Tadej Pogačar remains on the current start list for the 2026 European Road Championships in Slovenia, despite UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirming earlier this month that the defending champion will not race again this season following his Vuelta a España crash.
His name is the biggest talking point from the first men’s and women’s lists for the championships, which take place in Slovenia from 2-7 October. They remain provisional and include reserve riders, so appearing now is not a guarantee that somebody will actually start the road race.
That qualification is particularly important for Pogačar. His European title defence on home roads had been one of the major objectives of his autumn before he crashed out of the Vuelta on stage 8, suffering a concussion, a displaced left collarbone fracture and a stable C7 cervical fracture.
UAE subsequently confirmed that his 2026 season was over, as covered in ProCyclingUK’s report on Pogačar’s Vuelta injuries and extended UAE contract. His continuing presence on the European Championships list therefore looks much more like a remnant of Slovenia’s original plans than evidence of an imminent comeback.
Even without him, the current men’s and women’s fields contain several of the strongest riders in Europe. They also contain some notable gaps, with Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Lotte Kopecky and a large part of Great Britain’s usual road-racing core among those currently missing.
Pogačar had wanted to defend his European title at home
Before the Vuelta, the European Championships had unusual personal importance for Pogačar.
He would have arrived as defending champion with the race taking place in Slovenia, giving him a rare opportunity to defend a major championship jersey in front of a home crowd.
The course and event had been discussed throughout the year with Pogačar as the obvious centrepiece of the host nation’s plans.
His Vuelta crash changed that.
Pogačar had been leading the race comfortably when he went down on stage 8. The injuries required surgery and ruled him out of the World Championships in Montréal, Il Lombardia and, according to UAE’s subsequent announcement, the remainder of the 2026 season.
He has since returned to some indoor riding during his rehabilitation, but there has been no suggestion from his team that the decision to end his season has been reversed.
His name should therefore be treated cautiously until the final European Championships start list appears.
If it disappears, that will simply bring the list into line with what has already been announced.
Slovenia still have Roglič, Mohorič and Tratnik available
Pogačar’s expected absence does not leave the home nation without options.
Primož Roglič is on the current list after finishing second to Enric Mas at the Vuelta a España, while Matej Mohorič and Jan Tratnik give Slovenia two experienced championship riders.
Luka Mezgec, Domen Novak, Gal Glivar and Matevž Govekar also appear among a much broader preliminary group.
Roglič would be the obvious headline name if Pogačar is removed, although his racing style creates a different tactical problem for Slovenia.
With Pogačar, the simplest option is often to make the race extremely hard and trust that he can eventually ride everyone else off his wheel. Roglič is more likely to benefit from arriving later in the race with numbers around him.
Mohorič is especially useful in that situation. He can attack, descend aggressively and force other nations to use riders before the finale rather than asking Roglič to cover every move himself.
Evenepoel gives Belgium a clear reference point
Belgium’s current list includes Remco Evenepoel, who comes out of Montréal having just become the first man to win four consecutive elite World Championships time trial titles.
His progression from Stirling in 2023 through Zürich, Kigali and Montréal is covered in ProCyclingUK’s feature on Evenepoel’s record four-title run.
Quinten Hermans, Maxim Van Gils, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Ilan Van Wilder and Louis Vervaeke are among the other Belgian options.
Wout van Aert is the obvious absentee.
That removes one of Belgium’s most versatile championship riders, but they still have enough strength to approach the race in several ways. Van Gils and Hermans can handle an explosive finish, Van Eetvelt adds climbing ability and Evenepoel remains capable of forcing the race from much further out.
Van der Poel is missing from a lighter Dutch men’s list
The Netherlands do not currently have Mathieu van der Poel on their list.
Their options include Wouter Poels, Tijmen Graat, Sjoerd Bax, Gijs Leemreize and Jardi van der Lee, but there is no equivalent headline Classics leader.
Van der Poel’s absence is one of the biggest differences between the European Championships and the World Championships field.
It also changes the balance between the traditional major nations. Belgium can currently build around Evenepoel, Denmark have Mads Pedersen and Slovenia should still have Roglič, while the Dutch would need a much more collective race.
Pedersen heads a deep Danish group
Denmark have entered one of the strongest preliminary groups.
Mads Pedersen is joined by Kasper Asgreen, Mikkel Bjerg, Andreas Kron, Mikkel Honoré and Søren Kragh Andersen among a long list of options.
There is no Mattias Skjelmose, who withdrew from the World Championships after the fatigue that followed his Vuelta campaign.
Pedersen’s presence gives Denmark a relatively simple reference point if he starts. He is difficult to remove from a hard one-day race and considerably faster than most climbers if a reduced group reaches the finish together.
Asgreen, Honoré and Kron also give Denmark enough riders to attack before the race reaches that point.
France have Grégoire and Vauquelin but no Seixas
France’s current selection includes Romain Grégoire, Kévin Vauquelin, Pavel Sivakov, Bruno Armirail and Clément Berthet.
Paul Seixas is not listed.
That stands out after his bronze medal in the elite World Championships time trial in Montréal and his continued rise through 2026.
France still have a strong road-racing group, particularly for a selective course, but Seixas has increasingly looked like a rider capable of playing a role in these championships rather than simply one for the future.
His absence is therefore more notable than it would have been even six months ago.
Italy omit Ganna but still have plenty of road options
Filippo Ganna is another prominent absentee.
Italy’s current men’s list instead includes Alberto Bettiol, Giulio Pellizzari, Marco Frigo, Christian Scaroni and Diego Ulissi.
Ganna has just taken silver behind Evenepoel in the Montréal World Championships time trial, but his absence from the European list means Italy are currently leaning much more towards their road-race options.
Bettiol gives them experience in hard one-day races, while Pellizzari provides a younger climbing option if the course proves particularly selective.
Photo Credit: GettySpain have Ayuso but no Vuelta winner Mas
Juan Ayuso is the leading name in Spain’s provisional group, with Iván Romeo also included.
Enric Mas is not.
Mas has only just completed the defining race of his career, winning the Vuelta a España after finally converting a long run of podium finishes into overall victory.
That makes his absence understandable at this point in the season, but it leaves Spain without the rider who currently has the strongest Grand Tour form in the country.
Ayuso’s presence still gives them a high-level climbing leader capable of handling a difficult championship race.
Portugal bring Almeida and Morgado
Portugal’s current list includes João Almeida, António Morgado and Nelson Oliveira.
That is a useful combination.
Almeida offers stage-racing strength and durability, Morgado has the power for a more aggressive one-day race and Oliveira adds years of championship experience.
Switzerland have Marc Hirschi and Jan Christen among their entries, although Stefan Küng is absent after another major autumn built heavily around time trialling.
Ireland and Norway are notable men’s absences
Some countries are not merely missing one star.
Ireland do not currently appear in the elite men’s list, which means no Ben Healy or Ryan Mullen.
Norway are also absent from the men’s field, despite Tobias Foss and Andreas Leknessund racing at the World Championships.
That does not mean neither nation can change its plans before the final lists are confirmed, but at present they are among the clearest national omissions.
Photo Credit: Wout BeelGreat Britain are present, but with only Hayter and Thornley
Great Britain are not completely absent.
Ethan Hayter and Callum Thornley are both on the current men’s list.
What is missing is almost everyone who would normally form the core of a major British road-race team. There is no Tom Pidcock, Oscar Onley, A Yates, Fred Wright, Mark Donovan or Finlay Pickering.
That makes Britain’s intentions difficult to read.
Hayter and Thornley are both obvious time trial options, so their presence does not necessarily mean Britain will field a conventional men’s road squad. The final race-specific start lists will tell us whether they contest the road race as well.
For now, the important correction is that Britain have not skipped the championships entirely.
The Dutch women have Vollering, Wiebes and Pieterse
If the Dutch men’s list looks relatively understated, the women’s list is the opposite.
Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes and Puck Pieterse are all included.
They are joined by Lieke Nooijen, Riejanne Markus, Femke Markus, Yara Kastelijn, Karlijn Swinkels and others, giving the Netherlands more potential leaders than they could realistically use in one race.
Vollering covers the hardest race scenario. Pieterse offers another rider capable of attacking on repeated short climbs. Wiebes creates a completely different tactical threat if the race stays together.
Marianne Vos is the most obvious missing Dutch name.
Mischa Bredewold is also absent following the pelvic fracture which ruled her out of the World Championships.
Longo Borghini gives Italy another strong championship team
Italy’s women’s list is built around Elisa Longo Borghini.
Silvia Persico, Eleonora Gasparrini, Erica Magnaldi, Letizia Borghesi and Soraya Paladin are among the other names available.
Elisa Balsamo is not currently listed.
Longo Borghini remains an obvious leader for a selective course, but Italy rarely rely entirely on one rider in championship racing. Persico and Paladin in particular give them enough flexibility to race before the finale rather than simply control for Longo Borghini.
Reusser could carry two rainbow jerseys into Slovenia
Marlen Reusser is included for Switzerland only days after winning her second consecutive elite World Championships time trial title.
The victory in Montréal moved her to two world titles, two silvers and a bronze in the discipline. Her place in the historical standings is covered in ProCyclingUK’s look at Reusser’s World Championships time trial record.
Noemi Rüegg, Steffi Häberlin and Petra Stiasny are also among the Swiss options.
Reusser’s value now extends well beyond time trials. Her development as a stage racer means Switzerland can use her as a genuine road leader rather than simply saving her for the race against the clock.
Photo Credit: GettySpain bring Blasi, Ostolaza and Benito
Spain have one of the more interesting women’s groups.
Paula Blasi, Usoa Ostolaza and Mireia Benito are all listed, alongside Mavi García, Sara Martín and Alicia González.
Blasi has emerged as one of the defining Spanish riders of 2026 after winning La Vuelta Femenina and establishing herself as a Grand Tour contender.
Ostolaza gives Spain another strong climber, while Benito brings considerably more time trial strength and all-round experience.
It is the sort of selection which can attack in several different ways rather than simply waiting for one leader.
Kopecky is the glaring Belgian omission
Belgium currently have Lotte Claes, Marthe Truyen, Sandrine Tas and Margot Vanpachtenbeke among their options.
Lotte Kopecky is absent.
That removes the rider around whom almost any Belgian championship strategy would normally be built.
Without Kopecky, Belgium are more likely to need an attacking race, using numbers and trying to get riders ahead of the biggest Dutch, Italian and French favourites.
France list Ferrand-Prévot, but her participation is doubtful
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot remains on the current French list alongside Juliette Berthet, Cédrine Kerbaol, Maëva Squiban, Marion Bunel and Evita Muzic.
Her presence requires the same caution as Pogačar’s.
Ferrand-Prévot’s 2026 road season was brought to an early end after illness during the Tour de France Femmes, and there has been no indication that she is preparing for an October comeback.
The rest of the French group is strong enough without her. Kerbaol, Berthet, Squiban and Muzic all provide options for a difficult road race.
Žigart also remains listed despite her jaw fracture
Urška Žigart appears among Slovenia’s women alongside Nika Bobnar, Špela Kern and Tjaša Sušnik.
Like Pogačar, she is not expected to race.
Žigart fractured her jaw again at the Faun Tour Femmes and indicated that her season was likely over.
That means Slovenia could lose both of the riders who had been expected to attract the largest home interest at these championships.
Their names remaining on the current lists reinforces the need to treat them as provisional rather than definitive.
Great Britain also have two women listed
Britain’s women’s representation currently consists of Anna Henderson and Lauren Dickson.
There is no Zoe Bäckstedt, Cat Ferguson, Pfeiffer Georgi or Anna Morris.
Again, Henderson’s inclusion makes sense for the individual time trial, while the small size of the British group leaves open the question of whether Britain intends to contest the women’s road race with a reduced team.
What the current lists do establish is that Britain will be represented at elite level.
The idea that Great Britain are missing the championships completely is therefore incorrect.
Who is missing from the European Championships start lists?
The gaps are substantial enough to influence both elite races.
Among the men, there is currently no Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna, Seixas, Skjelmose, Pidcock, Onley, A Yates, Vingegaard or Mas.
Among the women, Kopecky, Vos, Balsamo, Bäckstedt and Van der Breggen are among the major names not currently listed.
Ireland have no elite representation on either list, while Norway are represented in the women’s event but not the men’s.
Some of those absences will be deliberate. Others reflect injury, fatigue or teams and riders choosing to end their seasons after the World Championships.
The late date matters. By early October, many riders have already built their season around the spring Classics, one or more Grand Tours and the World Championships. A European title remains valuable, but not everyone is willing or able to stretch peak form for another week.
The final start lists could look quite different
The current names are best treated as an indication of national plans rather than the final field.
Pogačar is the clearest example. He remains listed because defending the European title at home had been a major target, yet his team have already confirmed that he will not race again in 2026.
Žigart and Ferrand-Prévot raise similar questions on the women’s side.
There are also large preliminary groups from countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy and the Netherlands which will have to be cut down before the road races.
What is already clear is that the European Championships will not simply reproduce the World Championships field one week later.
Evenepoel, Roglič, Pedersen, Ayuso, Almeida and Mohorič currently give the men’s race substantial depth, while Vollering, Wiebes, Pieterse, Longo Borghini, Reusser, Niewiadoma-Phinney, Blasi and Ostolaza headline the women’s side.
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Photo Credit: Flavia Ossola
The biggest name on either list is also the least likely to make the start.
Pogačar had wanted to defend his European title on Slovenian roads. His name is still there for now. After the injuries which ended his Vuelta and his season, the final list is expected to tell a different story.
