Vauquelin and Grégoire lead France at European Championships

France will build its bid for a second professional men’s European road title around Kevin Vauquelin and Romain Grégoire in Ljubljana. The pair head a seven-rider selection named by national coach Thomas Voeckler for a race expected to be open, with defending champion Tadej Pogacar absent from his home championships because of injury.

The 196-kilometre course includes 2,570 metres of climbing. Vauquelin, 25, arrives after winning the Tour of the Abruzzes 10 days ago, while 23-year-old Grégoire is the reigning French champion and finished second at the Grand Prix de Wallonie. Their recent form gives France leading options on a demanding route that also features Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, Mads Pedersen and Primoz Roglic among the main international contenders.

Pavel Sivakov and Axel Baudin are the only French riders selected for both the recent World Championships and the European event. They will be joined by Léo Bisiaux, Julien Bernard, Clément Braz Afonso and Mathys Rondel, who placed second behind Vauquelin in the Abruzzes. Paul Seixas is not included and will race only the Tour of Lombardy before the end of the season.

France has won the professional men’s European road title once, through Christophe Laporte in 2023. Bruno Armirail and Maxime Decomble will contest the time trial, where France has never produced a champion. Juliette Berthet leads the women’s road group after taking fifth at the Worlds; she and Cédrine Kerbaol will also ride the time trial, with France still seeking its first women’s European champion.