Evenepoel overcomes crash to pip Ciccone to European title at the last

Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) overcame a crash to win the elite men’s road race at the European Championships in Slovenia ahead of Giulio Ciccone (Italy) in a photo finish.

Evenepoel arrived as the pre-race favourite, having missed out on the World title last week in Montréal, and his Belgian teammates seized control of the race for the majority. 

Ciccone attacked on the penultimate Možjanca ascent with 36km and he was followed and countered by Evenepoel. 

However, Evenepoel stunningly crashed while rounding the corner at the top of the climb. Despite the heavy blow, the Belgian, pumped full of adrenaline and supported by his teammates, returned alongside a chasing group to Ciccone just a few kilometres later. 

Then, he launched a sledgehammer of an attack, which once again only Ciccone could follow, and the duo would extend their advantage over the remainder of the lap and contest the victory in a mano a mano showdown on the final lap.

Evenepoel rode the majority of the final lap on the front, as Ciccone was also able to lean on the fact that his teammate Christian Scaroni had broken clear behind and was in hot pursuit of the bronze medal. 

In the end, the duo would duke it out in a sprint finish, and it was Evenepoel who looked set to lead out the sprint. 

However, Ciccone got the jump on the Belgian in the final corner and looked set to deny him. Evenepoel fought back and after consulting the photo finish, the commissaires decreed that the Belgian had won the day. 

Scaroni held off the chasers for the bronze medal.

The day started with a guard of honour for home rider Luka Mezgec (Slovenia), who was lining up for the final race of his career.

The 38-year-old clearly wanted to make the most of the occasion as he made the day’s six-man breakaway alongside Tiago Antunes (Portugal), Josef Černý (Czechia), Jochem Kerckhaert (Netherlands), Jakob Söderqvist (Sweden) and Fabian Weiss (Switzerland).

As the race hit the final circuit for the first time with around 115km remaining, the breakaway’s advantage was around 1:30. 

However, that changed significantly over the next 10km, as the pace in the peloton increased, thanks in large part to Belgium, and the Možjanca ascent saw the breakaway split, with Antunes, Kerckhaert and Weiss pulling clear of their companions.

There was also an attack from the bunch with 102km remaining from Jardi Christiaan van der Lee (Netherlands), but the move was quickly neutralised. 

The leading trio were caught at the foot of the second Možjanca ascent with 82km, as Italy took control at the front of the peloton and started to ramp up the pace. 

As a result of Italy’s strong pace, Juan Ayuso found himself hanging on at the back of the peloton, and with 80.5km remaining, Jan Christen (Switzerland) launched a bold attack. 

The Swiss rider was reeled in by the Italians by the crest of the climb, and over the top, Mads Pedersen (Denmark) returned to the group with a number of Danish bodyguards, with the 30-year-old seemingly riding his own race as he did in Montréal.

Belgium wrestled control from Italy for the remainder of the second lap, pressing the pace and keeping the peloton strung out. By the end of the lap, there were 52 riders remaining at the head of the race, with Ayuso a notable absentee, 4:45 behind and out of contention

On the third Možjanca ascent, Pedersen found himself distanced once more as Belgium continued to control the race and whittle down the peloton. 

With 55.2km remaining, Pavel Sivakov (France) decided to go long-range in his trademark fashion. The Frenchman’s move didn’t immediately trigger a frantic response from the Belgians, who continued to set their own tempo at the front of the peloton.

The chasing group spearheaded by Denmark and Pedersen returned to the peloton with 48km remaining, shortly before the end of lap 3. Sivakov was also caught before the leading group of 42 riders crossed the line, marking the start of the penultimate lap.

The host nation hit the front at the base of the fourth Možjanca climb, with Jan Tratnik setting a strong tempo, with Primož Roglič initially on his wheel, before the latter let the wheel of his teammate go, allowing a gap to open. 

However, Belgium quickly shut down Tratnik before Christen tried to go clear once more, but he was unable to push the pace set by the stern tempo of Maxim Van Gils (Belgium).

Ciccone attacked with 36km remaining, and he was followed by Evenepoel, who went over the top of the Italian. However, as he rounded the corner at the top of the climb, Evenepoel slipped out and crashed. 

It didn't take the Belgian long to return to the head of the race as part of a chasing group that caught Ciccone, and just a few kilometres later, he would go clear alongside the Italian for a final lap showdown.