"Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel" - Jonas Vingegaard has no doubt on who he has to follow to try and win European Championships

Jonas Vingegaard is a rider that can in no way be compared to Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel in terms of experience in the one-day races, however that does not prevent him from fighting for victory at the European Championships, specially when it may just come down to climbing ability.

"Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel are the top favorites for Sunday. I have the advantage of having Pedersen (correction, Pedersen will not be present, ed.) and Skjelmose in the Danish team. They're strong in one-day races, so I can draw on their experience and expertise," Vingegaard said in a press conference ahead of the race.

He has not finished a one-day race since the 2022 edition of Il Lombardia, but in the explosive hilly terrain that the riders will face, he has proven on many occasions during the stage-races that he can even be capable of following Tadej Pogacar. At the Tour de France specially, the Dane has proven to be an incredibly strong rider even away from the long steady climbs.

"I've always struggled with one-day races, so this European Road Championships is a test. But it's not a major season goal; gaining experience is more important to me than winning," he adds however, shifting pressure away from his shoulders.

"I have to start somewhere, and the European Championships is a great race to begin with. Because I definitely have the dream of performing well in one-day races."

In words to Het Nieuwsblad, Team Visma | Lease a Bike's performance coach Mathieu Heijboer believes that it's time for the Dane to ramp up this kind of racing, and he has the belief that there is a lot of potential. "Jonas proved to be strong in stage races, and that's where his focus has shifted in recent years. We didn't want to bet on two horses, so the one-day races have faded into the background."

"But now that Jonas has won two of the three Grand Tours, his ambition to perform in one-day races is growing again. If Sunday goes well, that will become more of an issue, perhaps not immediately next season, but certainly in the future," he adds.

"Jonas now feels ready for the European Championships. Sunday could go very well, but it could just as easily disappoint. I read from Almeida that he also has doubts about his form after the Vuelta; it's the same with Jonas,"