The Union Européenne de Cyclisme Management Board has officially awarded the organisation of the 2026 MTB Downhill European Championships, that will be held in in Vitosha Mountain, near to the capital Sofia.
The event will take place in the picturesque Vitosha Nature Park, created in 1936 as the first nature park in the Balkans. This is a place of great environmental and scenic value, combining natural beauty with technical features ideal for downhill racing. The 2,000-metre course has a vertical drop of 391 metres and a width ranging from 2 to 8 metres, making it a dynamic and challenging course, perfectly suited to a continental championship.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: "Bulgaria is a fast-growing country on the European cycling scene, with an increasingly active presence in all disciplines, especially Track and Off-Road, as also demonstrated by the experience already gained in organising certain editions of the European Championships.
Downhill is a fascinating and fast-growing discipline, and we are convinced that this event will represent a new opportunity for development. I would like to thank the Bulgarian Cycling Federation and its President Evgenij Balev Greganov for their important work, as well as the Vitosha Mountain complex for its availability and cooperation in organising this event."
Evgenij Balev Greganov, President of the Bulgarian Cycling Federation: "For the Bulgarian Cycling Federation, the development of mountain biking is of great importance, especially after the successes of Izabela Yankova, who placed Bulgaria alongside the biggest names in the sport.
The peculiarities of Bulgarian nature suggest the development of numerous bike zones and bicycle tourism, and the proximity of Mount Vitosha to the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, is an opportunity to show Europe what enormous potential the Bulgarian mountains have.
We, from the BCF and the host club, have already received a high rating for the track, where the best competitors from Europe will compete, and this further motivates us to make a significant and memorable event. We can't wait to welcome you to the favorite mountain of all the capital's residents: Vitosha!”
The dates for the 2026 UEC Mountain Bike Downhill European Championships will be officially announced in the coming weeks.
