Netherlands tops medal count in home European Championships

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The UEC Road Championships wrapped up on Sunday, with Elia Viviani (Italy) taking his country's ninth medal of the event, but the absence of any Dutch riders on the elite men's road race podium did not stop the home country from taking the biggest haul of prizes of the event.

The Netherlands came away with five gold, two silver and three bronze medals to top the medal table ahead of Italy and Germany, which claimed six podium spots.

The home country kicked off the championships with a victory by Shirin van Anrooij in the junior women's time trial, then followed in the afternoon with the mixed relay victory. More wins came in the elite women's time trial with Ellen van Dijk, the junior women's road race with Ilse Pluimers and the elite women's road race with Amy Pieters.

The Italian team won the junior men's time trial with Andrea Piccolo, the U23 women's road race by Letizia Paternoster and the U23 men's road race with Alberto Dainese, before Viviani took his gold medal on the windswept, technical 11.5km circuit in Alkmaar.

Despite being pan flat, the Alkmaar circuit provided plenty of excitement, with most of the road races coming down to a small breakaway decided by wits, patience and tactics. The Trentino 2020 committee is planning to keep to a similar type of parcours. With challenging mountainous routes in the Olympic Games and World Championships on tap for next season, they're hoping to attract talented riders who might be excluded from those events.

"I think the OC [organising committee] made the right choices," Italian national coach Davide Cassani said. "Shorter time trials means giving a greater opportunity to youngsters, and encourage them to focus on the discipline: Evenepoel must be my favorite. The road race course is beautiful, too: the first road stint (only for the Elite Men) is fairly challenging, also featuring the Monte Bondone, and then the final circuit will make the race interesting with the not-so-tough Povo climb. [Peter] Sagan, [Mathieu] Van der Poel and [Matteo] Trentin will be on call on the day. We are up for some great days in a land that loves cycling and loves to ride."

2019 European Championships Medal Table

Medalists