CyclistUEC European Championships 2026 Womens Elite Road Race: Our form guideThe womens elite road race at the European Championships takes place on Saturday 3rd October. The 130km route begins in Ljubljanaand travels 85km north towards enur for a 22.1km circuit featuring the Mojanca climb that will be undertaken twice.Newly crowned World Champion Demi Vollering (Netherlands) unsurprisingly enters as favourite to defend her title, but a whole host of riders have flown from Canada to Slovenia to try and rain on her parade.Demi Vollering (Netherlands)Dario Belingheri/Getty ImagesJust one last task awaits the Netherlands Demi Vollering for 2026. Retain the European Championships jersey. Her chances are strong to say the least. While the Dutch rider has been crushingly strong this year, she did not win the recent World Championships with ease. Her planned solo breakaway was reeled back in and she had to battle a cramping Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in the sprint.This blip and a strong chase group should she get away might prove to be a thorn in her side should a similar fate occur in Slovenia, and with an easier parcours her competitors should have a better chance of keeping her from going clear.Road victories this seasonWorld Championship Elite Women Road RaceGC, Tour de France FemmesStage 9, Tour de France FemmesStage 8, Tour de France FemmesStage 5, Tour de France FemmesGC, Giro dItalia WomenStage 8, Giro dItalia WomenStage 5, Giro dItalia WomenLige-Bastogne-LigeLa Flche Wallonne FemmesTour of FlandersOmloop NieuwsbladGC, Setmana Ciclista ValencianaStage 4, Setmana Ciclista ValencianaStage 1, Setmana Ciclista ValencianaLast five results1st: World Championship Elite Women Road Race8th: World Championship Elite Women Individual Time-Trial3rd: Vivi Zuricrit1st overall: Tour de France Femmes1st: Stage 9, Tour de France FemmesBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race1st: 2025Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland)A.S.O./Gatan FlammeKasia Niewiadoma-Phinneys dogged determination to claw back Vollering almost landed her a rainbow jersey. She looked hungry, and a European Championship could be quite the prize for someone that narrowly missed out on a world title.Vollering will be her biggest rival once again, as has been the case all season. Niewiadoma-Phinney finished second to her in the European Championships road race last season after Vollerings 37km solo attack. It was her second silver medal at this race after 2016, when Anna van der Breggen bested her competitors in a sprint for the first title.Road victories this seasonStage 7, Tour de France FemmesLast five results2nd: World Championship Elite Women Road Race3rd: Stage 9, Tour de France Femmes3rd: Stage 8, Tour de France Femmes1st: Stage 7, Tour de France Femmes18th: Stage 6, Tour de France FemmesBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race2nd: 2016, 2025Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)A.S.O./Billy CeustersThe World Championships culminated in a bronze medal for Elisa Longo Borghini, as the podium matched that of the Tour de France Femmes. The Italian has occupied all sports of the podium aside from the top rung in the European Championships road race, finishing second in 2020 to Annemiek van Vleuten in a two-up sprint and third in the sprint in 2016.Her aggressive racing and massive engine means shes capable of winning any race she lines up at, but shes only bested Vollering once all season.Road victories this seasonWorld Championship Mixed Relay Team Time-TrialItaly National Championships, Road RaceStage 2, Tour de Suisse WomenStage 9, Giro dItalia WomenTrofeo Oro in EuroGC, UAE Tour WomenStage 4, UAE Tour WomenLast five results3rd: World Championship Elite Women Road Race1st: World Championship Mixed Relay Team Time-Trial4th: World Championship Elite Women Individual Time-Trial8th: Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic12th: Tout commence en Finistre Ladies ClassicBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race2nd: 2020Marlen Reusser (Switzerland)Dario Belingheri/Getty ImagesReusser had a brilliant time in Canada, with a dominant time-trial title defence and a mightily impressive fourth place after being instrumental in bringing Vollering back to the group. She had been caught out earlier on as Vollering attacked while she was back with her team car, who knows how the race wouldve played out had she been present. Reusser is one of a few riders to have beaten Vollering in 2026, outsprinting her Dutch rival to win Dwars door Vlaanderen. Her TT ability means if and its a big if she manages to get solo it will be nigh-on impossible to catch her, but failing that shell be confident in a small group sprint.Road victories this seasonWorld Championship Elite Women Individual Time-TrialChrono Fminin de GatineauStage 4 ITT, Tour de France FemmesGC, Tour de Suisse WomenStage 5, Tour de Suisse WomenStage 4 ITT, Tour de Suisse WomenDwars door VlaanderenLast five results4th: World Championship Elite Women Road Race3rd: World Championship Mixed Relay Team Time-Trial1st: World Championship Elite Women Individual Time-Trial1st: Chrono Fminin de Gatineau14th overall: Tour de France FemmesBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race7th: 2021Juliette Berthet (France)A.S.O./Billy CeustersFrances Juliette Berthet has had a solid season having spent most of the year in service of Vollering. When not on domestique duties, Berthet formerly Labous rode to fifth at La Vuelta Femenina, a podium at CIC-Tour Fminin des Pyrnes and won the Faun Tour Femmes in impressive fashion.The French squad had three riders in the top ten in the World Championships road race with Juliette Berthet fifth, Clia Gery seventh and Maeva Squiban ninth, but theyd have been hoping for more. Gery wont be riding in Slovenia, but Berthet is joined by Squiban and Cdrine Kerbaol in the race for the Euro bands.Road victories this seasonGC, Faun Tour FemmesStage 3, Faun Tour FemmesStage 2, Faun Tour FemmesLast five results5th: World Championship Elite Women Road Race2nd: World Championship Mixed Relay Team Time-Trial15th: World Championship Elite Women Individual Time-Trial1st overall: Faun Tour Femmes2nd: Stage 4, Faun Tour FemmesBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race6th: 2025Other riders to watchA.S.O./Gatan FlammeAlso vying for the last big jersey of the season will be the likes of Noemi Regg (Switzerland), who won the Tour Down Under. briefly led La Vuelta Femenina and had a series of strong placings in the Classics with second in Milan-San Remo, fifth at the Amstel Gold Race, seventh at Trofeo Oro and eighth at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Paired with Reusser the Swiss team have a great chance of getting a big result.Paris-Roubaix Femmes champion Franziska Koch (Germany) has enjoyed a good run of form lately too, podiuming the Classic Lorient Agglomration, finishing fourth in the Grand Prix Region Stuttgart, and coming third in the World Championships TT before a tenth place in the road race. Shes part of a strong German team that includes Tour white jersey winner Antonia Niedermaier and puncheur Liane Lippert.Should Vollering wish for the European jersey to actually be worn in 2027, she could help in-form teammates Puck Pieterse, Femke De Vries or Karlijn SwinkelsThe post UEC European Championships 2026 Womens Elite Road Race: Our form guide appeared first on Cyclist.