Saturday 3 October 2026: European Championships Road Race Women – Ljubljana – Šenčur (130 km)

The elite women race the European Championships on Saturday 3 October over 130 kilometres with 1,359 metres of elevation gain, from Ljubljana to Šenčur. It is the first time that Slovenia hosts the European Road Championships, with the finale built around the climb of the Možjanca.

Route

After a nine-kilometre neutralised zone through the centre of Ljubljana, past the Triple Bridge, the race starts at kilometre 0 in Šentvid. The flat section of the route takes the peloton via Škofja Loka, the centre of Kranj and the Volčji Potok arboretum to Kamnik, Komenda and Klanec. At Cerklje na Gorenjskem, near Strmol Castle, the route joins the finale circuit and the peloton crosses the line in Šenčur for the first time.

The decision falls over two laps of the 22.1 km local circuit, with 367 metres of elevation gain per lap. The road climbs gradually via Olševek to Tupaliče, after which a sharp right-hand bend signals the start of the climb of the Možjanca (2.1 km at 10.2%, with a peak of 15.8% in the final 200 metres). There is no recovery after the summit: a narrow road over rolling terrain leads to Štefanja vas, followed by a technically demanding descent to the base station of the Krvavec cable car. A fast valley section follows and, after passing Strmol Castle, a flat final stretch of just over 7 kilometres leads to the finish in Šenčur. The final climb of the Možjanca comes at around 13 kilometres from the line.

Recent editions

Dutch riders won the last four editions of the European road race.

Local

The start and finish region of this European Championships lies in Gorenjska, the Alpine area north of Ljubljana. Towns such as Škofja Loka and Kranj are among the oldest settlements in Slovenia, with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. Near Cerklje na Gorenjskem lies Strmol Castle, one of the region's preserved historic castles. It is the first time that Slovenia hosts a European Road Championships.

Favourites and scenarios

The UEC entry list includes Demi Vollering and Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands), Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), Juliette Berthet and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) and Paula Blasi (Spain).

Scenario 1 – Attack on the second Možjanca: On the final climb, about 13 km from the finish, a climber such as Vollering, Longo Borghini, Berthet or Blasi can go clear. Reusser could then use her time-trial strength to defend a gap over the remaining kilometres.

Scenario 2 – Small group to the line: If a handful of strong riders stay together over the Možjanca, the sprint or a late attack decides it. Niewiadoma-Phinney, Liane Lippert (Germany) and Ferrand-Prévot fit that scenario.

Scenario 3 – Sprint from a larger group: If the bunch controls the climb on both laps, Wiebes is the fastest sprinter on the list. That requires a race in which the second ascent does not break the field apart.