The 2026 UEC Road European Championships began today in Slovenia.
Until 7 October, continental titles will be awarded in the Junior, Under-23 and Elite categories, Road races, Individual Time trials and Mixed Relays.
The opening day was entirely devoted to the Under-23 Road races, with the first two European titles being awarded on the roads between Ljubljana and Šenčur.
In the Men’s Under-23 category, Spain’s Héctor Álvarez is the new European Champion. Third last year and a silver medallist at the recent World Championships, Álvarez clinched the title today following a race in which he combined power with great tactical skill.
After a long period of several breakaway attempts, around 100 kilometres from the finish, Italy’s Roberto Capello took the lead on the second climb, managing to open up a gap of more than thirty seconds.
The Belgian team’s response helped to quicken the pace and gradually reduce the size of the peloton. At this stage, the German Max Bock managed to break away, then catch up with and overtake Capello, whilst behind them a group of around fifteen riders formed, which subsequently neutralised the move on the second descent after Možjanca.
It was at precisely that moment that Héctor Álvarez launched his attack. The Spaniard quickly gained ground and, thanks to an especially effective descent, extended his lead to 45 seconds.
But on the final of the three climbs, the race opened up once more: with just under 15 kilometres to go, Jan Jackowiak (Poland), Niels Driesen (Belgium) and Max Bock (Germany) managed to catch Álvarez. The Spaniard reacted immediately, reigniting the action on the descent and once again managing to pull away. Álvarez crossed the finish line alone, claiming the European Champion’s jersey. Behind him, Jan Jackowiak held off a challenge from Niels Driesen, who had overtaken Bock in the final stretch in an attempt to take second place. The Pole won the silver medal, whilst the Belgian completed the podium with the bronze medal.
The programme began this morning with the Women’s Under-23 race, contested over an 88-kilometre course comprising four 22-kilometre laps of the demanding Šenčur circuit. After an uneventful first part of the race, the first notable move came from Italy’s Gaia Segato, who attacked around 50 kilometres from the finish and managed to break away from the peloton. Her solo breakaway came to an end a few kilometres later when she was caught by her pursuers.
The situation changed on the penultimate lap, when Megan Arens (Netherlands) and Mara Winter (Switzerland) managed to break away, whilst behind them, Stina Kagevi (Sweden) set off in pursuit. At the start of the final lap, the breakaway riders’ lead gradually narrowed: Kagevi was caught by the peloton, from which the new world champion Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia) and Nienke Vinke (Netherlands) then broke away in a counter-attack.
The two riders managed to return to the front of the race and reignite the action, forming the quartet that battled it out for the European title in the final stretch.
In this tight sprint, it was Mara Winter – who finished fourth a few days ago at the World Championships in Montreal – who claimed the European Champion’s jersey; the silver medal went to the Dutch rider Nienke Vinke, whilst World Champion Viktória Chladoňová completed the podium by taking the bronze.
The UEC Road European Championships will continue tomorrow, Saturday 3 October, with the Men’s Junior Road race (110.5 km, starting at 9.00 am) and the Women’s Elite Road race (129.9 km, starting at 1.30 pm).
