Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) and Victor Campenaerts (NTT Pro Cycling) have been selected to lead the Belgian team at the 2020 European Road Championships. The championships will take place in Plouay, France, just before the start of the Tour de France in the packed, revised 2020 road calendar.
Evenepoel, who has won four stage races this year thanks to his time trialing ability and long-range solo attacks, will defend his title in the individual time trial on August 24 along with Campenaerts, the 2018 European champion. Evenepoel will not compete in the road race.
Van Avermaet will lead the Belgian team for the road race on August 26. Absent from the road race will be double WorldTour one-day race winner Wout van Aert, who's instead focused on supporting Jumbo-Visma teammates Primoz Roglic, Steven Kruijswijk and Tom Dumoulin at the Tour de France.
Also making the Belgian national team for Plouay are Xandro Meurisse (Circus-Wanty Gobert), Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Sep Vanmarcke (EF Pro Cycling) and Otto Vergaerde (Alpecin-Fenix).
The women's road race will take place on August 28, with Belgium represented by three riders from Lotto Soudal: Lotte Kopecky, Jesse Vandenbulcke and Julie Van de Velde. Rounding out the team will be Valerie Demey (CCC Team) and Kelly Van den Steen (Chevalmeire). Van de Velde and Sara Van de Vel (Ciclotel) will compete in the time trial.
The elite women's individual time trial will take place on August 24, with the WorldTour Bretagne Classic and Women's WorldTour GP de Plouay taking place on August 25.
The under-23 women's and elite men's road races take place on August 26, with the U23 men's and elite women's road races on August 27, followed by the junior men and women's road races on August 28, as well as a mixed team time trial relay.
The UEC Road Championships were originally scheduled to be held in Trentino, Italy, from September 9-13, but with the entire season postponed between March and July due to the coronavirus pandemic-related cancellations, the event moved to Plouay.
