European cycling championships 2026: a course tailored for Pogačar, 'but not extremely difficult'

Slovenia has the honor of hosting this year's European Cycling Championships, and it will do so on a course that appears to be tailor-made for Tadej Pogacar. On Monday, the Slovenian cycling federation announced the routes of the races for early October, when the cycling circus will descend on capital Ljubljana and its surroundings.

'The races for promising and elite start in Ljubljana, on Kongresni trg. From there, the peloton will ride through the city center on a neutralized section before heading towards Gorenjska. The route will take them past Škofja Loka, Kranj, Kamnik, Komenda and Cerklje na Gorenjskem to Šenčur, where the decisive final section will take place: a 22.1-kilometer course with 367 altimeters.'

'From Šenčur, the course climbs gradually towards Olševek and Tupaliče, after which a sharp right turn marks the start of the tough climb to Možjanca. This climb is 2.1 kilometers long, with an average gradient of 10.2 percent and a maximum gradient of 15.8 percent,' indicates.

'The rolling terrain continues toward Štefanja Gora, where a technically demanding descent begins to the lower cable car station at Krvavec.' In the direction of that place, Pogacar often cycled uphill in his younger years. 'This is followed by a fast descent to the final point of the circuit in Šenčur. The championship course is designed to allow open and attacking racing.'

Tomaž Poljanec, Secretary-General of the European Championships, explained at the route presentation: "In designing the course, we tried to find a balance between sporting challenge, organisational feasibility and presenting Slovenia at its best."

"The course meets the standards of the European Cycling Union (UEC), while also being adapted to Slovenian conditions and the logistical demands of an event of this scale — from airport access and motorway connections to the impact of road closures on the local community." The European Championships takes place only a few days after the World Championships in Montreal, which is why the organisers opted for a finish close to Ljubljana Airport.

"We have designed a course that is interesting, open and dynamic, with a final circuit that is selective, but not extremely difficult," the organisers said. They are expecting 300,000 spectators to line the roads and cheer on Pogačar and company.

The men will race 196 kilometres on Sunday 4 October, while the women will ride a 130-kilometre race on Saturday 3 October. All time trial events are 22 kilometres long and will take place on Wednesday 7 October.