"You have to believe": French hero aims to upset Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel in Ardeche

The 2025 European Championships is very close to celebrate its main event: the elite men's road race. It will be one of the most anticipated editions in history, as it will once again bring together the 3 big stars of the current peloton: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. For riders like Romain Grégoire, it will present a challenge that is almost unprecedented.

Grégoire will take the start of the European Championships as one of the contenders for the French home crowd to celebrate a medal. The Groupama - FDJ rider is going all out and will not be intimidated by any of the three riders mentioned above. Will he be able to win the gold medal?

"The opportunities are there, but they are rare. You have to be prepared, be serious and keep believing in order to take advantage of them," Grégoire said in a statement reported by Eurosport.

Growing up in Besancon, some four hours' ride from Ardeche, Grégoire has been to the region many times before and could use the knowledge of the terrain to his benefit. "I know the roads, they are efforts that suit me," added Romain Grégoire, recalling his victory at the Faun Ardèche Classic earlier this season. On that day, he benefited from the mistake of Enric Mas and Javier Romo, who were going straight for the win and took a wrong turn on the last corner.

At the World Championships in Kigali, in a race that reached almost 5,500 meters of elevation gain, there was no match for Tadej Pogacar. Maybe that's why Romain Gregoire didn't want to race there. But at the European Championships, where the total positive vertical drop will be 3,300 meters over just a bit over 200 kilometers, he sees himself with a better chance of beating the best climbers in the world.

If Romain Gregoire wants to win the gold medal, he will have to be very clear that the European Championships will be decided, above all, on two key points:

By sensations, it is certain that Romain Grégoire will arrive at the European Championships with a great momentum. In his last race, the Tour de Luxembourg, he took two stage wins. And just before that he won the general classification of the Tour of Britain including a stage. If the home crowd in France is excited, it's for a reason. Can he really pull off a surprise?