2026 European Championships Preview: Women Elite in Ljubljana, Route and Favourites

UEC European Championships 2026, the women elite road race On Saturday 3 October 2026 the European calendar awards the women elite road race title at the UEC Road European Championships. The race takes place in Ljubljana, over a 130-kilometre course with 1359 metres of elevation gain: a distance that rewards endurance and a profile that, while not as selective as an Ardennes classic, is enough to trouble pure sprinters. The verified startlist counts 114 riders, with a particularly strong Dutch presence and a top-level Italian selection. Below are the profiles and most recent results of the athletes expected at the start. The protagonists expected at the start The reference name is Demi Vollering (Netherlands), fresh from her victory in the 2026 Road World Championships road race and from a series of notable placings at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, where she shone in several stages. On a course with 1359 metres of elevation gain, her climber's profile puts her at the top of the favourites. Alongside her, the Netherlands field a block of the highest level: Lorena Wiebes, coming off a series of important results including first place at the Choralis Fourmies Féminine and several placings at the front of stages at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women; Puck Pieterse, sixth in the World Championships road race and second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes; Karlijn Swinkels, first at the Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie Dames; Femke Markus, first at the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies; Yara Kastelijn, a protagonist at the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas with stage-leading placings; Femke De Vries and Lieke Nooijen, both with notable placings in stage races and classics. Italy responds with Elisa Longo Borghini, third in the 2026 World Championships road race and fourth in the world time trial, as well as second in the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay; Silvia Persico, with placings at the Giro d'Italia Women and the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina; Erica Magnaldi, second at the Grand Prix Féminin de Chambéry; Monica Trinca Colonel, second at the Italian Road Championships Women Elite/Under 23 and third in the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay at the Worlds. Gaia Masetti and Alessia Vigilia complete the selection. Among the other contenders are Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), fourth in the World Championships road race and dominator of the world time trial, capable of long-range attacks; Liane Lippert (Germany), with placings at the Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie Dames and the Tour of Britain Women; Franziska Koch (Germany), tenth in the World Championships road race and third in the time trial; Linda Riedmann (Germany), first at the Muurclassic Geraardsbergen; Nina Berton (Luxembourg), first at the Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic; Usoa Ostolaza Zabala (Spain), with placings at the Faun Tour Femmes and the Tour de France Femmes; Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spain), with placings at the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas; Ginia Caluori (Switzerland), with a stage win at the Tour de Feminin; Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland), with placings at the Tour de France Femmes; Paula Blasi Cairol (Spain), second at the Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic and with placings at the Tour de France Femmes; Dominika Wlodarczyk (Poland), eighth in the World Championships road race and first at the Women's Cycling Grand Prix Region Stuttgart; Lauren Dickson (Great Britain), with a stage win at the Faun Tour Femmes; Blanka Vas (Hungary); Kathrin Schweinberger (Austria); Alena Amialiusik (Belarus); Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France); Cedrine Kerbaol (France). The recent results of the favourites The heaviest result of all is that of Demi Vollering: first in the 2026 World Championships road race and a protagonist at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, where she achieved a notable placing in the ninth stage. On a course with 1359 metres of elevation gain, her ability to hold on short climbs and sprint in a reduced group makes her the number one favourite. Lorena Wiebes arrives from a series of top-level results: first at the Choralis Fourmies Féminine and placings at the front of several stages at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women. Less suited to elevation than Vollering, but in sparkling form. Elisa Longo Borghini finished third in the 2026 World Championships road race and fourth in the time trial, confirming a versatility that on a hilly course like Ljubljana's is a guarantee. Puck Pieterse is sixth in the World Championships road race and second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes: her explosive profile suits the final walls well. Marlen Reusser, fourth in the World Championships road race and dominator of the world time trial, can try a long-range move. Among possible surprises are Karlijn Swinkels (first at the GP de Wallonie), Nina Berton (first at the Pointe du Raz), Linda Riedmann (first at the Muurclassic Geraardsbergen) and Silvia Persico, who in a large Italian group can play an attacking card. Tactical analysis and favourites The Netherlands present a block of the highest level that can contro