"I really believe it was possible to bring Tadej Pogacar back" – Remco Evenepoel frustrated by lack of help in chase at European Championship 2025

Another major one-day race. Another audacious solo move from Tadej Pogacar in the men's elite road race at the 2025 European Championships. And for Remco Evenepoel, another silver medal.

Just one week after being forced to settle for second behind the Slovenian at the World Championships in Kigali, Evenepoel again had to watch Pogacar raise his arms solo — this time at the European Championships in France — and once again, the Belgian figurehead was left wondering what more he could have done.

This time though, it wasn't mechanical issues that had Evenepoel frustrated, it was the lack of a cohesive chase following Pogacar's attack. “I really believe it was possible to bring Tadej back,” Evenepoel said after the finish in conversation with Cycling Pro Net. “If everyone in the group had worked properly, I think we could’ve made it. But some riders had orders not to ride — and that’s race tactics. We have to accept that.”

The race was shaping up perfectly for Belgium. The team had numbers. Evenepoel was in stellar form. And as many expected, Pogacar was isolated with more than 90km to go. But the script began to shift when the Slovenian launched a devastating attack with 75km remaining — a move only Evenepoel looked capable of answering.

Briefly, the Belgian clawed his way back to within 20 seconds, leading a small but powerful chase group featuring Juan Ayuso, Paul Seixas, and Christian Scaroni. But when the others refused to contribute to the pace, Evenepoel was left with little choice but to shoulder the workload alone — a tactical imbalance that would ultimately prove costly.

“It was pretty frustrating,” he admitted. “With four guys in the tailwind and headwind sections, we really could’ve brought him back. But when I saw the lack of help, I knew it was going to be difficult. Maybe I should’ve gone earlier, tried to get rid of them, but after the race it’s always easier to talk.”

Evenepoel pushed on solo in the final 30km, distancing his fellow chasers and securing silver once again. But for a rider who measures himself by victories — and who has the European Championships road race as one of the few missing major titles from his palmares — second place felt hollow.

Evenepoel was candid in his praise for Pogacar, acknowledging that, cooperation or not, his rival was once again riding on another level. “I was on a good day, but he was on a super good day,” he said. “I just tried my maximum to beat him, but he shows again why he’s the best in the world. I was beaten by power — simply by someone stronger.”

Despite the result, Evenepoel was quick to defend his Belgian teammates, who were among the most aggressive and organised squads throughout the race. “We did what we had in mind,” he said. “Everybody was on a good day and did their job. We were never in defence mode, even when Tadej attacked. We go home with another silver medal in the road race — not what we came for, of course, but we have to accept it and keep looking forward.”