Remco Evenepoel of Belgium secured the European Championship road race title in a nail-biting finish in Šenčur, Slovenia, on Sunday, October 4, 2026, narrowly beating Italy’s Giulio Ciccone in a photo finish. The race, held over a 196.3km course, saw Evenepoel claim victory after a dramatic sprint, adding to his impressive collection of titles which include world and Olympic championships.
Dramatic Finish: Evenepoel Edges Out Ciccone
This victory marked Evenepoel’s completion of a prestigious set of titles, having previously secured world championship titles in road racing (2022) and time trials (2023-2026), as well as Olympic gold in both events (2024), and now the European Championship in time trials (2019, 2025).
Ciccone, after appearing to gain an advantage in the final sprint, was narrowly overtaken by the Belgian rider. Christian Scaroni of Italy finished third, 59 seconds behind Evenepoel.
Roglič’s Performance and Team Strategy
Roglič acknowledged that he lacked the necessary strength in the final stages of the race, having exerted considerable effort in the preceding kilometers.
Other Slovenian riders’ standings included Jakob Omrzel in 13th (+2:08), Jan Tratnik in 19th (+2:47), and Matej Mohorič in 33rd (+8:13).
Looking Ahead: Time Trial Focus
Tratnik confidently predicted a victory for Roglič in the time trial.
I really gave it my all, I left everything on the road, and a huge thank you to everyone by the road and at home in front of the screens today. These are feelings I will never forget,
Roglič said, expressing his gratitude to the fans and acknowledging the emotional impact of the race.