The European Championships road race arrives in Slovenia on Sunday, 4 October 2026, with a reshaped list of favourites.
Tadej Pogačar cannot defend his men’s elite title after his season-ending crash on stage 8 of the Vuelta a España. His absence removes the expected central storyline from a home championship that once looked tailor-made for him.
That change leaves Remco Evenepoel as the leading contender, one week after the World Championships in Montréal. Brandon McNulty took the rainbow jersey there, while Evenepoel finished 12th after starting among the major favourites.
Evenepoel now gets another chance to answer disappointment in a championship setting. He has already won world and Olympic road race and time trial titles. He has also claimed European time trial gold and national titles in both disciplines.
The European road race remains the missing piece in that collection. Victory in Slovenia would complete a rare sweep across national, continental, world and Olympic championship events.
European Championships road race course centers on Možjanca
The men’s elite race covers 196.3km and includes 2,571 metres of climbing. It begins in central Ljubljana at Kongresni trg, before a nine-kilometre neutralised section past the Triple Bridge.
Racing officially starts near Šentvid. The early kilometres are comparatively flat, passing Škofja Loka, Kranj, Volčji Potok, Kamnik and Komenda.
The route then reaches Šenčur and joins the finishing circuit near Strmol Castle after 85.8km. From there, the peloton faces five laps of a 22.1km circuit.
Each lap adds 367 metres of climbing. The defining feature is Možjanca, a 2.1km climb averaging 10.2 percent.
The final 200 metres are the steepest section. The road does not drop immediately after the summit, instead rolling through Štefanja Gora.
A technical descent towards Krvavec follows, before fast valley roads take riders back towards Šenčur. Strmol Castle comes with just over seven kilometres remaining.
The repeated climb should steadily reduce the field. Four earlier ascents will already sit in the legs before the decisive final lap.
The course shares some traits with the Montréal Worlds, where repeated accelerations and technical roads created cumulative fatigue. Slovenia’s route places more pressure on one steep climb rather than three distinct ascents.
Still, Možjanca may not decide everything alone. The descent and fast run-in leave room for regrouping, attacks, and tactical hesitation.
Roglič leads home hopes against Belgian strength
Primož Roglič gives Slovenia a major contender despite Pogačar’s absence. The 36-year-old arrives after finishing second at the Vuelta and racing aggressively in Montréal.
Roglič followed Mathieu van der Poel’s moves during the middle phase of the world championship race. He eventually finished 21st.
After Montréal, Roglič said he feels more relaxed and is enjoying racing with a fresh perspective. Home support could add another force to his challenge.
If Roglič wins, he would become the oldest winner of the men’s elite European road race. Slovenia also has Jakob Omrzel as an intriguing option.
Omrzel missed the Worlds, but the 20-year-old impressed on his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España. He finished seventh overall and won the summit finish at Calar Alto.
Belgium brings one of the strongest teams around Evenepoel. Maxim Van Gils, also his Red Bull teammate, adds another punchy option.
Ramses Debruyne arrives after standing out as a climber at the Vuelta. Jenno Berckmoes gives Belgium another wildcard for a selective race.
Spain, France, Italy and Denmark bring depth
Juan Ayuso leads Spain’s challenge after taking 13th at the Worlds. He spent much of Montréal near the front group and should suit the Možjanca climb.
France has several riders capable of disrupting the favourites. Romain Grégoire looks especially well matched to the steepest gradients.
Alex Baudin, Léo Bisiaux, Mathys Rondel, Pavel Sivakov and Kévin Vauquelin also give France tactical options. Their depth could matter if the race opens early.
Italy turns to Giulio Ciccone, who looked strong late in Montréal and finished ninth. He followed Tom Pidcock’s final-lap move on the Camilien-Houde ascent.
Italy won this race four straight times from 2018 through 2021. Ciccone could end the wait if he has recovered from Montréal.
His win at the Clásica San Sebastián showed his range on punchy climbs. Giulio Pellizzari and Christian Scaroni also feature among Italy’s challengers.
Denmark brings a different question through Mads Pedersen. The former world champion survived Montréal’s punchy circuit and sprinted to sixth after pacing himself back into contention.
Možjanca is longer and steeper than Montréal’s Camilien-Houde climb. However, the European race includes fewer ascents, which could keep Pedersen in play.
Anthon Charmig and Mikkel Honoré offer long-range options for Denmark. Andreas Kron could also feature if he finds his best form on the climbs.
Other riders to monitor include Jan Christen and Marc Hirschi for Switzerland, Marco Brenner and Maximilian Schachmann for Germany, and Mathias Vacek for the Czech Republic.
Without Pogačar, the European Championships road race looks less predictable than expected. Evenepoel has the clearest target, but Slovenia’s circuit offers many ways to lose control.
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