Rome (AFP)

Pogacar, Evenepoel, Sagan, Bardet ... There will be many on Sunday, during the European Road Cycling Championship around Trento (Italy), to want to steal the star-studded jersey hung for three years on the shoulders of the Azzurri.

The men's road race will conclude five days of competition during which 13 titles (young and elite) will be awarded, with in particular the time trial (elite men and women) on Thursday and the women's road race on Saturday.

With Giacomo Nizzolo crowned in 2020, after Matteo Trentin and Elia Viviani the two previous years, Italy already has three titles in five editions of this European Championship open only since 2016 at the highest level.

The title holder will not defend his property, not selected by the Italian coach Davide Cassani.

But Italy intends to make the pass of four by betting on Trentino and national champion Sonny Colbrelli, at home in front of the famous Duomo which hosted the Council of Trent in the 16th century.

But the competition promises to be tough on a relatively short course (179 km).

The main difficulty awaits the peloton in the first half, with the ascent of Monte Bondone (km 56), before a 13 km circuit repeated eight times, with a bump that should hamper pure sprinters and pave the way for punchers.

Slovakian Peter Sagan after his victory at the first edition of the European Championships on September 18, 2016 in Plumelec, Brittany LOIC VENANCE AFP / Archives

On paper, everything to please the Slovak Peter Sagan, triple world champion and first European champion in 2016, back after his knee injury during a fall during the Tour de France.

- France in offensive mode -

But two weeks before the World Championship, in Belgium, the scarecrow of the day will be the double winner of the Tour de France and recent bronze medalist in Tokyo, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar.

With the young Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who seems to have regained good feelings a year after his serious injury (pelvic fracture) during the Tour of Lombardy.

Pogacar and Evenepoel will also compete in the time trial (22.4 km) on Thursday, like the world champion in the specialty, the Italian Filippo Ganna, who will also have a series of two meetings.

France arrives in the north of Italy with an offensive team, where they will be several to be able to pull out of the game, such as Romain Bardet, Warren Barguil or Benoît Cosnefroy, who recently distinguished himself by winning Bretagne Classic and the Tour from the Jura.

Romain Bardet celebrates his victory in the 14th stage of the Tour of Spain between Don Benito and Pico Villuercas on August 28, 2021 JORGE GUERRERO AFP / Archives

The world champion Julian Alaphilippe did not make the trip, before the defense of his rainbow jersey in two weeks.

Among the ladies, the defending champion, the Dutchwoman Annemiek Van Vleuten, is the favorite.

Especially since her compatriot, the world champion Anna van der Breggen forfeited, not sufficiently in shape.

Unless the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini, at home, feels growing wings, she who finished second last year behind Van Vleuten.

Originally scheduled for 2020, this Italian edition had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the European Championship was finally played last year in Plouay (Morbihan).

Elite races program at the European Road Championships:

Thusday:

(10:45 am) Ladies time trial, in Trento, 22.4 km

(4:00 p.m.) Men's time trial, in Trento, 22, 4 km

Saturday:

(2.15 p.m.) Ladies road race, Trente-Trente, 107.2 km

Sunday

(12:30 p.m.) Men's road race, Trente-Trente, 179.2 km.

© 2021 AFP