Europe's best lock horns in Alkmaar for UEC Road European Championships
Some of Europe's best riders will descend on Alkmaar, in the Netherlands, from August 7-11 for the UEC Road European Championships, with defending champion Matteo Trentin of Italy going up against Great Britain's Mark Cavendish in the men's road race, and recent RideLondon Classique winner Lorena Wiebes of the Netherlands attempting to usurp Italy's Marta Bastianelli in the women's road race.
Organised since 1995 as an under-23 competition, and as an under-23 and junior competition from 2005, elite events weren't added to the programme until 2016, which means that the Flag of Europe champion's jersey is still a relatively new addition to the professional peloton.
Hosted by the European Cycling Union, this year's competition will serve to trial a new format of event ahead of its implementation at the UCI World Championships in the UK in late September: the mixed relay.
As well as the junior, under-23 and elite individual time trials and road races for both men and women, the elite men and women will compete in the new format, which will replace the team time trials at next month's World Championships, on the opening day of competition in Alkmaar.
Following the time trials, the elite women's road race takes place on Saturday, August 10, before the curtain goes down on the championships at the conclusion of the men's road race on Sunday, August 11.
