Amy Pieters, Annemiek van Vleuten, Ellen van Dijk, Lorena Wiebes (2023 and 2025) and Mischa Bredewold have all taken victories for the Netherlands, whilst Demi Vollering took her first title in 2025.Profile: Ljubljana – Sencur
Ljubljana – Sencur, 131 kilometers
The race will begin in Slovenia’s capital of Ljubljana, moving through Komenda – the hometown of the absent Tadej Pogacar – and then will move towards the final circuit which will decide the race.
The race is 131 kilometers in length, and features just over 1300 meters of climbing. Unlike the World Championships, the circuit is rather simply, with one obvious feature: the climb to Mozjanca which is 2.1 kilometers long at just 10%. The climb will be tackled on two different occasions.
The riders descend back into Sencur, where the finale will be held. In the final lap, the riders will be 14.5 kilometers away from the finish line at this point. The summit of the climb is followed by a small plateau section of about 3.5 kilometers in distance.
After a fast descent, only the final 5 kilometers will truly be flat, meaning that putting on a chase over such terrain is difficult. However, the climb will be quite difficult on each occasion, and the endurance aspect will not be as present as at the World Championships.
Preview 2026 women’s elite road race European championships
The Netherlands had the strongest team at the World Championships and they used it to set Demi Vollering up for attack. With the rainbow jersey on her back, she will be the main favourite, but the same tactics aren’t to be expected as she will not get to wear the jersey if she wins.
Vollering could well play a key tactical role with a more conservative race whilst the likes of Puck Pieterse and Riejanne Markus may go on the attack and try to capture the title. Lorena Wiebes’ presence also raises questions, in a sprint she would be the undeniable favourite but a race situation in which she arrives with the chance to win the race is unlikely.
Katarzyna Niewiadoma will certainly try to make the difference uphill but in this type of race she has often been beaten by Vollering, and hasn’t seemingly been able to use the right tactics to do so. A win is unlikely. Elisa Longo Borghini and Marlen Reusser are quite strong uphill but it’s on the plateau section that they might attack to victory – specially the latter who could then be impossible to bring back.
Paula Blasi leads the way for Spain; Germany have Franziska Koch and Antonia Niedermaier; whilst France also have a very strong collective featuring Cédrine Kerbaol and Juliette Berthet in the lead, who could prove to be a headache for everyone else in the bunch.
Prediction 2026 women’s elite road race European championships
*** Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Puck Pieterse
** Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Marlen Reusser
* Lorena Wiebes, Paula Blasi, Dominika Wlodarczyk, Juliette Berthet, Cédrine Kerbaol, Franziska Koch, Antonia Niedermaier
Pick: Puck Pieterse
How: Late attack.
List of winners of the women’s elite road race European championships Year1st2nd3rd2025Demi VolleringKasia NiewiadomaAnna van der Breggen2024Lorena WiebesElisa BalsamoDaria Pikulik2023Mischa BredewoldLorena WiebesLotte Kopecky2022Lorena WiebesElisa BalsamoRachele Barbieri2021Ellen van DijkLiane LippertRasa Leleivytė2020Annemiek van VleutenElisa Longo BorghiniKasia Niewiadoma2019Amy PietersElena CecchiniLisa Klein2018Marta BastianelliMarianne VosLisa Brennauer2017Marianne VosGiorgia BronziniOlga Zabelinskaya2016Anna van der BreggenKasia NiewiadomaElisa Longo Borghini