"The sprint looked bad..." - Remco Evenepoel makes a comeback with major European Championships win
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel took victory at the 2026 European Championships after a heart-stopping finish against Giulio Ciccone. The Belgian had to wait several minutes for the official photo-finish, in an arrival so tight it kept both riders on edge until the win for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider was confirmed.
The triumph also carried a special weight for Evenepoel after the disappointment at the Montréal Worlds. The Belgian admitted that defeat had affected him more than he showed publicly and that the European title brings major mental relief.
Evenepoel explained that the race unfolded almost exactly to his national team’s plan, although the penultimate climb was marked by a moment of maximum tension. The Belgian launched an attack but entered a corner too fast and lost grip, even hitting the deck with 36 kilometres to go.
“It’s incredible; I owe a lot to my teammates. The race played out exactly as we wanted. It was a bit tricky, especially on the penultimate climb,” Evenepoel said in a post-race interview.
“I think I launched a strong attack, but I went into the corner too quickly and lost traction. I think I could have gone clear there, but in the end we stayed calm, went back to the plan, and I attacked again just before the descent,” he recounted.
That second move proved decisive for the race. Evenepoel managed to get to the front with Giulio Ciccone and the pair began to work together in the final part of the event.
“That’s how I got to the front with Ciccone. We cooperated really well,” explained the new European champion.
Remco Evenepoel won the 2026 Europeans by photo-finish against Giulio Ciccone.
The sprint seemed lost for Evenepoel
A sprint finish did not look especially favourable for Evenepoel. The Belgian himself admitted that when the final stretch began, he thought the win was slipping away. However, he sensed Ciccone was fading in the last metres and overhauled him right on the line.
“Then, the sprint looked bad... I thought I wouldn’t make it anymore, but I saw he was losing a lot of speed with 100 metres to go and I managed to pass him right on the finish line,” he said.
The outcome was so tight that neither rider knew immediately who had won. Both waited for the official photo-finish, minutes of maximum tension before Evenepoel’s victory was confirmed.
“I thought I’d won, but you never know. I think the images were quite clear; I felt great relief and I’m very proud to have taken the win today,” the Belgian explained.
Evenepoel acknowledged he lived those moments with the feeling he had prevailed, though without absolute certainty over the result just yet.
Beyond the sporting result, the European gold holds special meaning for Evenepoel given the timing. The Belgian did not hide that the disappointment from the Montréal Worlds had weighed heavily on him in the days after.
“Honestly, it was a very tough week for me after the disappointment at the Worlds,” he said.
He explained that the psychological fallout from that result was greater than he had shown outwardly. “I think it affected me more mentally than I let on, so it’s a great relief to be back at a good level today and complete my collection of champions’ jerseys. It’s an incredible feeling.”
The victory, therefore, is not only another major title on his palmarès, but also an answer after a particularly difficult week.
“As I said, it was a mentally very hard week to recover from the disappointment and… how to put it? From having let my country down at the Worlds. I hope I made everyone proud today,” Evenepoel acknowledged.
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Now, onto Il Lombardia
With the European title secured, Evenepoel made it clear he has no intention of extending the celebrations for long. The Belgian was even asked about a possible start in Wednesday’s time trial, but he quickly clarified his next target.
“No, now I’m going to focus on Il Lombardia,” he replied.
Before turning his attention back to competition, Evenepoel does plan to enjoy a special night after completing a set of titles that, in his words, already covers every championship in professional cycling.
“I’ll celebrate tonight, because it’s a special victory,” he said. And he added: “As I’ve said, I’ve already won every championship in professional cycling, so I think we can celebrate in style.”
After a Worlds that left its mark and a European Championships decided by centimetres, Evenepoel found in the dramatic finale against Ciccone the response he was looking for. The photo-finish confirmed a triumph that, given the context and the way it arrived, carried far more value for the Belgian than a simple gold medal.
Jorge BorregueroWriter
Jorge Borreguero is a journalist with a degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a writer for Cyclinguptodate and Ciclismoaldia since early 2023. In this role, he has played a key part in the evolution of the website, particularly as a specialist covering Movistar Team. He regularly writes race reports, analytical pieces, and in-depth features about the team, and has conducted exclusive interviews and attended multiple team presentations, providing readers with firsthand insights into one of the leading professional cycling squads.
Throughout his career, Jorge has maintained a strong focus on sports journalism, gaining experience across a variety of disciplines, including basketball and football. However, his current work is almost entirely dedicated to cycling, contributing extensively to Ciclismoaldia and its sister website Cyclinguptodate. For these platforms, he combines thorough research with detailed reporting to deliver high-quality content, ranging from race previews and results to expert analysis of teams and riders.
Jorge’s reporting is marked by accuracy, depth, and a commitment to providing readers with reliable and authoritative information. His direct engagement with teams, athletes, and events ensures that his coverage reflects firsthand knowledge and professional insight. Through his work, he has established himself as a trusted voice in professional cycling journalism, bridging the gap between the sport and its global audience while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
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- With the injuries he has, it's probably best not to rush back, so it's ok if is form is poor for a while.Hills3304-10-2026
- He will come back next year and smoke everyone we all know it. With vengeance. The worriying part is that noone can beat UAE even when pogacar is hurt, other teams and captains cant beat Pogacaer domestiques lol...Montreal and WC was insane and if were honest how on the world can anyone beat pogacar on that team when noone can even beat his teammates. Del Toro is probably 2 best overall rider in world already.. Absolutely crazy team..miguel04-10-2026
- A deserved win by the Aero Bullet. I know he isn’t loved by all cycling fans, but I for one am looking forward to seeing him in the European bands! Chapeau Remco.anonymouscyclist04-10-2026
- Bro he just barely won after silly crash and no tactics and more importantly no Pogi or other top riders. If he wants to give middle finger, he can do so to assuage his ego. But facts remain facts. Beat Pogi and other top riders in important races and then no need to give any middle finger at all, actions speak louder than wordsabstractengineer04-10-2026
- best constructed roster, i would say best imploding roster would be a better choice of wordsabstractengineer04-10-2026
- There is no space for Lipo due to the size of Remco's Ass, Me Myself & no Ballsabstractengineer04-10-2026
- Hey poultrybird2002, RidesHills is lying... Ciccone won!!! ... Now you can watch, because you don't know who's telling the truth. :))PogiSloFans04-10-2026
- Thanks Will not bother watching race now you toolpaultryan200204-10-2026
- Why didn’t Ciccone throw his bike?! He lost the race in the last tenth of a second. What a disappointment that must be, and what a win for Evenepoel after all the work he did. His anger worked for him at the end, it seems.RidesHills04-10-2026
- An emotional goodbye when Mezgec stepped off his bike just now. Yesterday’s farewell to Quintana was touching and beautiful, and this moment with Mezgec is fabulous as well. I like that we honor those that managed to inspire and win and keep going even as cycling changed and changed and changed.RidesHills04-10-2026
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