2026 European Road Cycling Championship: France is banking on Grégoire and Vauquelin in the absence of Seixas

At least this time, the UAE-Emirates team shouldn't weigh as much on the race. Tadej Pogacar not yet recovered, the recent world champion Brandon McNulty (United States) and Isaac del Toro (Mexico) absent, the European Road Championship, which takes place around the capital Ljubljana, Sunday October 4, opens up perspectives, particularly for the French team.

On the 196.3 km partially circuit route, where the riders will climb the short but steep climb to Možjanca five times (2 km at 10.3%, passages at 14%), Thomas Voeckler has changed his team composition. Only Alex Baudin and Pavel Sivakov will travel directly between Canada and Slovenia.

Exit therefore Paul Seixas, Valentin Paret-Peintre or Nicolas Prodhomme, and make way for Romain Grégoire, Kévin Vauquelin or Mathys Rondel. On a less demanding course than at Mont-Royal (2,500 meters of positive altitude difference compared to 3,800 in Montreal), pure punchers have a better chance of succeeding than puncher-climber profiles.

As such, the hierarchy is much less established than at the Worlds, where everything rested on Paul Seixas, ultimately 15th after being crippled by cramps in the last lap. “It's a bit of the opposite of the team entered in the world championships. Several riders will have their chance, explains the Blues coach. It's important for the French team that everyone can claim a selection,” explained Thomas Voeckler to L'Equipe when his team was announced.

France should bet first of all on Romain Grégoire, who had good preparation for the one-day races in September far from Canada (2nd in the Tour of Wallonia, 3rd in the Coppa Sabatini) and Kévin Vauquelin, who is returning to form at the right time (winner of the Tour of Abruzzo). But the Blues will not put all their eggs in one basket in Slovenia, and that could be profitable for them. "It's a well-composed team, even stronger than for the World Cup, I think," assures our consultant Lilian Calmejane. Romain Grégoire, the bump seems a bit hard for him but he is the reigning French champion and doesn't miss out often. thing."

Evenepoel, Healy and Ciccone against the Blues

Facing them, Remco Evenepoel should slip into the favorite's suit, but the Belgian got stuck in Montreal, and Belgium - like France - missed its collective race. The other candidates for the white and blue jersey are Juan Ayuso (Spain), Primoz Roglic (Slovenia), Giulio Ciccone (Italy), even Mads Pedersen (Denmark) and Ben Healy (Ireland). Exit Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel or Tom Pidcock, knowing that Great Britain will not field any team in the road race. “For Pidcock, it was a mistake not to come, because with the form he had, I think he was almost the favorite,” analyzes Lilian Calmejane.

"The Italians will have a big team. Ciccone is in good shape. It's exactly what he likes. Evenepoel, he's disappointed with his world championship and when he's hurt in his pride, he's very, very, dangerous. European champion, that's not his major objective so for me, he'll try to win by blowing up the race and putting on a crazy act like he knows how to do, rather than playing for the title by the millimeter. Remco number one, Healy, Ciccone then Vauquelin, I put him in the top 5,” continues the former rider.

It's simple, only three members of the Top 10 at the Worlds will be at the start of Europe: Pedersen, Ciccone and Healy. Not the dreaded scarecrows, which gives the French team a real chance to fight, and to make up for a collective strategy that does not pay off in Canada, even if the coach said he had "no regrets".

Quickly heal the failure of the Worlds

In Quebec, the pace set by Bruno Armirail, always so hardworking and dedicated, to get back on the breakaway had tortured the peloton to the point, according to Evenepoel, of "perhaps destroying their own leader with it". "Paul was perhaps isolated a little early at the collective level. Some will say that it was a mistake, obviously. But we did what we had to do with Bruno. It wasn't an excess of zeal. Quite sincerely, we had to toughen up the race. Then, it's true that it escaped us a little because the race was crazy intense," Thomas Voeckler admitted.

Without Paul Seixas, France will also be less expected. She will have less weight in the race and that may suit her better, by sending Alex Baudin, Léo Bisiaux or Mathys Rondel as scouts. "I think it's going to be a slightly more 'cautious' strategy, because without Seixas, we're going to let the other nations do the work and dynamite for us. Vauquelin and Grégoire have good punching abilities and go sprinting quickly in a small group. It's open. We have Vauquelin, Grégoire, even an Alex Baudin who can do a superb race and give us a nice surprise. Now, we don't have the guarantee of a podium," continues Lilian Calmejane.

The distance of the course, with "only" 196 km compared to Montreal's 273, will also play its role. The world championships were a race of extreme attrition, these European championships should be more of an explosive race where the difference should be made in the difficulty of the course alone. A steep climb, sometimes very narrow and with a delicate descent. Exactly what suits the qualities of Romain Grégoire and Kévin Vauquelin to succeed Christophe Laporte, the only French winner (in 2023) since the race was integrated into the elite calendar in 2016.