2026 European Championships men's elite road race preview: Evenepoel and Roglic lead contenders in Slovenia

After an exhilarating edition of the World Championships in Montréal, those in the hunt for a distinct jersey to wear for the next twelve months don't have to wait long for another roll of the dice, with the European Championships in Slovenia on Sunday. 

As was the case with the Vuelta a España and the Worlds, the expected script was that Tadej Pogačar would be the overwhelming favourite for victory at the Euros and likely deliver on the expectations.

That would have been particularly fitting at the Euros with the championships taking place in Slovenia, providing an opportunity for the defending champion to shine in front of home fans. 

His season-ending crash on stage 8 of the Vuelta, however, has seen a complete rewriting of the late-season dynamics, and it was his UAE teammate Brandon McNulty who seized the opportunity in Montréal to take the rainbow jersey. 

Remco Evenepoel, who was one of the major favourites to win in Montréal, has an opportunity to bounce back from disappointment and further cement himself as one of the greatest championship racers. The men's elite road race is the final missing piece from his collection across the nationals, euros and worlds.

However, as was the case in Montréal, there will be plenty of top challengers out to stop the Belgian including home favourite Primož Roglič, and it could lead to another unpredictable race this weekend on a challenging circuit in Slovenia. 

• 📅 Date: Wednesday, 7 October 2026
• 📍 Route: Ljubljana - Šenčur
• 📏 Distance: 196.3km / 121.9 miles
• ⛰️ Elevation Gain: 2,571m / 8,435ft
• ⏱️ Start Time: 12:30 CET
• 🏁 Expected Finish: 17:10 CET

The 2026 European Championships men's elite road race is 196.3km in length and covers 2,571m of elevation gain. 

The race starts in central Ljubljana at Kongresni trg, with a nine-kilometre neutralised section taking the peloton past the Triple Bridge and out towards Šentvid, where racing officially begins. 

The opening kilometres are relatively flat, passing through Škofja Loka, Kranj, Volčji Potok, Kamnik and Komenda before the route reaches Šenčur and enters the finishing circuit near Strmol Castle.

After 85.8km, the race then settles into five laps of a 22.1km circuit, each containing 367 metres of climbing. 

The key feature is Možjanca, a 2.1km ascent averaging 10.2%, with the final 200 metres the steepest. Crucially, the road does not immediately descend from the summit, instead continuing over rolling terrain through Štefanja Gora before a technical descent towards Krvavec. 

The riders then hit the fast valley roads back towards Šenčur, passing Strmol Castle with just over seven kilometres remaining.

The repetition of the climb will be the key factor, most likely. Four previous ascents will already have accumulated in the legs by the final lap, meaning Možjanca should progressively reduce the field rather than simply providing one opportunity for an early attack. 

The course shares some characteristics with the 2026 Worlds in Montréal, where repeated climbs, technical sections and changes of pace are also designed to build cumulative fatigue, although the European route concentrates more of its difficulty around one steep climb rather than the three distinct ascents on the Mont Royal circuit.

With the final ascent still followed by a technical descent and a fast run to Šenčur, the race is unlikely to be decided solely on Možjanca. The climb should shape the selection, but riders will still need to survive the roads that follow it.

Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) has won the road race and time trial at both the Worlds and the Olympic Games. The Belgian has also won the time trial at the Euros and been crowned national champion in both events too. 

That leaves the Belgian with just the road race title at the Euros to complete a historic set and become the ultimate championship rider.

In the absence of Pogačar, Evenepoel arrives in Slovenia as the favourite for victory. However, this was also the case last week in Montréal, and things didn’t go to plan for the Belgian, as he finished the race in 12th. 

Despite missing out on a second world title, Evenepoel has shown in the past that he can bounce back very quickly from disappointment, and he may be spurred on by his troubles from Montréal if he has recovered well. 

Evenepoel will be joined by one of the strongest teams in the race, with Belgium also fielding his Red Bull teammate Maxim Van Gils, as well as Ramses Debruyne, who was one of the standout climbers at the Vuelta a España. Jenno Berckmoes also packs a punch, providing a wildcard option for the Belgians.

One of Evenepoel’s main challengers will be another Red Bull teammate and home favourite Primož Roglič (Slovenia), who has the opportunity to produce a fairy-tale outcome. 

Roglič arrived in Montréal after a second-place finish at the Vuelta, and the 36-year-old was one of the chief animators, following the moves of Mathieu van der Poel in the middle phase of the race, before eventually ending in 21st. 

Post-race, Roglič explained that he currently feels more relaxed and is enjoying his racing with a fresh perspective, something that was clear to see in Montréal. 

No doubt he’ll be spurred on by the home crowds in Slovenia to deliver a top result, and could become the oldest winner of the men’s elite road race if the stars align. 

Jakob Omrzel, who is at the opposite end of his career, is another home rider to watch, after he missed the Worlds. The 20-year-old shone on his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España, finishing seventh and winning a summit finish atop Calar Alto, where he blew away the competition with seeming ease.

France, Italy and Spain are all powerhouse nations that will believe in their chances of denying Evenepoel and Roglič. 

Juan Ayuso (Spain) will spearhead the Spanish challenge after finishing 13th at the Worlds. The 24-year-old was on the periphery of the leading group throughout the race in Montréal, and the effort could serve Ayuso well ahead of the Euros, with the Možjanca climb suiting his skillset. 

Romain Grégoire (France) is one of the strongest puncheurs in the peloton and should thrive on the steepest gradients of the Možjanca ascent. 

The French champion is one of a number of challengers from his nation, though he seems arguably the best suited to making the difference on the climb, while others could cause a surprise by going at an unexpected moment, including Alex Baudin, Léo Bisiaux, Mathys Rondel, Pavel Sivakov, and Kévin Vauquelin. 

Giulio Ciccone (Italy) was arguably unfortunate to come away with a ninth-place finish in Montréal, as the Italian looked to be one of the strongest riders in the race in the closing laps, following the move of Tom Pidcock on the final lap on the Camilien-Houde ascent. 

There was a spell when Italy won this race four years running from 2018-2021, and Ciccone has a serious opportunity to end their drought provided he has recovered from his efforts in Montréal.

Ciccone thrives on the longest climbs, but also the punchier ascents, as he showed last year when he won the Clásica San Sebastián, beating many of the riders who could be in the mix on Sunday. He should be one of the strongest riders on the Možjanca climb, and it could come down to how well he times his efforts and if he can follow the right wheels over the summit. 

Giulio Pellizzari and Christian Scaroni are also among the challengers for the Italian team, with the latter finishing 18th in Montréal. 

One of the most intriguing nations on the start list is Denmark, thanks in large part to the presence of Mads Pedersen. The former world champion proved in Montréal that no matter the number of punchy climbs that are thrown at him, he will stand up to the challenge. 

The 30-year-old wasn’t a factor in the front group for the majority of the race, but he later admitted that he rode at his own tempo and managed to return to the chasing group and sprint to sixth place. 

The Možjanca climb is longer and steeper than the Camilien-Houde ascent, but there will be fewer ascents on Sunday, so it will be interesting to see whether this dynamic helps or hinders Pedersen’s chances. 

Denmark also has some of the best long-range effort riders in the mix with Anthon Charmig and Mikkel Honoré, who could try their luck if on a good day. Andreas Kron is another rider to watch on the punchy gradients if he is at his best.

Jan Christen and Marc Hirschi (Switzerland), Marco Brenner and Maximilian Schachmann (Germany) are some other riders to watch out for.