Struggling Jonas Vingegaard abandons European Championships

Jonas Vingegaard’s one-day career remains a work in progress following a disappointing debut at the European Championships road race. The Dane abandoned the race with 86km remaining after he was surprisingly dropped on the second ascent of the Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps.

The Dane was making his first appearance for the national team since he turned professional, and he entered the race as one of the chief contenders alongside world champion Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) and Remco Evenepoel (Belgium).

The brisk tempo set by the Slovenian and Belgian teams on the Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps proved too much for Vingegaard, who was dropped from a 30-strong peloton with 109km to go.

Vingegaard shook his head in resignation when a television motorbike slowed alongside him, and it was already clear that his challenge was over. He continued until the race’s next passage across the finish line, abandoning with 86km to go.

The European Championships was Vingegaard’s first race since he sealed overall victory at the Vuelta a España three weeks ago. He opted against riding the World Championships in Rwanda, citing the difficulty of combining the event with the exertions of the Vuelta.

Vingegaard’s decision to race for Denmark at the European Championships helped to extend his season into October, and on the eve of the race, he suggested it might be a test for future attempts at one-day racing. Since winning his first Tour de France in 2022, Vingegaard had lined out in just two one-day races. 

“I’ve always struggled with one-day races. This race is a test,” Vingegaard said on the eve of the European Championships. “It’s not a major goal for my season, but I’m going to give it my all on Sunday to get a top result.”

The race brings the curtain down on Vingegaard’s 2025 season. He placed second overall behind Pogacar at the Tour de France in July, marking the fifth year in succession that they occupied the top two positions overall. This time out, however, Vingegaard never truly put Pogacar in difficulty.

Vingegaard returned to action at the Vuelta, and he secured his first overall victory in the race ahead of João Almeida, winning three stages along the way. After sealing Vuelta victory, he downplayed the prospect of riding the Giro d’Italia in 2026, indicating that the Tour de France would again be his main objective next year.

The man to beat at the Tour, Tadej Pogacar, attacked alone with 75km of the European Championships remaining.