Remco Evenepoel is the new European champion. In Slovenia, at the end of a race where the winner's name only arrived after a photo finish, it was the Belgian who ultimately donned the white jersey with golden stars. Evenepoel outsprinted Giulio Ciccone at the end of a thrilling two-man sprint, where the uncertainty of the result remained for several minutes. Third place went to Cristian Scaroni, who crossed the finish line alone, pursued by a group that was 14 seconds behind him.

«Honestly, I felt I had passed Ciccone, so I thought I had made it, but you never know», the Belgian said after the finish. The images later confirmed his success: «I think they were quite clear. You could see the great relief I felt and how proud I am of this victory».

It was a race built with patience, but also marked by a moment of risk. «Yes, it was a somewhat complicated situation at the penultimate climb. I attempted a nice attack, but I went into the corner too hard and slid out. I think I could have gotten away there, but in the end we stayed calm and followed the plan».

Belgium's plan worked perfectly. Evenepoel attacked just before the descent and found himself at the front alongside Ciccone: «We worked together quite well». The Italian, however, had made it clear he didn't want to pull, because Scaroni was closing in behind them. The race thus transformed into a two-man battle, with the chasing group now out of contention.

Then came the sprint and the wait. «I thought I wasn't going to make it», Evenepoel admitted. A hundred meters from the line, however, Ciccone slowed down - «I managed to pass him right on the finish line». A victory by centimeters, but with enormous significance.

Immediately after receiving confirmation of his success, Evenepoel went to thank his teammates, who played a key role in the work that allowed him to claim the continental jersey. «I'm really happy and proud of this result», he said. The victory comes after a mentally difficult week, marked by the disappointment of the Worlds: «I think that episode weighed on me more than I let show. It's a great relief to return to a good level today and complete my collection of champion jerseys. It's a fantastic feeling».

The European jersey was the only one missing from the Belgian's palmares. Now that gap has been filled. After the disappointment in Montreal, Evenepoel has found himself again and is already looking ahead to the next objective: the Giro di Lombardia, a race with which he feels he still has unfinished business.

«I hope I've made everyone proud today», he explained. He won't be at the Tre Valli Varesine: «Now I'll focus on Lombardia and then I'll try to celebrate». The celebration, however, will begin immediately: «Tonight I'll celebrate, because it's a special victory. By now I've won all the titles in professional cycling, so I think this definitely deserves a big celebration».