Individual Time Trial – European Championships 2026 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

October 7, 2026

European Continental Championships 2026 🇸🇮 – Individual Time Trial (CC) WE – Šenčur – Šenčur : 22 km

Individual Time Trial – European Championships is a UCI European Championship individual time trial, placing riders on a fully individual course where aerodynamic efficiency, sustained power and precise pacing are central. The route typically combines long paved straights with gentle climbs, fast descents, technical corners and changes in road direction, producing a varied rhythm across approximately 20–35 km depending on category. Rolling sections can include gradients of 3–7%, while sharper ramps may briefly exceed 8%, requiring riders to balance speed with controlled effort. Exposed roads can make wind an important environmental factor, particularly when the course offers little shelter. Riders start individually at fixed intervals, eliminating drafting and making line choice, cornering and acceleration entirely dependent on each competitor. Technical turns and junctions interrupt the aerodynamic rhythm and demand precise braking before riders quickly return to full speed. The course rewards even pacing rather than repeated surges, with the final kilometres testing the ability to maintain power under increasing fatigue. The finish is decided solely by elapsed time, often with very small gaps separating the leading riders.

World time trial champion Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) won the elite women’s European time trial title for a fifth time, charging to victory in Šenčur, Slovenia, ahead of newly-crowned European road champion Demi Vollering (Netherlands).

Reusser was quickest at each checkpoint along the way on the 22km route, eventually crossing the line in a time of 31:30, at an average speed of 41.905 kph.

Vollering, who started second-last ahead of Reusser, was in second place throughout the race, eventually crossing the line with a 23-second deficit to the Swiss racer to claim silver.

France’s Juliette Berthet claimed the bronze medal, racing to the finish 1:10 down on Reusser. She beat Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) to the final spot on the podium by six seconds.

The race took place on the same 22km parcours in Šenčur that hosted the rest of the time trials at these Championships, with the mid-route climbs of Mozjanca (2km at 10.2%) and Stefanja Gora (900m at 4.7%) proving decisive for the destination of the European champion’s jersey.

A total of 25 riders took the start, with the 10th rider in, Sandrine Tas (Belgium), who set the early pace, going quickest at the checkpoints at 8km and 16.3km before easily going best at the finish.

Tas’s time of 33:32 was 2:49 ahead of the Greek racer Eleftheria Giachou, who was the first rider to start the time trial.

Lauren Dickson (Great Britain), the 11th starter, was pushing her closest along the way. She was three seconds up on Tas at the opening checkpoint, but lost time the rest of the way to go second at the finish, 21 seconds down.

Meanwhile, as they raced to the finish, the big favourites were already underway, with Berthet beating both to top the timing boards at the first two checkpoints and then at the finish, 51 seconds clear of Tas, with a time of 32:40.

Riders including Longo Borghini, Dominika Włodarczyk (Poland), and Cédrine Kerbaol (France) were coming up next, though none could beat Berthet’s time.

Włodarczyk was the first of the trio to cross the line in second place, 21 seconds down on Berthet. Kerbaol finished her effort a further 29 seconds down, while Longo Borghini was closest to the Frenchwoman, finishing just seven seconds back.

Meanwhile, the two top favourites Vollering and Reusser were out on course and blitzing the quickest times as they fought over the jersey.

Vollering’s time of 15:17 at the first checkpoint saw her go 43 seconds quicker than Longo Borghini, though Reusser was quicker still, passing through less than a minute later to go 11 seconds up.

That pattern repeated at the second checkpoint, where Vollering’s 24:52 put her 49 seconds up on Berthet before Reusser came through 20 seconds up. At the finish, it was no surprise to see Vollering once again beat Berthet, putting 46 seconds into her trade teammate.

But it was Reusser who ended the day the quickest, crossing the line 23 seconds ahead of Vollering to claim the European title once again.

Results :