CyclistUEC European Championships 2026 Mens Elite Road Race: Our form guideTheres no rest after the World Championships. Up next is the European Championships, which take place from 2nd-7th October 2026 in Slovenia. Defending champion Tadej Pogaar will have to miss reclaiming this jersey on home roads after his season-ending crash at the Vuelta a Espaa, with Remco Evenepoel the favourite in his absence.The mens elite road race is 196.3km. Departing from Ljubljana, the peloton heads towards five laps of a 22.1km circuit around enur, which features the Mojanca ascent that hits a max gradient of 15.8%.Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)Tim de Waele/Getty ImagesRemco Evenepoel has won every single national and international race possible but one: the European Road Race. Thats right, with National road and TT titles, World road and TT titles, Olympic road and TT titles, and the European TT title, this weekend could see the Belgian complete an unmatched set. He has come very close before, but this is his best opportunity to get the job done.Aside from the blip in the World Championships road race where he ended up an uncharacteristic 12th, hes had quite the run of form recently. After his second place in the Tour de France, he won Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa and the GP Quebec, finished fifth at the GP Montraland claimed his fourth consecutive TT rainbow jersey.Some big names are missing from the start list in Ljubljana, with no Tadej Pogaar, Isaac del Toro, Paul Seixas or Mathieu van der Poel, so its a massive opportunity. He raced to second place behind Pogaar last year on a tough French course to equal his best result in the European Championships road race having also won silver in 2021 to Italys Sonny Colbrelli.Road victories this seasonWorld Championship Elite Men Individual Time-TrialGrand Prix Cyclist de QuebecDonostia San Sebastian KlasikoaStage 16 ITT: Tour de FranceStage 15: Tour de FranceAmstel Gold RaceStage 2 ITT: UAE TourGC: Volta Comunitat ValencianaStage 4: Volta Comunitat ValencianaStage 2 ITT: Volta Comunitat ValencianaTrofeo Andratx-PollenaTrofeo Serra TramuntanaTrofeo Ses SalinesLast five results12th: World Championships Elite Men Road Race1st: World Championship Elite Men Individual Time-Trial5th: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montral1st: Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec1st: Donostia San Sebastian KlasikoaBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race2nd: 2025, 2021Primo Rogli (Slovenia)Unipublic / Cxcling / Antonio BaixauliSlovenia might not have reigning champ Pogaar on the start line, but Primo Rogli could give his home country something to shout about. The 36-year-old might be getting to the twilight of his career, but when hes let loose, he certainly isnt acting like it as evidenced by his second place at the recent Vuelta a Espaa.He was also particularly active during the World Championships road race, going with Van der Poel and Wout van Aerts initial attack, and continuously working his way back to the front group of contenders once theyd been reeled in. He ended up fading in the final 20-or-so kilometres to finish 21st overall, but this course isnt as tough as in Montreal. Rogli has never participated in the European Championships road race before. What a time to make his debut.Road victories this seasonNational Championships Elite Men Time TrialLast five results21st: World Championships Elite Men Road Race2nd overall: Vuelta a Espaa44th: Stage 21, Vuelta a Espaa15th: Stage 20, Vuelta a Espaa14th: Stage 19, Vuelta a EspaaBest finish in European Championship Elite Road RaceN/AMads Pedersen (Denmark)A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxMads Pedersen had a sneaky good World Championships. He kept a relatively low profile in the road race, getting dropped with around 100km to go, but suddenly appeared at the end and ended up sixth at the finish. You didnt see me, he acknowledged after the race.The course in Slovenia features five laps of a 22km finishing circuit including the Mojanca climb, but the route to the finish line is a flatter parcours. Pedersens engine will be key over the 196.3km, and he finished Worlds as the second-best European rider, with only Van der Poel better off and hes skipped the European champs. Road victories this seasonStage 4, Tour de FranceLast five results6th: World Championships Elite Men Road Race163rd: Stage 10, Vuelta a Espaa121st: Stage 9, Vuelta a Espaa2nd: Stage 8, Vuelta a Espaa87th: Stage 7, Vuelta a EspaaBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race6th: 2024Giulio Ciccone (Italy)A.S.O. Germany/Marcel HilgerThis has been a season of almosts for Italys Giulio Ciccone. The 31-year-old has three recent second places on his palmars two from the Vuelta a Burgos and one from the GP Quebec, plus another trio of third place finishes on stages of the Tour de France.His three ventures in Canada last month resulted in multiple top tens, and he was active towards the business end of proceedings in the World Championships road race, ending up ninth. Like Rogli, he has never raced in the European Championships, but his Italian squad pack some options, including Christian Scaroni, Giulio Pellizzari and veteran Diego Ulissi.Road victories this seasonN/ALast five results9th: World Championships Elite Men Road Race7th: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montral2nd: Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec53rd: Stage 3, Lidl Deutschland Tour48th: Stage 2, Lidl Deutschland TourBest finish in European Championship Elite Road RaceN/ARomain Grgoire(France)A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxStrong in the Classics this season, Romain Grgoirewon the Faun Drome Classic at the beginning of the year then went on to finish fourth at Strade Bianche, De Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race. While he couldnt grab a stage win at the Tour de France, he did see glory on home soil with victory in the National Championships road race after a second place to Dorian Godon last year.Since then, hes fared well in one-day races with top ten finishes in the Bretagne Classic, GP Industria & Artigianato, Coppa Sabatini and a recent second place at the Grand Prix de Wallonie over a hilly parcours to French youngster Aubin Sparfel.Road victories this seasonNational Championships Road RaceStage 2, Tour de SuisseFaun Drome ClassicLast five results2nd: Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie11th: Trofeo Matteotti13th: Memorial Marco Pantani3rd: Coppa Sabatini10th: GP Industria & ArtigianatoBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race10th: 2025Juan Ayuso (Spain)A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxThe Canadian block was Juan Ayusos return after the Tour de France, taking over a month off after finishing seventh overall in Paris. There wasnt much to shout about in Canada, with 28th at the GP Quebec after a crash just before the line and a DNF at the GP Montral, but he was the highest-placed Spaniard in the fight for the rainbow jersey, finishing in 13th.Last year, Ayuso raced to sixth place on debut in the elite road race at the European Championships, and he should be competing for a podium here at least.Road victories this seasonGC, Volta ao AlgarveStage 5, Volta ao AlgarveLast five results13th: World Championships Elite Men Road RaceDNF: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montral28th: Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec7th overall: Tour de France151st: Stage 21, Tour de FranceBest finish in European Championship Elite Road Race6th: 2025Other riders to watchA.S.O./Charly LpezThose arent the only riders who should be making their mark at the European Championships. Aside from Grgoire, France possesses a solid lineup that includes Alex Baudin, who briefly led the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes after his opening day breakaway victory, and recent Giro dAbruzzo winner Kvin Vauquelin.Jan Christen (Switzerland) will want to turn his fortunes around given his stage win at the Tour de Pologne ultimately led to DNFs in three of his last four races. Tour de France stage winner Marco Brenner (Germany) is also here, as is 20-year-old Vuelta a Espaa stage winner Jakob Ormzel for Slovenia. The post UEC European Championships 2026 Mens Elite Road Race: Our form guide appeared first on Cyclist.