The 2026 UEC Road European Championships came to a close today in Šenčur, and the finale could not have been more spectacular. In front of a huge crowd, who cheered the athletes on throughout the course and particularly on the climb up Možjanca, Primož Roglič secured the European title in the Men’s Elite Time Trial for Slovenia, bringing five days of great cycling to a thrilling close.
The final day of the programme saw six continental titles awarded in the Individual Time Trial events, all contested over a distance of 22 kilometres.
But it was the final race in particular that was eagerly anticipated, with local favourite Roglič set to shine on Slovenian roads in front of his home crowd.
Primož Roglič was crowned Time Trial European Champion for the first time in his career. It was a victory with a special significance for the Slovenian champion, who triumphed on his home roads in front of thousands of supporters who turned the Šenčur course into a huge celebration.
Over the 22-kilometre course, featuring the gruelling climb up Možjanca – 2 kilometres with an average gradient of 10 per cent – Roglič set the pace from the outset. Already in the lead at the 8-kilometre intermediate checkpoint, the Slovenian confirmed his fastest time at the second intermediate checkpoint, then held onto his lead right to the finish.
Roglič clocked a time of 28’16”61, at an average speed of 46.68 km/h, thereby winning the European Champion’s jersey with a lead of 6”58 over the Frenchman Bruno Armirail, the silver medallist.
Another Frenchman, Maxime Decomble, completed the podium in third place with a time of 28''42, enabling France to place two riders behind the new European Champion.
Roglič’s finish, greeted with enthusiasm by the Slovenian crowd, provided the final sporting highlight of the 2026 European Championships: a home-grown champion on the top step of the podium to round off five days of cycling, spectacle and huge public support.
In the Elite Women’s category, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser, the reigning world champion and already on the podium in the Road race, claimed her fifth continental title in the Time Trial, once again proving herself among the discipline’s finest specialists. Reusser covered the 22-kilometre course at an average speed of over 41 km/h, clocking a time of 31’30”84.
Behind her, Demi Vollering (Netherlands), the reigning world and European Road champion, finished 23.33 seconds behind, whilst Juliette Berthet (France) completed the podium by taking the bronze medal, 1 minute 10.13 seconds behind.
Spain’s Héctor Álvarez Martínez is the star of the Under-23 category at these European Championships. Following his victory in the Road race, Álvarez also claimed the Individual Time Trial title, achieving a prestigious double in Šenčur.
The Spaniard clocked the fastest time at both intermediate checkpoints and covered the 22 kilometres in 28’44”70. The battle for the gold medal remained undecided right up to the final metres, with Belgium’s Matisse Van Kerckhove finishing second, just 3”07 behind. The bronze medal went to Norway’s Kasper Haugland, who finished 19.10 seconds behind.
The Netherlands’ Nienke Vinke won the Under-23 Women’s European Time Trial title with a brilliant performance. In the lead from the very first intermediate checkpoint, Vinke covered the 22 kilometres in 32’36”93, setting the fastest time in every section of the course.
Behind her, her compatriot Megan Arens took the silver medal in 36”78, whilst Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová claimed the bronze in 42”11.
For Vinke, this is her second medal at this year’s European Championships, following the silver she won on Friday in the Under-23 Road race.
In the Junior Men’s event, the European title was won by Spain’s Benjamín Noval Suárez, who has had an exceptional season and is already the reigning World Champion in both the Time Trial and the Road race.
In Šenčur, the race was decided by a hundredth of a second. Noval, who had led at both intermediate time checks, covered the 22 kilometres in 29’46”98, finishing just three hundredths of a second ahead of Denmark’s Malthe Risbjerg. Belgian rider Vic De Smet took the bronze medal, finishing 7.66 seconds behind.
The first continental jersey of the day was awarded in the Women’s Junior Time Trial, won by Spain’s Alejandra Neira Dominguez.
Second at the first two intermediate checkpoints, the Spaniard sealed her victory in the final section of the course, finishing the race in 35’45”65 and beating Belgium’s Laura Five by 3”18, who had taken the lead at both the 8 km and 16.3 km marks.
The bronze medal was won by Augustė Mikutytė of Lithuania, 10.49 seconds behind the winner.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: “The event that draws to a close today will undoubtedly remain one of the most memorable of our Road European Championships. Over five days, we have seen the very best of European cycling: races of the highest standard, great champions, young talents and an extraordinary sporting spectacle, but above all an atmosphere that has fully embodied the values and beauty of our sport.
The presence of huge crowds along the routes, who were consistently passionate, enthusiastic and fair-play made these days even more exceptional. The images of the roads in Ljubljana and Šenčur, the packed climbs and the enthusiasm that surrounded the athletes will remain among the fondest memories of this edition. An event of this scale is the result of immense teamwork.
I would therefore like to extend my sincere thanks to the Republic of Slovenia and to President Nataša Pirc Musar, who enthusiastically supported these Championships and who did us the honour of being present on Sunday in Šenčur, to the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, to the Slovenian Cycling Federation and its President Andraž Vehovar, to the the Organising Committee led by Tomaž Poljanec, the cities of Ljubljana and Šenčur, as well as all the national and local authorities who contributed to the success of this event. I would also like to extend a special thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes, the volunteers and, of course, the Slovenian public for their extraordinary welcome.
We are leaving Slovenia feeling that we have experienced five days that went far beyond the scope of the races and the results: a true celebration of European cycling, capable of combining sport, passion and the local area, and of demonstrating once again the strength, vitality and ability of cycling to mobilise and bring people together.”
