The leading European cycling nations will clash in Munich, Germany between August 11-21 at the ‘Super European Championships’, with many of the biggest names in men’s sprinting clashing in Sunday’s road race.
Fabio Jakobsen, Alexander Kristoff, Mads Pedersen, Arnaud Dêmare, Sam Bennett, Pascal Ackermann and Giacomo Nizzolo will all swap their professional team colours and allegiances to ride for national pride.
Surprisingly the Belgian Lotto Soudal riders opted not to be selected for the European Championships so they can focus on the WorldTour relegation battle but Sunday’s race offers valuable points to riders and so their professional teams. Last year Sonny Colbrelli scored 250 precious points for winning the men’s title in Trento.
The 2022 ‘Super European Championships’ includes nine different sports, with road, track, mountain bike and BMX racing alongside athletics, climbing, rowing, table tennis, gymnastics, volleyball and triathlon.
Munich hosted the Olympic Games 50 years ago and most of the events will take place in the same Olympiapark, making the European championships bigger and more visible than individual championships.
Tom Pidcock, Filippo Colombo, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Jolanda Neff and Sina Frei will target the mountain bike titles, while Laura Kenny, Lotte Kopecky, Elia Viviani, Jeffrey Hoogland, Roy Van Den Berg and Harrie Lavreysen will race on the track. Germany’s Lisa Brennauer will end her long road and track career at the event.
The road races are arguably the most prestigious titles, with the white and blue striped European champion’s jersey worn in the peloton for the subsequent 12 months just like the world champion’s rainbow jersey.
Last year Colbrelli beat Remco Evenepoel to take the jersey in Trento, while Ellen van Dijk won the women’s road race title and was second in the time trial to Marlen Reusser. Both will be back this year on the 24km Fürstenfeldbruck course, while Elisa Balsamo, Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes and Cecile Ludwig are set to contest the road race.
Cyclingnews will have a preview of the women’s road race next week.
Stefan Küng beat Filippo Ganna by eight seconds to win the 2021 time trial title and is again the favourite in the absence of the Italian for this year’s 48km time trial. His biggest rival is perhaps his compatriot Stefan Bissegger.
Men’s road race offers big-name sprinter showdown
Sunday’s men’s road race is the first major event of the ‘Super European Championships’, with many of the major…
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