The individual time trial has featured at the European Championships since 1997 and, with the addition of an Elite category in 2016, has grown into one of the most coveted jerseys on the calendar. The early Elite years were defined by Dutch dominance: Ellen van Dijk racked up an unmatched haul of eight medals, four of them gold, while Anna van der Breggen added a gold in 2020 alongside two silvers and a bronze. A new era arrived with Marlen Reusser’s hat-trick of titles between 2021 and 2023, built on overwhelming power and precise pacing. In 2024, Lotte Kopecky upset the odds with a searing ride to gold ahead of van Dijk, while Christina Schweinberger collected a second consecutive bronze. These recent podiums highlight how the event has evolved from a Dutch stranglehold to a genuinely pan-European battleground.
France has played a notable role in the story of the Championships. The first Elite edition was held at Plumelec in 2016, while the last French hosting came in 2020 at Plouay, where Anna van der Breggen won her only title. That makes 2025 a significant return to French roads, coinciding with the 10th running of the Elite European Championships and bringing the peloton back to a landscape already familiar to men’s racing through the Boucles Drôme–Ardèche.
The Elite Women’s time trial this year covers a 24 km course from Loriol to Étoile, a point-to-point effort that blends flat river-valley speed with rolling ramps and open, wind-exposed sections. This is a course that rewards complete time triallists, demanding both high, steady power on the valley roads and smooth pacing over the late rises. There is little technical respite, so mistakes in pacing or positioning will be punished, and those who can balance aggression with control are most likely to carry speed into the closing kilometres and contend for the European title.
Previous Winners
2024
Lotte Kopecky
2023
Marlen Reusser
2022
Marlen Reusser
2025 Women’s European Championships Time Trial Race Profile
Live TV Coverage
Wednesday 1st October 2025
Live on Discovery/Max/TNT Sports across Europe
Live: 13:10-15:00
All times in BST
Twitter: Updates
Startlist: FirstCycling
2025 Women’s European Championships Time Trial Contenders
Coming in as the defending World Champion and a three-time consecutive European Champion, Marlen Reusser is the rider everyone else will be measuring themselves against. After skipping the 2024 edition of the European Championships, the Swiss rider returns in search of a fourth continental title, bringing with her a flawless record in time trials this season. She’s unbeaten in the discipline in 2025, with emphatic victories in the Swiss Nationals, the Giro d’Italia Women TT, and most significantly, the World Championships in Kigali. Reusser’s blend of raw power and technical precision makes her the clear favourite once again, particularly with a course expected to reward sustained wattage and efficient pacing.
By contrast, Mischa Bredewold comes in as one of the more intriguing outsiders who could end up right in the medal mix. She’s never raced the Euros or Worlds time trials before, but she’s the reigning Dutch national champion – no small feat given the depth of talent in the Netherlands. Her dominant TT win at the Tour de l’Ardèche confirmed her capability when given a course that suits her rhythm. While still unproven at this level, Bredewold’s trajectory and aggressive mentality suggest she could push for the podium, or even an upset win if Reusser falters.
Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini hasn’t featured in the time trial at this event since 2018, when she finished 6th, and didn’t ride the Worlds TT in Kigali either. Her strength against the clock can’t be overlooked entirely – particularly given her resurgence in 2025 after podium finishes at major one-day races – but she arrives as more of an outsider for the top five rather than a medal contender. If she’s opted to target this with full focus, she could surprise, but expectations are tempered without recent TT form at the highest level.
A more consistent threat in recent editions, Juliette Labous will hope to close the gap to the podium after finishing 7th at the World Championships in Kigali. The French rider has placed 6th twice before at the European Championships – in both 2020 and 2022 – and remains one of the more technically solid and aerobically efficient riders in this discipline. With another season of high-level racing behind her, she’ll be aiming for a career-best result at this level. A clean, conservative ride could well land her inside the top five.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot returns to the time trial discipline as something of a wildcard. The French all-rounder hasn’t raced an individual TT since the 2021 national championships, where she finished 5th, and has never previously lined up in the European Championships against the clock. With no Worlds TT participation in Kigali and limited recent data to go on, it’s hard to predict exactly where she might land. However, with her Tour de France Femmes and Paris-Roubaix wins this season showcasing her form and commitment to the road, a focused performance could still see her surprise – particularly if the course features any elevation.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney continues to test herself in time trials despite it not being her natural discipline. After finishing 14th at the World Championships in Kigali and 17th at her only previous Euros outing in 2023, she’s unlikely to be in the frame for medals. However, the Polish rider has consistently improved her pacing and positioning, and a clean ride could bring a top-10 finish – particularly if some bigger names opt not to race or misjudge their efforts.
Cédrine Kerbaol makes her European Championships debut in the time trial off the back of a quietly solid 13th-place finish at the World Championships in Kigali. The French national champion has been a consistent performer against the clock in recent seasons, and while she’s yet to break into the top tier internationally, her ability to limit losses and deliver measured efforts makes her a reliable top-10 contender here. If the course is technical or lumpy, that could play further to her strengths.
One of the standout performers at the Worlds was Monica Trinca Colonel, who placed 11th in her first appearance at that level. This will also be her debut at the European Championships, and she arrives off the back of a breakthrough season that included an overall win at the Tour de l’Ardèche. The Italian has climbed the rankings steadily all year, and her controlled effort in Kigali suggests she could edge closer to the top five here – especially if she maintains that upward trajectory.
Norway’s Mie Bjørndal Ottestad is flying under the radar but has quietly built a strong TT résumé in 2025. Although she didn’t ride the World Championships and has never raced at the European level, her domestic and international results this season demand attention. A runner-up in the Norwegian national championships, she also took 2nd at the Vuelta Extremadura TT and 4th at the Vuelta a Burgos time trial. While she’s not on the shortlist of pre-race favourites, her consistency suggests a top-10 or even top-8 finish is well within reach if she nails her pacing on the day.
A strong ride to 16th at the World Championships has put Urška Žigart back on the radar as a credible top-10 contender at the European Championships. Her only previous appearance at this event came in 2020, where she finished 23rd, but the Slovenian has matured significantly since then. With improved consistency and confidence in time trials during 2025, this could be a chance for her to better that result considerably – especially if the course includes climbing or technical sections that allow her to leverage her climbing background.
Sweden’s Caroline Andersson has been a quiet but persistent presence in time trials this year, and while she didn’t race the Worlds, her results suggest a level just outside the top bracket. She was 19th at the 2023 European Championships and followed that with 13th in the uphill TT at the Tour de Romandie and 17th at Gracia Orlová. Not yet a major contender for the podium, but dependable and improving – she’s a name to watch if others falter or conditions play a role.
Polish TT champion Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka is no stranger to this event, having finished 10th in the 2022 edition and 13th last year. She’s one of the more specialised riders in this field, with a strong engine and experience in both solo and team time trials. While not a podium favourite, she rarely rides a poor race and remains a dependable pick for the top 10 if the conditions are straightforward.
There’s no such uncertainty around Anna Henderson, who returns to the European Championships looking to go one better than her silver medal in 2023. She followed that with an 8th place at the Worlds in Kigali – another sign of her growth into one of the most well-rounded time triallists in the field. The British rider thrives on courses that combine pacing with punch, and if the parcours suits, she’ll be among the clear podium favourites once again.
Mireia Benito comes into the European Championships with quiet momentum and a steadily improving TT record. The Spanish national champion took 10th place at the World Championships in Kigali – comfortably her best performance on the international stage. That result builds on 20th at last year’s Euros and 24th the year before, and suggests she could be aiming for a place around halfway up the top 10 this time. If the course allows her to find rhythm and minimise pacing errors, she has the form to deliver a strong result for Spain.
Arguably the most consistent performer at this championship in recent years is Christina Schweinberger, who has taken bronze in each of the past two editions and was 8th in 2022. The Austrian national champion didn’t race the Worlds in Kigali, but she’s proven her form in top-tier races throughout the season – taking 2nd at the Simac Ladies Tour TT and 7th at the Giro d’Italia. A third consecutive European medal is absolutely on the cards if she rides to her usual level.
Italy’s Vittoria Guazzini is a familiar name near the top of time trial results sheets, and she’ll be aiming to build on her 5th place in last year’s European Championships. She didn’t start the Worlds in Kigali, but took the Italian national title earlier in the year and looked strong with a 7th-place finish at the Simac TT. With her experience and known power over this kind of distance, Guazzini should again be challenging for a top-5 finish, and a medal is not out of the question if everything clicks.
Maëva Squiban has flown under the radar this season but signalled her time trial potential with a strong ride to take 2nd in the Tour de l’Ardèche TT. While she hasn’t yet raced a major championship TT at World or European level, that performance, coupled with consistent progress throughout 2025, makes her an interesting outsider. If she can replicate that form on a higher-profile stage, a breakthrough result is within reach.
Riding her first European Championships, Lieke Nooijen comes in with one of the most impressive set of time trial results this season. She won the Chrono de Tain-l’Hermitage, was 3rd at the Dutch national championships, 4th at the Simac Ladies Tour TT, and 5th in the Giro d’Italia TT. That consistency across different profiles and levels of opposition makes her a genuine podium contender – if not an outside bet for the win. Expect her to be aggressive and well-prepared.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Marlen Reusser
⦿ Mischa Bredewold
⦿ Anna Henderson
