European Champs ready to go: Ganna leads Italy’s charge in Team Relay

Everything is ready: tomorrow, Wednesday, September 8th, 2021, Trento will assign the first titles of the UEC Road European Championships-Trentino 2021 (September 8th-12th). As usual, it will be the time trials to open the race program: the Junior categories will challenge the time in the morning, while the spectacular Team Relay will take the center stage in the afternoon.

The course of the time trials at Trentino 2021 is a 22,4 km pan-flat loop, perfectly suited for TT specialists, starting from the MUSE – Science Museum of Trento, with finish located in the near Piazza delle Donne Lavoratrici. The course will lead the riders into the beauty of the landscapes, with orchards and vineyards that give life to some of the finest Trentino’s wines.

In the morning, the Junior category will get the first chance to win the cherished European Champions’ jerseys, with the Women’s Junior race getting things off at 9:15 am.

The reigning champion, Dutch Elise Uijen, will try to defend the title won last year in Plouay, but will need to see off the likes of Swiss Noelle Reutchi, one of the up-and-coming names in cycling with a cyclocross background, and German Linda Riedmann, as well as Italy’s Carlotta Cipressi, bronze medalist in Plouay last year.

In the Junior Men’s Time Trial (starting at 10:45 AM CET), the man to watch will be the new talent of Belgian cycling, Cian Uijtdebroeks, indicated as the “upcoming” Remco Evenepoel.

In the afternoon, the Team Relay will see some of cycling’s top names get compete in the 6-rider format (3 men and 3 women) that has become part of the European Championships from 2019, with eight National Teams at the start.

Italy looks like the big favorite, thanks to TT World Champion Filippo Ganna, joined by Alessandro De Marchi and Italian TT Champion Matteo Sobrero, plus the very strong trio of Elisa Longo Borghini, Elena Cecchini and Marta Cavalli. On their way for gold, the home favorite will find the Dutch Team, counting on the likes of Jos Van Emden, Koen Bouwman, Bauke Mollema, Demi Vollering, Amy Pieters and Floortjie Mackaij. The defending champions of Germany will be determined on holding the title as well.

Tadej Pogačar’s Slovenia was a late scratch for the event due to an injury to one of the enrolled female riders. The Tour de France winner will debut at Trentino 2021 on Thursday September 9th in the Individual Time Trial.

SEVENTEEN HOURS LIVE 

Cycling fans will be able to enjoy the UEC Road European Championships already tomorrow, both on the road and on the TV screen, in Europe and beyond. The Team Relay will be the first of many races produced live by the EBU, followed by the Elite Men and Women’s Time Trials on Thursday, the Under 23 Men’s and Elite Women’s Road Races on Saturday and the Elite Men’s Road Race on Sunday, for a total live coverage of 17 hours.

WEDNESDAY’S TEAM RELAY WILL BE LIVE FROM 2.30 PM CET 

The TV distribution of the Trentino 2021 European Champs involves 71 Countries in Europe and beyond. In addition to Eurosport (Pan-European and Pan-Asian), the UEC Road European Championships Trentino 2021 will be aired by RAI (Italy), VRT (Belgium), TV2 (Denmark), ETV (Estonia), L’Equipe (France), Nos (Netherlands), NRK (Norvegia), TVP (Poland), RTVS (Slovakia).