The 2026 UEC Road European Championships are continuing in Šenčur (Slovenia), where they are now entering their penultimate day. Following the Road races that made up the first part of the programme, attention turned to the Mixed Team Time Trial Relay, with the titles being awarded in the Junior and Elite categories.
France claimed the European title in the Elite Mixed Team Time Trial Relay with a top-class performance, recording the fastest time at all the intermediate timing points along the 44-kilometre course.
Bruno Armirail, Rémi Cavagna and Thibault Guernalec set off for the French team, before handing over to Juliette Berthet, Cédrine Kerbaol and Maeva Squiban, who further extended the lead in the second half of the race.
France finished in 1h00’19”05, thereby winning their third European title in this discipline and finishing 1’12”26 ahead of Italy, the reigning world champions.
The Italian team, comprising Mattia Cattaneo, Marco Frigo, Matteo Sobrero, Elisa Longo Borghini, Monica Trinca Colonel and Alessia Vigilia, held second place from the very first kilometres, managing to keep the gap to a minimum in the first part of the race before being left behind by the French sextet in the final stages.
The bronze medal was won by Luxembourg, with Alex Kirsch, Mathieu Kockelmann, Mats Wenzel, Nina Berton, Marie Schreiber and Liv Wenzel, who finished 3’34”52 behind France.
The day began with the Junior Mixed Team Time Trial Relay, in which Italy claimed the European Championship jersey ahead of Poland and Switzerland.
The Italians set a fast pace from the outset, clocking the fastest time at the very first intermediate checkpoint. In the second half of the race, Switzerland managed to close the gap, briefly taking the lead at the 30-kilometre mark. However, Italy fought back in the final stages, regaining the lead and holding on to it until the finish line.
Enrico Andrea Balliana, Brandon Fedrizzi, Patrik Pezzo Rosola, Azzurra Ballan, Elisa Bianchi and Matilde Rossignoli completed the race in 1h 07’ 22”, finishing 23” ahead of Poland and 30” ahead of Switzerland.
The silver medal was won by Poland, represented by Mateusz Błaszczak, Mikołaj Legieć, Igor Mitoraj, Agata Sekta, Amelia Szymańska and Kinga Słomka, whilst Switzerland took third place on the podium with Laurin Ungenhag, Gian Müller, Antoine Salamin, Joline Hunziker, Elia Marthe and Valentine Rousseaux.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 7 October, marks the final day of competition with the Individual Time Trials, all over a distance of 22 km: Junior Women at 9.15 am, Junior Men at 10.10 am, Women’s U23 at 11.30 am, Men’s U23 at 12.20 pm, Women’s Elite at 2.30 pm and Men’s Elite at 4.15 pm.
