Having a goal is a great way to stay motivated when training, and picking out a distant event can be enough to power you through the depths of winter. While events range in size, distance and attendance, boxing off something big in the calendar, alone or with friends, gives you something to look forward to and train for. In this article, we share the top 10 events in Europe that you should circle on your calendar. Read more: 13 best gravel races in the UK: these are the off-road events you need to know about tztaler Radmarathon Slden, Austria The Otztaler Radmarathon is for serious climbers. Joe Cotterill Fresh, rarefied air is the order of the day here, with more than 5,000 metres of Tyrolean Alpine climbing packed into 227km. Your exertions start in Slden before rolling onto this areas most legendary giants, namely the ascents of Khtai (17.9km at 6.8%), Jaufenpass (15.5km at 7%) and Timmelsjoch (22.1km at 5%). To soften the pain, organisers stir up a festival feel, thanks to fireworks, oompah parades, stunt shows, skydiving and even group leg shaving. Registration opens in February. If youre lucky (or not), youll be one of the 4,000. Date: 30 August 2026 UCI Gravel Switzerland Villars, Switzerland There are multiple distance options for the UCI Gravel Switzerland. Joe Cotterill There are two routes on offer in Villars, which sits on the doorstep of the UCI (international cycling governing body) headquarters in Aigle. Go for the 60.2km option, which features nearly 1,900m of climbing, or crank it up to the longer route, which comes in at 101km and nearly 2,500m of climbing. Either way, youll be entranced by the beauty of the Vaudois Alps that surround Villars. Youll also be exasperated by a series of stiff, long climbs. Just over half the parcours of each distance is gravel, with the remainder a pretty equal split between asphalt and older paved roads. It's an event not to be missed. Date: 10-12 July 2026 Gran Fondo Mont Ventoux Vaison-la-Romaine, France Having this event in the planner will get you back on the bike in no time. Joe Cotterill Fancy doing battle with the Giant of Provence? If so, you have three routes to the top of the iconic Mont Ventoux: 80, 106 or 135km. Before you hit the barren upper slopes of this brutal mountain, you can enjoy pedalling through Provences stunning landscapes, from lavender fields and vineyards to the dramatic Gorges de la Nesque and quaint Provencal villages. Its a truly astounding part of the world to ride a bike in and rather exhausting when you come to Ventoux. Sportive Breaks (sportivebreaks.com) offers three-night packages starting at 699, but make sure you factor in that race entry is extra. Date: 7 June 2026 Tour of Flanders Cyclo Antwerp, Belgium This event enables you to enjoy the Tour of Flanders route at a relaxed pace. Joe Cotterill Of all the mass-participation rides associated with pro racings Monuments the five most prestigious races on the calendar the Tour of Flanders Cyclo is by far the most leisurely. In Belgium, competitive racing is clearly defined: racing is for races and tours such as the Tour of Flanders Cyclo are all about fun and experiencing the culture of bike riding. That said, the extent of the fun could be decided by which of the three challenges you sign up for. Date: 4 April 2026 Veneto Gravel Veneto, Italy The Veneto Gravel is an Italian bonanza. Joe Cotterill If you felt Strade Bianches white gravel roads were ominous, thats nothing compared to Veneto Gravels 27% of gravel. Thats nearly 189km of the white stuff. Around 3% of the parcours 20-plus kilometres is singletrack. Testing is an understatement, whether you pitch for the 720km or 400km version. Mind you, youll enjoy some glorious countryside and enigmatic Venetian cities on your unsupported bikepacking adventure. Youll also pass vineyards, orchards, pine forests and azure-blue lakes. In short, picture-postcard doesnt do this race justice. There are checkpoints to ensure youre officially on track, although theres no official cut-off time. However, the free showers stop on the Wednesday evening! Date: 24 April 2026 Maratona dles Dolomites Trentino-South Tyrol, Italy The Maratona Dles Dolomites is short on paper, but the climbs are humbling. Joe Cotterill The Maratona dles Dolomites is arguably the jewel in the Italian crown. Its only 138km, we hear you lament. It is as well as 106km and 55km options but its the vertical challenge thatll test your mettle, with 4,230m of elevation including the Giau, a 9.9km ascent that averages 9.3%. Incredible rock formations and lush green valleys offer some natural respite, while the road surfaces are silky smooth. Date: 5 July 2026 Paris-Roubaix Challenge Paris, France The Paris-Roubaix Challenge will give you a taster of A Sunday In Hell. Joe Cotterill Sample the brutal delights of the Hell of the North over 70km, 145km or 170km. Do battle with iconic stretches like the Troue dArenberg where jagged cobbles that could consume a small human are flanked by leafless trees. Theres often rows of spectators, too, warming up for the womens and mens elite races 24 hours later. But concentrate. Distraction can lead to a tumble on terrain that shouldnt be underestimated. Our colleagues at BikeRadar completed this event years ago and their palms are still vibrating from the experience. Prepare for blisters, exhaustion and a shuddering of fun on a parcours that even includes a ceremonial sojourn around the velodrome. Date: 11 April 2026 Read more: I rode the Paris-Roubaix course andit was pure agony La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes Bourg dOisans, France The scenery on La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes is epic. Joe Cotterill La Marmotte begins at sunrise in the heart of Bourg dOisans. "Once the starting shot has sounded, the tension makes way for adrenaline and determined pedalling, all to the soundtrack of loud applause. So say the organisers, and so begins what many believe is the toughest day imaginable in the saddle. Who are we to argue when entrants compete against 177 kilometres and more than 5,000 metres of ascending? The highlight or low point of the day is arguably the climb of Alpe dHuez and its 21 hairpin bends. Or is it the Col du Glandon that stretches out to 24.1km at 5%? Or the legendary Col du Galibier? You get the picture. Date: 22 June 2026 Vtternrundan Motala, Sweden The Vtternrundan is 315km in distance. Joe Cotterill Theres every chance youve never heard of the Vtternrundan. Unless youre from Scandinavia, of course, where thousands descend on this event each year as they have done since its first running in 1966. The premise sounds boringly simple: just ride around a lake. And thats it. But before you turn away, this is the fifth largest lake in Europe, Lake Vattern, meaning the entire loop and length of the ride is 315km. Its also one of the most beautiful landscapes in Sweden (south-west of Stockholm), the long, finger-shaped body of water shadowed by spruce, pine and deciduous forest. This year is its 61st running, so what better time to enter and crank up those long Sunday morning rides? Date: 12-13 June 2026 Mallorca 312 Mallorca, Spain The Mallorca 312 is a great way to start the season. Joe Cotterill Fancy racking up 312km and over 4,500m of climbing in one day? Of course you do, you bona fide sadist. For those less inclined towards total self-flagellation, there are shorter but still taxing distances of 225km and 167km. Unusually, but appreciatively, you can change distance while youre riding. For many, thatll be dropping down. For some, whose legs are oozing power, itll mean cranking up. In times gone by, Mallorca 312 ticked off a lap of the island. Now its a closed-road event more focused in the Sierra de Tramuntana mountains to the north of the island. Guaranteed sunshine makes this a great season opener. Date: 25 April 2026