2026 European Championships Women’s ITT preview: Can Reusser continue her dominance?

The elite women's individual time trial marks the penultimate event of the 2026 UEC European Championships programme on Wednesday, 7 October, with Marlen Reusser chasing a record fifth title on a 22.1km course in Šenčur.

The Swiss rider arrives in Slovenia a fortnight after retaining her world title in Montréal on her 35th birthday. Since then, Reusser finished fourth in the Worlds road race before taking the bronze at the Europeans on Saturday. 

Reusser has won four of the past five European titles and is level with Ellen van Dijk at the top of the all-time standings, but has the opportunity to stand alone on Wednesday afternoon. 

The route uses the same circuit as the road races, where Demi Vollering won on Saturday with a solo attack on the second ascent of Možjanca.

• 📅 Date: Wednesday, 7 October 2026
• 📍 Route: Šenčur - Šenčur
• 📏 Distance: 22.1km / 13.7 miles
• ⛰️ Elevation Gain: 367m / 1,204ft
• ⏱️ Start Time: 14:30 CET
• 🏁 Expected Finish: 15:39 CET

Starting and finishing in Šenčur, the 2026 European Championships time trial covers 22.1 kilometres and packs 367 metres of climbing into a short but demanding course.

The route uses the same circuit as the road race, meaning many riders will already know the key sections from racing earlier in the championships. According to the official race website, gradients reach a maximum of 15.8%.

All six categories, women’s junior, men’s junior, women’s under 23, men’s under 23, women’s elite and men’s elite, will race on the same course.

The opening kilometres from Šenčur are largely flat, giving the pure time trial specialists an early opportunity to settle into their rhythm. The road then begins to rise gradually before a short ascent at Olševek introduces the first climbing test.

The decisive section begins in Tupaliče. A sharp right hand turn leads riders onto the climb towards Možjanca, the toughest ascent on the course and the most likely place for significant time gaps to open.

The first intermediate time check is positioned at the foot of the climb, while the second comes shortly before the descent, offering a clear indication of who has managed the uphill section best.

After cresting the climb, the riders face a narrow and rolling road towards Štefanja Vas before tackling a technical descent towards the lower cable car station at Krvavec. Bike handling could prove crucial here, particularly for riders trying to carry speed without taking unnecessary risks.

Speeds should remain high through Cerklje na Gorenjskem before the course flattens out for the final seven kilometres. From there, it becomes a pure test of power and pacing, with a fast run back towards the finish in Šenčur.

World champion Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) arrives in Slovenia as the clear favourite, fresh from another commanding performance in Canada.

The Swiss rider has won four of the past five editions of the elite women’s time trial at the European Championships, taking the title in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025. She missed the 2024 edition and therefore did not have the chance to defend her crown.

Reusser should be well suited to this course. She has the power to make time on the fast, flat sections, while her climbing ability gives her another opportunity to put her rivals under pressure.

Currently level with Ellen van Dijk on four European time trial titles, Reusser can move clear with a record fifth victory. Given her recent form, it may take an exceptional ride to deny the Movistar rider.

One rider who will be hoping to challenge the formidable Swiss star is Paris-Roubaix winner Franziska Koch (Germany), who claimed her first professional time trial victory at the national championships in June. 

However, the German was a standout performer in Montréal, winning the bronze medal after finishing 45 seconds behind Reusser. Crucially, Koch beat many of the names who will also be in the podium mix in Slovenia. 

Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) was narrowly denied the bronze medal in Montréal by five seconds, before going on to be part of the winning Italian team in the mixed relay event. 

In 18 individual time trials since the start of the 2022 season, Longo Borghini has finished outside the top 10 on just one occasion.

Longo Borghini has long been one of the strongest all-round riders against the clock and now has a realistic chance of claiming her first medal in the elite women’s time trial at the European Championships to add to la glittering palmares.

Demi Vollering (Netherlands) starts just four days after winning the European road race title. She finished eighth in the World Championships time trial, 1:50 behind Reusser before going on to win the road race.

Time trialling has not been Vollering’s strongest discipline this season, considering she has won almost every road race she has started, but the Slovenian course offers her a better opportunity to shine. 

Lieke Nooijen (Netherlands) is another rider capable of challenging for the medals. The Visma rider was 12th in Montréal, but more significantly, almost won the time trial on stage 4 of the Tour de France. 

Nooijen spent a lengthy spell in the hot seat until Reusser denied her by just four seconds at the very last. 

Like Vollering, Juliette Berthet and Cédrine Kerbaol (France) are better known for their road-race abilities, though both have produced strong time trials in the past. Kerbaol in particular could be one to watch, having finished fifth in Montréal, while Berthet was sixth in last year's European Championships. 

Dominika Włodarczyk (Poland) was ninth in Montrèal and is the current national champion. Meanwhile, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland) is also set to start, having raced two time trials this season, including a 13th-place finish on stage 4 of the Tour de France. 

Finally, Belgian Champion Lotte Claes narrowly missed out on the top 10 in Montréal by just four seconds, taking 11th. The Belgian was also eighth in the Tour time trial in August.