The rider who disappointed the most in these European Championships is undoubtedly Jonas Vingegaard, who retired when 110 km were left in the race. The Dane probably arrived without adequate preparation for this competition, and the result was his withdrawal. Unlike his rivals, he hasn't participated in a one-day race since 2022, while riders like Tadej Pogacar, who won the continental title yesterday, has participated and won the World Championship, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

"I hoped for something more, but sometimes you don't have the right day and yesterday wasn't my day" – Vingegaard said when he arrived at his team bus. "So the question is whether it was an off day for some reason, because I had a demanding schedule, or if simply my form wasn't at the top. I don't know. But certainly, this wasn't one of my best days."

Vingegaard won the Vuelta a España in September and perhaps, when he returned to Denmark, he waited too long before resuming training for the European Championships, or failed to recover properly after the Spanish race. The result, however, was not what everyone expected, and the Dane, who was among the favorites, failed to complete the race. "I believe the difficulties for me started already on the first climb. After passing the first climb, I thought things might improve and perhaps they did a bit, but when they attacked, it was too much for me and I couldn't respond or follow."

What happened to Vingegaard will be analyzed in the coming days, but the Dane is convinced that with proper preparation, the European Championships can be within his reach.

"If I prepare well, I can compete for victory in these races. I'm not losing confidence, and everything depends on how you prepare for the last part of the season. I was far from being optimally prepared for this race. It was more to see if I could race in one-day events like this, and if I was able to race with the national colors."