2026 European Road Championships
32nd European Road Cycling Championships
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The 2026 European Road Championships (officially the 2026 UEC Road European Championships) will be the 32nd edition of the European Road Cycling Championships, the annual continental championships for road bicycle racing organized by the European Cycling Union (UEC). It is scheduled to be held from 2 to 7 October 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.[1][2]
  Ljubljana Location within Slovenia | |
| Venue | Ljubljana, Slovenia  |
|---|---|
| Date | 2–7 October 2026 |
| Coordinates | 46°3′17″N 14°30′20″E |
| Events | 14 |
It will be the first time that Slovenia hosts a major international road cycling championship.[2] The agreement to organize the event was signed on 17 November 2025 in Ljubljana by the Slovenian Minister of Economy, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Han, UEC President Enrico Della Casa, and the President of the Cycling Federation of Slovenia, Pavel Marđonović.[1]
The championships are expected to bring together more than 40 nations and around 800 athletes.[1]
Background
Slovenia has become a prominent cycling nation in recent years, with riders such as Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič, and Matej Mohorič achieving success at the highest level of the sport.[2] At the 2025 edition in Drôme-Ardèche, France, Pogačar won Slovenia's first elite men's road race gold at the European Championships with a 75 km solo attack, finishing ahead of Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas.[3] Demi Vollering of the Netherlands won the elite women's road race with a 37 km solo ride,[4] while Evenepoel claimed the men's elite time trial by 43 seconds, adding the European title to his existing world and Olympic time trial crowns.[5]
The 2026 edition will feature a new schedule format, with the road races taking place before the time trials.[6] The event takes place one week after the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, Canada, requiring riders competing in both events to manage transatlantic travel and potential jet lag.[6]
With the European Championships confirmed for Ljubljana, Slovenia has also expressed ambitions of hosting the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2029.[6]
Schedule
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 October | Under 23 men's road race |
| 2 October | Under 23 women's road race |
| 3 October | Elite women's road race |
| 3 October | Junior men's road race |
| 4 October | Junior women's road race |
| 4 October | Elite men's road race |
| 6 October | Mixed Elite - Team time trial mixed relay |
| 6 October | Mixed Junior - Team time trial mixed relay |
| 7 October | Men Elite - Individual Time trial |
| 7 October | Women Elite - Individual Time trial |
| 7 October | Under 23 Men - Individual Time trial |
| 7 October | Under 23 Women - Individual Time trial |
| 7 October | Junior Men - Individual Time trial |
| 7 October | Junior Women - Individual Time trial |
Note: Schedule based on preliminary information.[6]
Events
Road races
| Event |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's elite road race | |||
| Women's elite road race | |||
| Men's under-23 road race | |||
| Women's under-23 road race | |||
| Junior men's road race | |||
| Junior women's road race |
Time trials
| Event | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's elite time trial | |||
| Women's elite time trial | |||
| Men's under-23 time trial | |||
| Women's under-23 time trial | |||
| Junior men's time trial | |||
| Junior women's time trial |
Relays
| Event | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite mixed team time trial relay | |||
| Junior mixed team time trial relay |