In the European Road Championships, which will take place between July 7th and 10th, 10 titles will be disputed, among time trials and cross-country races. During these days, some of the best athletes in the world in their respective categories, from 35 countries, will be competing in Anadia.
The races start on Thursday, July 7th, when the individual time trials will take place. The junior women’s time trial will take place between 10am and 11am, and the junior men’s time trial between 11am and 12pm. In the afternoon, the under-23 time trials will take place. The women’s time trial will take place between 3pm and 4pm, with the men’s time trial between 4pm and 5.25pm. On Thursday, the 8th, we will have the mixed time trials. Between 10am and 11am will be the junior time trial, and between 11.30am and 12.30pm the under-23s,
On the weekend we will have the cross-country races. Saturday 9th will be dedicated to the junior men’s and women’s cross-country races. Between 10am and 12.30pm the women will compete and between 2pm and 5.10pm the men. On Sunday 10, it will be the under-23 men’s and women’s cross-country races that will close the European Road Championships. First, between 10h00 and 12h50 for the women and between 14h00 and 17h30 for the men.
In these European Championships high level athletes are expected in all categories (juniors and under-23) and sectors (men and women). In the junior women’s category the biggest highlight goes to French Eglantine Rayer, the runner in this category that has had the best results at world level this year. At last year’s World Championships she was seventh in the time trial and eighth in the cross-country race. She was also third in the European Championships and is the current national cross-country and time trial champion. High on the provisional entry list are also Belgian time trial champion Febe Jooris, Dutch national cross-country and time trial champion Nienke Vinke, and her fellow countrywoman Nienke Veenhoven (NED), winner of the Gent Wevelgam junior women’s race. Also of note is the German national cross-country champion, Justyna Czapla, and the Italian national team, which will bring quality athletes, among them Francesca Pellegrini, Eleonora Ciabocco and Gaia Segato.
In the junior men’s category the names are also big and will certainly make this race an exciting moment. The biggest highlight goes to Emil Hezog, from Germany. The runner is the current national cross-country champion, won the Peace Race and was eighth in the time trial and 12th in the cross-country race at last year’s Europeans. The German runner also won the time trial in the Pays de Vaud. Portugal will also have a candidate who has shown his quality at international level. António Morgado was second overall in the Peace Race and also in the Tropheé Morbihan. António Morgado was also fourth in the Pays de Vaud and sixth in the cross-country race at last year’s World Championships. The Portuguese cyclist also still wears the national time trial champion jersey, won last year. Besides these two athletes, it is important to highlight Mathieu Kockelmann the national time trial champion from Luxembourg, Johannes Kulset (Norway), second in the Pays de Vaud and third in the Tropheé Morbihan, Romet Pajur (Estonia), winner of the junior Ronde van Vlaanderen, and Jan Christen (Switzerland), winner of the Pays de Vaud. Highlight also to the teams from Italy, France, Belgium and also Portugal.
In women’s under-23, French Marie Le Net will be one of the riders to take into account in these Europeans, having been fourth overall in the Tour de Bretagne and seventh in the Dwars door Vlaanderen. Another highlight is Vittoria Guazzini (Italy), time trial winner of the Mediterranean Games, winner of the Tour de Bretagne and of last year’s time trial Europeans. Other notable names are Shirin Van Androoj (Netherlands), Shari Bossuyt (Belgium) and Ricarda Bauernfeind (Germany), all with results of great importance at world level. In this women’s under-23 category, it is also important to underline the quality of the Dutch and Italian teams.
Lennert Van Eetvelt will be one of the big stars present in the men’s under-23 category. The Belgian racer was second in the under-23 Tour of Italy and winner of the under-23 Peace Race. Lennert Van Eetvelt was also ninth at the European time trial Championships and fifth in the cross-country race. The French team will also bring a very strong line-up, with several world-class athletes, including Ewen Costiou, Paul Penhoët and Enzo Paleni.
Also of note is the Belgian Alec Segaert, winner of the European cross-country race last year, the Czech Mathias Vacek, current national time trial champion, Matias Malmberg (Denmark), an athlete who has shone in track competitions, integrating the Danish pursuit team, and Casper Van Uden (Netherlands), winner of a stage in the Tour de Bretagne and two stages in the Tour de Normandie. Collectively, it is important to highlight the combinations of the Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, Belgium and France.
