Cycling’s biggest stars converge this week on France’s Drôme and Ardèche for the 2025 European Championships, a climber-friendly edition that draws leading names from the Giro d’Italia and the Grand Tours.
Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia arrives just a week after winning a second straight world title in Rwanda, where he sealed the road race with a 104 km attack, including 66 km alone. He is set to show the rainbow jersey in France before wearing it again at Il Lombardia on Saturday, October 11. His rivals include Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, runner-up at the Tour de France, and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel, who dominated the Kigali time trial but was beaten in the road race.
Event Highlights and Competitors
The elite men’s road race covers 202.5 km and features six ascents of the Val d’Enfer ramp, a 1,600‑meter climb averaging 10%. Other notable entrants include Spain’s Juan Ayuso, who led the early chase of Pogacar in Kigali; Portugal’s Joao Almeida; Italy’s Christian Scaroni; Denmark’s Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose; and French contenders Julian Alaphilippe, Romain Grégoire, and Valentin Paret-Peintre.
The individual time trials take place on Wednesday, October 1, over 24 km with an uphill finish in Étoile-sur-Rhône. Evenepoel starts as the favorite against a strong group featuring Italy’s Filippo Ganna, the Netherlands’ Daan Hoole, Great Britain’s Ethan Hayter and Josh Tarling, and Switzerland’s Stefan Küng.
Fans can look forward to an exciting week filled with elite cycling action, showcasing some of the best talents in the sport. The event schedule is packed with individual time trials and road races across various categories, making it a must-watch for cycling enthusiasts.
Event schedule (local time):
- Wednesday, October 1
- 09:30 – Junior women’s individual time trial (12.2 km)
- 10:45 – Junior men’s individual time trial (24 km)
- 12:00 – U23 women’s individual time trial (24 km)
- 12:45 – U23 men’s individual time trial (24 km)
- 14:20 – Elite women’s individual time trial (24 km)
- 15:45 – Elite men’s individual time trial (24 km)
- Thursday, October 2
- 11:00 – Junior mixed relay (40 km)
- 14:30 – Elite mixed relay (40 km)
- Friday, October 3
- 09:00 – U23 women’s road race (85.7 km)
- 12:40 – Junior women’s road race (62.9 km)
- 15:35 – Junior men’s road race (103.4 km)
- Saturday, October 4
- 09:00 – U23 men’s road race (121.1 km)
- 14:00 – Elite women’s road race (116.1 km)
- Sunday, October 5
- 11:45 – Elite men’s road race (202.5 km)
This year’s European Championships promise to deliver thrilling competitions, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments. Be sure to tune in and support your favorite riders as they battle for glory in the picturesque landscapes of France.