From 2 to 7 October, Slovenia will host the 2026 UEC Road European Championships, one of the flagship events on the international cycling calendar.
900 athletes from 43 countries are registered and will compete over five days of racing for European titles in the Road races and Individual Time Trials in the Junior, Under-23 and Elite categories, for both Men and Women, as well as in the Junior and Elite Mixed Relays.
The Championships will take place between Ljubljana and Šenčur and will feature some of the biggest names in European cycling, alongside the continent’s finest young talents; in some respects, this will be a rematch following the recent World Championships in Montreal (Canada).
In the Men’s Elite Road race, contenders will be vying to succeed Tadej Pogačar who won the European title in 2025. The home team, Slovenia, will feature Primož Roglič and Matej Mohorič in their line-up.
Belgium’s team will include Remco Evenepoel and Quinten Hermans, whilst Denmark will have Mads Pedersen. France will be represented by Romain Grégoire, Mathys Rondel and Kévin Vauquelin, whilst Italy will be represented by Giulio Ciccone and Giulio Pellizzari, alongside the experienced Diego Ulissi.
Other big names include Wout Poels for the Netherlands, Juan Ayuso for Spain and Marc Hirschi for Switzerland.
The field for the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial also promises to be of a high standard. Denmark will have Mikkel Bjerg and Kasper Asgreen, France the veterans Bruno Armirail and Rémi Cavagna, Germany Lennard Kämna, Great Britain Ethan Hayter and Italy Mattia Cattaneo. Michał Kwiatkowski is also set to start for Poland, whilst Slovenia will be able to count on Primož Roglič and Jan Tratnik. Sweden will be represented by Jakob Söderqvist.
In the Elite Women’s category, reigning European and newly crowned World Champion Demi Vollering is entered in both the Road Race and the Individual Time Trial. She leads a Dutch squad boasting an exceptional track record: nine victories out of the ten editions of the Road European Championships held to date. She will be joined by Puck Pieterse and Lorena Wiebes, the 2023 European Road Champion.
Italy will be able to count on Elisa Longo Borghini, bronze medallist at the recent World Championships, while Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma, World Championship silver medallist, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser, France’s Cédrine Kerbaol and Germany’s Franziska Koch will compete in both the Road race and the Time Trial. Denmark will be represented by Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, rounding off a field of the very highest international calibre.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: «The UEC Road European Championships are one of the key events on the continental calendar and are taking place this year in Slovenia, a country currently experiencing a golden age of cycling.
The exceptional results achieved by Slovenian athletes in recent years, combined with a steadily growing movement in other disciplines too, confirm the strength and vision of a system capable of showcasing both established champions and emerging young talent.
We can look forward to some fantastic days of cycling, organised to the highest standards. Global television coverage will ensure the event receives widespread exposure, whilst providing a prestigious showcase for Ljubljana, Šenčur and their surrounding areas, allowing them to raise their profile amongst European and global audiences through sport.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Slovenian Cycling Federation for the commitment and professionalism it has shown, to its President, Andraž Vehovar, to the Organising Committee led by the expert Tomaž Poljanec, to the host cities of Ljubljana and Šenčur, to the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, and to all the national and local authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this major event a reality.”
