“We’re hopeful about Jonas Vingegaard, and why not Tadej Pogacar?” - Could a Tour de France rematch be set for 2025 European Championships?

Could the next chapter in cycling’s most compelling modern rivalry be written not at the Tour de France, but in the colours of national pride? The 2025 European Championships may be about to serve up a tantalising rematch between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar — this time not as rivals in trade team kits, but as the flagbearers of the Danish and Slovenian teams respectively.

The European Road Championships, scheduled for the 5th of October in 2025, in the undulating Ardèche region of France, has long flown under the radar in a packed late-season calendar. But this year, its potential to draw marquee names is making headlines — not least because of the prospect that Vingegaard could make his debut in the Danish national jersey.

Despite being a two-time Tour de France winner and one of the most consistent Grand Tour riders of his generation, Vingegaard has never ridden a major championship in Danish red and white. Injury and scheduling conflicts have kept him out of both the World Championships and the European event in the past. But 2025 might finally see that change.

Earlier this year, Danish national coach Michael Morkov confirmed that the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader has set the World Championships in Rwanda as a key goal. “I absolutely think he will ride in Rwanda,” Morkov told Feltet.dk. “He has expressed that it’s one of his season targets. It’s a route that suits him. He’s in his prime, and perhaps the only rider in the world capable of beating the defending world champion Tadej Pogacar.”

That level of belief from the national setup, coupled with a race calendar designed to peak for Rwanda, could make the European Championships an ideal second stop — both logistically and competitively. And according to local organiser Guillaume Delpech, hopes are high. “We’re hopeful about Jonas Vingegaard,” Delpech told Wielerflits. “He already won the Faun-Drôme Classic here in 2023. And why not the current wearer of the yellow jersey, Tadej Pogacar?”

One man who isn't expected to be present at the World Championships or European Championships in 2025 is Mathieu van der Poel, with the Dutchman clear on his goal of taking a Rainbow Jersey on the mountain bike instead. Despite this however, Delpech hasn't given up hope totally.

“We know that he (Van der Poel, ed.) is targeting the Mountain Bike World Championships in mid-September. Whether that will affect his participation in the road race is difficult to say at this point, so I don’t want to raise false expectations among the fans. That said, of course, any organiser would love to have Mathieu on the start list,” Delpech explained.