Preview European Cycling Championship 2024 - elite men | Netherlands has one advantage over favorites

The European Championship is just around the corner! Compared to the demanding uphill World Cup course in Zurich in two weeks, the course in Belgian Limburg is a breeze, but that's what makes it so attractive. It means we will see a completely different range of riders at work in Hasselt and its surroundings. IDLProCycling.com guides you through it!

For years, the European Championship has been looking for a specific place on the cycling calendar and in the hearts of fans and athletes. Looking down the list of winners since 2016, one cannot help but conclude that it is a prestigious course. Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff, Matteo Trentin, Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo, Sonny Colbrelli, Fabio Jakobsen, and last year's Christophe Laporte are all big names.

Then, last season's edition, in the Dutch province of Drenthe, was perhaps the best. On the VAM hill, there was a battle between Laporte and his Jumbo-Visma teammates Wout van Aert and Olav Kooij. They approached the Frenchman's wheel, but the latter could hold on before the end and took the blue and white star jersey.

Practical information European cycling championship men 2024

• Sunday, September 14, 2024
• Participants
• Classification: European Championship

In this article

• Latest winners
• Course, weather and times
• Favorites
• TV information

Latest winners men's European cycling championship

2023 Christophe Laporte
2022 Fabio Jakobsen
2021 Sonny Colbrelli
2020 Giacomo Nizzolo
2019 Elia Viviani
2018 Matteo Trentin
2017 Alexander Krisfoff
2016 Peter Sagan

Men's European Cycling Championship 2024: Course, weather and times

The organizers of the European Cycling Championship in Belgian Limburg did everything possible to include all facets of cycling in Belgium in the course. That means hills and cobblestones are included in the course, but there should also be opportunities at the end for the faster riders to take victory.

The men have to race 220 kilometers divided into several stages. This begins at the start next to the newly built cycling track in Heusden-Zolder, from where they make their first trip to the finish town of Hasselt. After 3.5 local laps, there follows the connection to the so-called Limburg Circuit, the tougher part of the circuit. This has to be completed three times.

Here, the riders face several cobbled sections and hills. The Manshoven and Op de Kriezel cobbles pass by twice, as do Kolmontberg and Zammelenberg—hills of less than one kilometer with four—five percent gradients. A total of 1273 meters of altitude normally does not bother the pros.

We say goodbye to the Limburg Circuit, with about 35 kilometers of racing ahead of us. After that, the local lap in Hasselt will be completed one and a half times. There, possible imbalances can be rectified.

Weather
The weather is good this weekend in Belgian Limburg. The temperature will rise to around 18 degrees Celsius. The wind is not too strong, and the chance of rain is limited.

Times
Start: 12:30 p.m.
Finish: approximately 5:45 p.m.

Favorites European cycling championship men 2024

With Wout van Aert's absence, the European Championship surely lost an important trendsetter. His absence could also completely change the course, as home country Belgium will now have to focus entirely on the sprint and use slightly different tactics than it would with an offensive Van Aert.

It will also be challenging for Mathieu van der Poel, the attacker on the Dutch side. Olav Kooij is the sprinter on duty for the orange shirts. After a hard fall in the Renewi Tour, the sprinter had some doubts, but he shattered these doubts with his victory in the BEMER Cyclassics Hamburg. An added plus for Kooij is that with Mike Teunissen and Danny van Poppel - besides Van der Poel - he has a very strong lead-out at his side.

So Kooij has the Van der Poel strength but may not be the top favorite, as we would be looking at Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek. The rock solid Italian knows a powerful team - including Matteo Trentin, Edoardo Affini, and Simone Consonni behind him, who has won four of the eight European Championships he has completed. Add to that the top form he displayed on the Deutschland and Renewi Tour, and you're talking about contender number one.

Then Milan will have to get past the highly motivated Jasper Philipsen, who has a golden opportunity to win a championship in his region. Tim Merlier, after the bad luck he has had lately, may also normally do his thing, while Jordi Meeus (also from Limburg) will serve the team.

Looking further, we come to Mads Pedersen from Denmark and Christophe Laporte from the French. Potential allies of Van der Poel, as they generally have to surrender in a flat sprint after an easy race against the Milans and Philipsens of this world. Arnaud Démare (France), Alexander Kristoff (Norway), Pavel Bittner (Czech Republic), and Madis Mikhels (Estonia) also know this and will presumably go for a medal.

Other long shots include Soren Kragh Andersen (Denmark), Jonas Abrahamsen, Soren Waerenskjold (Norway), Pau Miquel (Spain), Nils Politt, Max Walscheid, John Degenkolb (Germany), and the Oliveira brothers from Portugal.

Favorites European cycling championship men 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorites: Jonathan Milan (Italy) and Jasper Philipsen (Belgium)
Outsiders: Olav Kooij, Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Tim Merlier (Belgium) and Mads Pedersen (Denmark)
Long shots: Christophe Laporte, Arnaud Démare (France), Alexander Kristoff (Norway), Pavel Bittner (Czech Republic), Matteo Trentin (Italy), Mike Teunissen, Danny van Poppel (Netherlands), Madis Mikhels (Estonia) and Jordi Meeus (Belgium)

TV European cycling championship men 2024

The men's European championship race can be followed in full on Sunday via Eurosport (main channel, Discovery+, and HBO Max), NOS (NPO 1 and online), and Sporza (VRT 1). Starting at 12:30 p.m., they will provide live coverage from Belgian Limburg throughout the afternoon.