The route for the 2026 UEC European Road Championships has been announced, with the tough climb of Možjanca (2.1km at 10.2%) featuring as the main challenge as the event heads to Slovenia.
It's the first time the event will be held in the nation of Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič, with the capital of Ljubljana hosting the races.
The event runs from October 2, when the under-23 men's and women's road races kick off proceedings, until October 7, when the junior men's and women's time trials conclude the week.
The road races will be based around the climb of Možjanca, with the elite road races run between Ljubljana and the nearby town of Šenčur. The elite women's road race on October 3 will be 130km in length and tackle the climb twice, while the 196.3km elite men's road race will feature the climb five times.
"The climb itself is not that long if you only go once, but it will be different in the race. The last 200 meters are the steepest, and that will be grist for the mill for our tactics," Slovenian rider Luka Mezgec told Slovenian national broadcaster RTV.
"The climb also has the characteristic that you don't descend immediately, but there are still several kilometres of undulating terrain waiting for you, so it is difficult for individuals to gather in groups."
The time trials will also take on the same closing circuits as the road races. They'll start and finish in Šenčur, measure in at 22km, and feature one ascent of Možjanca.
"UEC encouraged us to stick with the same circuit so that it wouldn't be a classic time trial," route designer Tomaž Poljanec said.
"That's why it's shorter, but more demanding, and at the same time not quite suited to time trial specialists, which will make the outcome more open
Tadej Pogačar will be defending his European road title on home ground, having last year defeated Remco Evenepoel by 31 seconds in Guilherand-Granges, France. Dutch racer Demi Vollering beat Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to win the elite women's title.
"Usually, around 45 countries out of our 51 members participate in the European Championships. We are proud to be in Slovenia, where cycling is flourishing," said UEC president Enrico Della Casa.
"You have superstars, but also young talents and exceptional quality. When I was at the Italian Cycling Federation, I was involved in the agreement that enabled Slovenians to compete in races in Italy.
"Now we Italians have to learn from you. Thank you for your hospitality, and we are already looking forward to the most important competition for the European Cycling Federation."
