Tadej Pogacar ready for explosive showdown with Vingegaard and Evenepoel at European Championships

Tadej Pogačar, who is set to face competition from the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, believes that the shorter distance compared to the World Championships will create a different set of racing dynamics from what unfolded in Rwanda.

"The climbs are very difficult. The only change if you compare it to the World Championships is that it's a much shorter race, so I think it will be more explosive," Pogačar said in his pre-race press conference just outside of Valence on Friday.

"Here the climbs are steep and not too long, I mean one is quite long, but the rest are really short, and it will be really punchy. I think here is a good chance to do some peak power on this course, and we will see a lot more guys battling in the finish line than in the World Championships."

Despite the long journey from Rwanda and limited recovery time, Pogačar feels ready for another major race, one which he has yet to add to his collection.

"I feel quite good. To be so deep into the season after the World Championships, especially after a long travel home, quite immediately travel to here, and I must say, I feel really good and I'm happy to be here and test the legs again on Sunday," he said.

The presence of Vingegaard and Evenepoel adds significant intrigue to the race, with Evenepoel runner-up at the World Championships, and though Pogačar has been operating on a level of his own in recent times, he is aware of the threat that the Belgian poses.

"I think [Evenepoel] is well prepared, super strong and motivated also. He was flying in the time trial again, so I think he has the shape, and mentally he is always so prepared and eager to race and win these kinds of races," Pogacar said.

On racing Vingegaard in a one-day event, something which hasn’t happened since the Tour of Lombardy in 2022, Pogačar stated, "It's been a long time to race against Jonas in a one-day race, and yeah, I think if he's here, then he's going to be really good."

The Slovenian admitted the timing of the European Championships isn't ideal, forcing riders to choose between national and trade team duties, with multiple races set to take place this weekend, including the Giro dell'Emilia and the final stage of the CRO Race.

"From my point of view, it's not good, because we have a lot of races on the calendar like [Giro dell'] Emilia or Croatia, and a lot of riders have to choose to ride for their team or the national team, and yeah, it's a little bit not well fitted in the calendar," he explained.

After his spectacular solo in Rwanda, Pogacar remained coy on whether a similar feat is possible on Sunday's shorter course.

"It's possible, but I really doubt it, because the race is 60km less than the World Championships and it's a completely different style of racing, so to break free from the group you really need to fly and have huge power," he said.

After the European Championships, Pogačar will head to Italy for Tre Valli Varesine before targeting a fifth consecutive Tour of Lombardy victory, which would also match Fausto Coppi's record tally of wins.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, we do Europeans, then travel to Italy," Pogacar cautioned. "Lombardy, we will see, it's my fifth time, but let's not speak anything about the victory yet, let's let the legs do the talking on Sunday."