One of the strange cervices of cycling is that the best riders on the planet rarely run against each other. Tedes pogkar And Jonas winggard In the last three sessions only five times against each other: three times Tour de FranceAnd once in Paris-Nuce and Criteria Do Dupahin. The design of the cycling calendar allows the riders – especially their caliber – to choose and choose their moments.
Which makes the European Championship of this week, usually something of a footnote in the calendar, such an opportunity. This marks the reunion of the modern ‘Big Three’ of the cycling in a three-way shootout for a major title, but in a very different area for their normal battlefields. This is a rare race, no one ever won, a situation that is unlikely to remain a long time.
Fighter: Pogakar, man with a serious claim for the biggest position of all time, Fresh from protecting your world title Last week in Rwanda. REMCO EmploymentProbably Single best time trialist The world has ever seen, and the first to hold the world, Olympic, European and national titles against the clock at the same time. And Vingegaard, a few weeks A major win But Back SpainBut an unknown volume in France.
Onpel and Pogkar are consistently opposed to the largest one -day race of the game, but the last time the Winggard completed, was about three years ago: IL Lombardia in 2022. It is not just a regular racing that is left, it is any major championship. Winggard never appeared in Danish colors at the elite level, seven years ago of the Under -23 World Championship.
But he is chosen as a good place to eliminate that line: the only one -day race of his career came into the same area as the road race, The Drom Classic, and she will reach France fresh compared to people coming from the high height and fierce hills of Rwanda.
Denmark has one of the strongest teams, with all three Winggard, Mads Pederson and Mathius Scalamos with possible winners. The team has an opportunity to take Pogkar’s battle, which attacks in turn to wear their defense-a strategy that has given a bike squad to the first winggard’s glorification to the glory of Tour Day France.
The stage-racing strategy of Vingegaard is generally conservative. He usually not, Pogakar-style, Remove with 100 km to go. He would be an attractive subplot for this conflict between the tytans-how he translates to that style into a 200 km flat-out racing-and how his appearance will affect the dynamic of the race.
Their participation also provides an insight into a possible future. Now with three grand tourism under his belt, his place in history is safe. But it seems that there is no close to beating of Pogakara in three weeks, when both are in the top form, Will Winggard will diversify his ambitions In the hope of winning more, or doubled on the determination of your tour?
The motivations of his two rivals are simple: both to take revenge, in different ways.
Two weeks ago, Kigali probably gave a background for Pogakara’s most derogatory defeat, as the notorious time he was dropped by Winggard on Colonel de la Loz in 2023 tour, who was now a pioneer for the quotation now, “I am gone, I am dead.”
There were no team radio to catch any such crisis in the world time testing, but there was no doubt that he had one, Annapel’s vision to catch him – two and a half minutes back after – and after starting two and a half minutes back – and motorings away from sleeping would have got the motoring with some unbowdcast.
The pogacker was transformed into the necklace – although he was entertaining in pain to note how much time his Belgium’s opponent spent on discipline compared to him – and as often, action spoke loudly than words. They won the road race In his general commanding style, left Nojel with 104 km to go.
Slovenians chose a rematch against the watch in Drom-Adeep, but AnnapoL was also a similar prominent. Their frustration and sorrow over the road in Kigali will undoubtedly fuel for a rider who finds another gear when things are not going to his way.
Changes in two horrific bikes stood on the roadside, raising their anger by killing them by killing them, and shouting in the ramco race team’s car or race moto and nothing is complete without pesticides. If he can channel that residual anger in pedal-ravs on Sunday, Pogakara may also have something to worry.
To explain that the fight for the European Crown is already down to only three men. But this will also be unusable to put all his savings on a low-term claimant.
Pederson and scalmos should be alive on porous curriculum, which is not so difficult to put everyone, but in a state of existent disappointment to Pogakar (on the contrary, Tom Pidcock The World’s course is called the “most unknown race of the year”). Spain has Juan Ayuso; France, Romain Gregori and Paul Sexas. Joao Almeda of Portugal on Wednesday left the testing of time with the disease and ended emotionally after the Vulta finish of its second place, but it could not be dismissed either.
When it comes to women’s race, however, it is someone’s game. The super-team of regular racing, its alliances, are well drilled leaders and domestic. But on rare occasions where riders run in national colors, all bets stop.
Dutch, French and Italian teams were undoubtedly the strongest in Kigali; None of their riders ended at the podium, the major squads paralyzed each other through indifferent and sheer strategic bang.
That, combined with amazing strength in the depth of women’s pelotons, it means that anything can happen on the day – as New World Champions Magdaleen can take into account Vallaers.
Tour de French champion Palin Ferrand-Prevott took out the first in the week after becoming ill, which gave him a chance to compete on the streets of the house in a magnificent end for the highest successful season.
But his rivals Demi Walling and Cassia Niwedoma, the last two Tour Day France winners, would once again be a favorite, while the Swiss pair of Elis Chabbi – in the fourth place in the world – and the new world and European time trial champion Marlein Racer are brilliant. Mavi Garcia of Spain, 41 oldest in the ground, proved that it is still with a difficult bronze medal.
France, Italy and the Netherlands are all bringing the formidable squads; A Dutch woman has won the last six straight European crowns and eight out of nine since the race started. Even though Vollering faulters, any of its partners and some time rivals – previous winners Misha Breadwold and Anna Van Der Brejen – must be able to take Mantle.
That unique strength means that they have many cards to play, but we have also seen that it dissolves in dissolving in the past. If this happens, we will have another thrilling race on the card, which often puts the filled Europeans firmly on the map.