ANALYSIS | The top 5 challengers to Remco Evenepoel in the European Championships Time Trial

The Kigali World Championships are already history, but cycling’s calendar is relentless. Less than a week after the battle for the rainbow jersey, the focus shifts to France for the elite men’s European Time Trial Championships. On Wednesday, October 1, all eyes will be on Remco Evenepoel, the overwhelming favorite in an event stacked with the world’s best specialists.

The Belgian arrives in Ardèche and Drôme with supreme confidence after defending his world title in Kigali. Evenepoel claimed his third consecutive rainbow jersey, and did so in emphatic fashion: dropping Tadej Pogacar and putting more than a minute into silver medalist Jay Vine. That performance confirmed his supremacy against the clock, and makes him the rider to beat in France.

Still, the European crown will not be handed to him easily. Filippo Ganna, João Almeida, Bruno Armirail, Ethan Vernon, Alec Segaert, Joshua Tarling, Stefan Küng, Daan Hoole and many more will test themselves on the flat 24-kilometer course.

Evenepoel is chasing his second European title, after winning in 2019. But who are the five riders most likely to challenge him for gold?

The biggest threat to Evenepoel’s dominance is Filippo Ganna. A two-time world champion, six-time Italian champion, and winner of the Valladolid time trial at the Vuelta a España, the INEOS Grenadiers powerhouse is hungry for a European title. Ganna has two near-misses, silver in 2021 and bronze in 2022, but has yet to stand on the top step. On a short, flat course that favors raw power, he will be a formidable rival for Evenepoel.

Not a pure time trialist, but João Almeida’s record shows he cannot be ignored. The Portuguese star finished second overall at the Vuelta a España, where he also helped secure the team time trial in Figueres and placed third in Valladolid behind only Ganna and Vine. Arriving in peak form, Almeida has the endurance and tactical sharpness to make himself a podium contender in France.

The defending European champion is another name that Evenepoel cannot overlook. Joshua Tarling has raced sparingly this season, but when he has lined up, he has impressed. At the Giro d’Italia he won the Tirana time trial and finished runner-up in Pisa. The young Briton is a rider who prepares meticulously for major targets, and it is certain that the European Championships are circled in red on his calendar.

France will look to Bruno Armirail to deliver a home result. The 31-year-old has enjoyed one of his most consistent seasons, excelling both in time trials and on the road. He claimed the French national title, won silver in the World Mixed Relay, placed eighth at the World Championships in Kigali, and earned top-four finishes at the Vuelta’s Valladolid test and the Tour de France’s Caen time trial. Armirail is in the form to turn home support into a medal.

A perennial contender against the clock, Stefan Küng must always be considered. While 2025 has not been his standout year, the Swiss rider still earned bronze in the World Mixed Relay, a top ten in Kigali’s World Time Trial, and two further top-ten finishes at the Vuelta. His ability to rise to the occasion makes him a dangerous outsider for gold in France.

Evenepoel’s road to a second European crown is lined with challengers far beyond these five. Stefan Bissegger, Daan Hoole, Ethan Hayter, Mads Pedersen, Rémi Cavagna, and Belgium’s own Alec Segaert, a rising force in the discipline, will all be on the start ramp.

The Belgian three time time trial world champion remains the clear favorite. But with the depth of talent assembled in France, the European Championships are set to deliver another high-level battle for the podium.