European Cycling Championships 2024: All information about the European Championships in Limburg

The European Road Cycling Championships have been organised by the European Cycling Union (UEC) since 1995. In the first few years, it was purely an U23 event. The juniors were added in 2005 and the elite in 2016. This was the decisive step for the importance of the European Championships, as previously hardly any of the general public took any notice of the competitions. However, as the absolute top stars of the industry are now also competing, the title of European champion is worth a lot.

Last year, the races were held in the Dutch region of Drenthe, around the VAM mountain - a former landfill site. After the north-east of the Netherlands, it is now the turn of the north-east of Belgium. The competitions are organised by Flanders Classic, the organiser of most of the one-day races in the spring. It's all about the white jersey with blue chest stripes and yellow stars, the symbol of the European champion.

The schedule of the European Championships - All competitions at a glance

Wednesday, 11 September 2024:

• Individual time trial juniors (9 am)
• Individual time trial juniors (10:15 am)
• Individual time trial women U23 (11:45)
• Individual time trial men U23 (13:15)
• Individual time trial women elite (3 pm)
• Individual time trial men elite (16:30)

Thursday, 12 September 2024:

• Mixed relay juniors (11:30 am)
• Elite mixed relay (14:20)

Friday, 13 September 2024:

• Road race women U23 (9 am)
• Road race men U23 (13:30)

Saturday, 14 September 2024:

• Road race juniors (9 am)
• Road race women elite (13:30)

Sunday, 15 September 2024:

• Junior road race (9 am)
• Road race men elite (12:30 pm)

The European Championship time trials - eight competitions on three routes

The European Championships begin with the individual time trials. All six competitions will be held on the first day. All routes are fairly flat. However, there are only two different ones on the schedule for the individual time trials. While the juniors open the competitions and cover a 13.3 kilometre course, all the other competitions are held over 31.2 kilometres. Apart from a small climb at the start, there are hardly any other difficulties along the way. The start is in Heusden-Zolder. The finish is in Hasselt.

Swiss favourites in the men's event, Netherlands and Italy first medal contenders in the women's event

A check of the men's favourites initially shows that the actual favourites are not even at the start. World champion Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) has voluntarily decided not to start. The reigning European champion Joshua Tarling is more or less forced to do so because the British federation has decided not to take part in the European Championships at all. And Filippo Ganna (Italy), who is regularly at the front when it comes to time trial medals, has to withdraw due to a mysterious fatigue. And Wout Van Aert (Belgium) has to withdraw due to injury after his Vuelta withdrawal.

The second row of time trial specialists is thus moving into the limelight. It could be Stefan Küng's hour. The Swiss rider, who is regularly plagued by bad luck when it counts, could now strike and become European champion for the third time after his European titles in 2021 and 2020. He proved that he is in good form on Sunday when he won the final time trial of the Vuelta in Madrid. His biggest rival could be his compatriot Stefan Bissegger. But Ivo Oliveira from Portugal is also among the medal candidates. The same applies to Victor Campenaerts (Belgium) and Sören Waerenskjold (Norway). On a good day, Nils Politt could also be among the front runners.

In the women's race, the Dutch have the best cards, with Ellen van Dijk and Riejanne Markus two candidates for the gold medal. There is also Vittoria Guazzini (Italy), who wants to have her say. And all-rounder Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) can also win a medal in the time trial.

The mixed relays on Thursday are slightly different. The elite and juniors will be racing on the same course, but the men and women will not. While all the male starters will roll off the start ramp in Heusden-Zolder and head to Hasselt, the women will be sent on a circuit that has to be completed almost twice. A total of 52.3 kilometres await, of which the men complete 28.3 and the women 24.

The road races of the European Championships - made for sprinters with a classic format

From Friday, the road races await, with the men's race promising the most excitement due to the top line-up. 222.9 kilometres are on the programme, plus almost 1300 metres of climbing, most of which is in the middle section of the course. There will be small, tough climbs and a few cobbled sections here and there. Made for riders who can also hold their own in the classics. However, it tends to be for the strong sprinters. On paper, this - combined with the current form - speaks in favour of Mads Pedersen (Denmark). The former world champion recently presented himself in impressive form at the Deutschland Tour.

Just like Jonathan Milan (Italy). Jasper Philipsen (Belgium), on the other hand, has not been at his absolute best in recent weeks. Unlike Olav Kooij. The young Dutchman won the Cyclassics in Hamburg on Sundaywhich have a similar profile in the final, but are still a touch easier overall. However, the 22-year-old has so far held back in real classics, but proved this year at Gent-Wevelgem or last year at the European Championships, where he finished third behind the reigning champion Christophe Laporte (France) and Van Aert at the same time - at the summit of the VAM mountain.

However, the Dutch also have a man with them who can ride to victory if things get too difficult for Kooij. None other than world champion Mathieu van der Poel. The second Oranje ace leads the category of riders who favour a more offensive course of the race. Just like Laporte. Or perhaps Matteo Trentin (Italy) and Politt. Or the in-form youngster Pavel Bittner from the Czech Republic.

The route of the road race

The Limburg 2024 road race course essentially consists of four parts, which are ridden differently depending on age and gender. After the start in Heusden-Zolder, there is a transfer section to the circuit in Hasselt, which is followed by another transfer to the hilly Limburg Circuit. From there it's back onto the Hasselt circuit before the finish line is reached. Three and a half laps through Hasselt await the men on their 222.9 kilometres, then three in the hills to the south, and another one and a half in Hasselt.

The elite women and the U23 men will each complete 162.1 kilometres. Both will ride the Limburg Circuit once less than the men and two laps less than the first time in Hasselt. A tight programme also awaits the juniors. They have 129.8 kilometres ahead of them - another lap less on the Limburg Circuit.

The U23 women and the juniors will skip this part of the course completely. They will only ride as far as Hasselt and then complete five and three laps respectively, which equates to 101.5 and 73 kilometres.

Women's race an affair for the Netherlands

While it is hard to predict who will come out on top in the men's road race, the situation is different for the women. At least the winning nation seems to have been decided almost before the race: the Netherlands. Lorena Wiebes for a possible and quite probable bunch sprint, defending champion Mischa Bredewold, Shirin van Anrooij, Riejanne Markus or Loes Adegeest for a race in which perhaps a leading group will make it to the finish.

However, it is unclear who will challenge the Dutch riders in the absence of Kopecky, who has decided not to take part in the road race, Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) and the British riders. Maybe Elisa Balsamo (Italy), maybe Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) or Liane Lippert. In any case, an alliance would be necessary. The greatest hope for all non-Dutch women is that the star line-up around Wiebes is not united.

The German squad for the 2024 European Championships

For the first time since 2018, the 2023 European Championship title did not go to a German starter. This year, however, the German Cycling Federation (BDR) is sending a squad to the start line that can definitely fight for the title, at least in some competitions.

Men - Elite

Road race (8 starting places):

• John Degenkolb (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
• Kim Heiduk (Ineos Grenadiers)
• Roger Kluge (rad-net Oßwald)
• Niklas Märkl (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
• Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates)
• Jonas Rutsch (EF Education EasyPost)
• Jannik Steimle (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)
• Maximilian Walscheid (Team Jayco AlUla)

Individual time trial (2): Politt, Walscheid

Mixed relay (3): Politt, Steimle, Walscheid

Men - U23

Road race (6):

• Niklas Behrens (LidlTrek Future Racing)
• Julian Borresch (Rembe Pro Cycling Team Sauerland)
• Luca Dreßler (Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank)
• Tobias Müller (rad-net Oßwald)
• Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek Future Racing)
• Ole Theiler (Team Storck - Metropol Cycling)

Individual time trial (2): Behrens, Moritz Czasa (rad-net Oßwald)

Men - Juniors

Road race (6):

• Pepe Albrecht (RSV 54 Venusberg)
• Benedikt Benz (JEGG-DJR Academy)
• Paul Fietzke (RSC Cottbus)
• Louis Grupp (RSC Linden)
• Ian Kings (JEGG-DJR Academy)

Individual time trial (3): Benz, Fietzke, Kings

Mixed relay (3): Fietzke, Kings, Paul Felix Petry (Tuspo Weende)

Women - Elite

Road race (7):

• Franziska Brauße (Ceratizit - WNT Pro Cycling Team)
• Romy Kasper (Human Powered Health)
• Franziska Koch (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)
• Clara Koppenburg (EF-Oatly-Cannondale)
• Liane Lippert (Movistar Team)
• Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis)
• Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ceratizit - WNT Pro Cycling Team)

Individual time trial (2): Lisa Klein (Lidl-Trek Women), Mieke Kröger (RV Teutoburg Brackwede)

Mixed relay (3): Koch, Klein, Kröger

Women - U23

Road race (6):

• Justyna Czapla (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
• Pia Grünewald (LKT team)
• Hannah Kunz (UAE Development Team)
• Selma Lantzsch (MAXX-Solar ROSE)
• Antonia Niedermaier ( CANYON//SRAM Racing)
• Linda Riedmann (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

Individual time trial (2): Czapla, Niedermaier

Women - Juniors

Road race (5):

• Messane Bräutigam (RSV Rheinzabern)
• Magdalena Leis (RSC Linden)
• Caoilinn Littbarski-Gray (RSC Turbine Erfurt)
• Joelle Amelie Messemer (RSC Linden)
• Julia Servay (RSC Biberach)

Individual time trial (3): Kjara Reckmann (RC 1913 Wendelstein), Bräutigam, Servay

Mixed relay (3): Groom, Leis, Messemer