan AyusoJuan Ayuso<\/a> is one of the race\u2019s biggest unknowns. On paper, the Spaniard has the qualities to challenge Evenepoel for victory: he is an excellent climber, has a sharp acceleration and can thrive on courses where short, explosive ascents create the gaps.<\/p>\n His performance at the World Championships in Montreal, however, fell well short of expectations. He finished 13th and admitted afterwards that he had been completely empty in the final laps, having stayed with the best for much of the race. It was a major disappointment given that he had been one of Spain\u2019s leading hopes.<\/p>\n The European Championships<\/a> therefore offer an opportunity to bounce back. The Ljubljana course is less demanding than the World Championship route and could suit him better. If Ayuso rediscovers his best form and gets over Mozjanca close to the favourites, he has the quality to contest gold in the closing kilometres.Primoz RoglicPrimoz Roglic<\/a> will be one of the central figures at the European Championships for an obvious reason: he is racing at home and will lead a Slovenian team hoping to retain the continental title in Pogacar\u2019s absence. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider knows the roads well and will have added motivation in front of his home crowd.<\/p>\n His Montreal performance also offers grounds for optimism. Roglic was involved at the key moments and formed part of the group trying to keep the battle for the rainbow jersey under control. Although he eventually finished 21st, he again showed his ability to remain in contention through a hugely demanding race.<\/p>\n Roglic\u2019s main asset will be his experience. He reads these finales well, can attack from distance and has enough acceleration to inflict damage on Mozjanca. Slovenia also have a powerful squad, with Matej Mohoric, Jan Tratnik, Domen Novak and others capable of making the race hard before the decisive phase.<\/p>\n Primoz Roglic in action at the 2026 Montreal World Championships<\/p>\n![\"Primoz](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/primoz-roglic-in-action-at-the-2026-montreal-world-championships-6ab98602d4930.jpg@webp.webp\")
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