When the Champions League overshadows the European Championship: How much does the Euro race really matter?

Last Wednesday, the European Cycling Championships kicked off in Belgian Limburg. The enthusiasm for the time trial was low, but there are higher expectations for this coming Sunday in the region around Heusden-Zolder and Hasselt. However, after eight editions, the European Championship still hasn't fully managed to convince.

It’s certainly not due to the winners. In the women's category, a Dutch rider has won seven out of eight times. Even more impressive, there were seven different names, showcasing (almost) all of the top talents our country has to offer: Annemiek van Vleuten, Anna van der Breggen, Marianne Vos, Lorena Wiebes, Amy Pieters, Ellen van Dijk, and Mischa Bredewold. Marta Bastianelli was the only non-Dutch winner.

Looking at the men, we also see only big names. Peter Sagan was the first to win in 2016, but in two ways, it was immediately a false start: first, the location had to be moved to Brittany after the attacks in Nice, and second, world champion Sagan won, so the newly minted jersey was not seen for a whole year.

In the years that followed, world-class riders like Alexander Kristoff, Matteo Trentin, Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo, Sonny Colbrelli, Fabio Jakobsen, and just last year Christophe Laporte, took the title home. Among the time trialists, we also find notable names such as Remco Evenepoel, Victor Campenaerts, Stefan Küng, and Joshua Tarling on the honor roll.

There were certainly some great editions among them, no doubt about it. In 2018, Trentin brilliantly beat Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert in Glasgow, and the editions in Alkmaar and Trento were also remarkable, with the Belgians being twice outdone by the Italians. And then there was last season's edition, which came to an exciting conclusion on the VAM mountain, with Laporte, Wout van Aert, and Olav Kooij playing key roles.

Read more below the photo.

The European Championship swings between August, September, and even October

Where is the crux, then? Perhaps in the line below? The top riders usually have their races and main goals well planned, but just below that level, the trade teams have more influence. For example, French selector Thomas Voeckler recently spoke about the withdrawals he had for this European Championship. "I understand the issue with the trade teams and respect their position: after all, they are the ones who pay the riders. I was a rider myself for seventeen years, so I understand all of that. I've simply adapted to the situation and haven't demanded anything," he said.

The spot on the calendar is also subject to change. Looking at the men's road race, it was held on September 18, August 6, August 12, August 11, August 29, September 12, August 14, September 24, and now September 14. The 2025 edition is even scheduled for early October. The reason for this can be found in events such as the Super World Championships, the Super European Championships, and the Olympic Games, which rank higher in prestige than the 'regular' European Championship.

This year, the European Championship is placed between the Vuelta and the World Championships, but overall interest in the Championship is still not high. Or, as Visma | Lease a Bike's Head of Performance put it in one of his rare tweets: "Champions League and European Championship final on the same day, that's professional cycling," he wrote, referring to the GP Montréal, which was also held on Sunday.

Euros (and pounds) are also starting to count for federations

The financial situation for various federations is becoming increasingly pressing. In the Netherlands, they already point to Belgium when it comes to available resources, but even there, they say it's not overflowing. The reason for this can partly be found in the expensive World Championship locations such as Australia, Rwanda, Scotland, and Switzerland, but also in the higher travel and accommodation costs.

For that reason, Great Britain, for example, is not showing up at all in Belgian Limburg, where a country like France also chose to skip the time trial. The Netherlands, in turn, decided to completely skip the Mixed Relay, making this event almost a parody of itself, with only six participating countries on Thursday.

Alright, the pain points have been discussed, but what should be done? Sundays are scarce during the season, so perhaps a completely different spot on the calendar? Or maybe tie a jersey to the UCI ranking, like the old World Cup standings? Or simply withstand the test of time and, in doing so, secure its place in the current way?