After the 2022 hiatus with the division between Elite (Munich, Germany) and Juniors / Under 23 (Anadia, Portugal), the 2023 Road European Championships for all categories (Juniors, U23 and Elite men and women) will once again be held at the same venue.
In fact, the province of Drenthe (Netherlands), with the towns of Emmen, Hoogeveen, Coevorden, Meppel and Assen with the Col du VAM, in the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, as the finish line for the Road races, will host the continental event in a few days' time, from 20 to 24 September, during which a total of 14 titles will be awarded: 6 for the Road races and 6 in the Time-Trials for the Juniors, Under 23 and Elite Men and Women categories, plus two for the Mixed Relay, the Mixed Team Time-Trial with three men and three women for each national team and which includes the great new feature of the Juniors event in addition to the Elite event.
Over five days, the province of Drenthe will play host to more than 850 participants from 40 countries, who will compete in some technically spectacular events.
The participants will be particularly qualified: some of the most prominent athletes on the international scene are among those entered for the Elite Road race, some of whom have already won the continental title in the past: Norway's Alexander Kristoff (2017) and Italy's Matteo Trentin (2018), Elia Viviani (2019) and Giacomo Nizzolo (2020). These riders will be joined by German sprinter Pascal Ackermann, Briton Ethan Hayter, Arnaud Demare (France), former world champions Mads Pedersen (Denmark), Julian Alaphilippe (France) and Rui Costa (Portugal) and 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, also entered for the Time-Trial will be multiple champion Filippo Ganna (Italy), Swiss specialists Stefan Kueng and defending champion Stefan Bisseger, Remi Cavagna (France), Yves Lampaert (Belgium), Tobias Foss (Norway), as well as Belgian champion Wout van Aert, who will compete in both the Road race and the Time-Trial.
In the women's race, the reigning European champion, Lorena Wiebes from the Netherlands, will be up against some top-class rivals, from World Road and Time-Trial Champion Lotte Kopecky to Elisa Balsamo (Italy) and Cecile Ludwig (Denmark). As for the other riders to watch out for, don't underestimate the presence of Demi Vollering, the local athlete who won the Tour de France this season, the Strade Bianche, the Flèche Wallonne and the Amstel Gold Race.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: "The Netherlands has always represented the cycling world par excellence and there is no better place to host this edition of the Road European Championships. This is a major event that will be broadcast live on television across Europe thanks to our partnership with Eurovision, guaranteeing worldwide coverage that will enable millions of cycling fans to follow the races and get to know this country where sporting passion is synonymous with two wheels.
I would like to thank the Dutch Cycling Federation, presided by Wouter Bos, the Province of Drenthe with Henk Jumelet, and Courage Events, headed by Thijs Rondhuis, who, after the experience of the 2021 European Cyclo-cross Championships, will be experts in hosting a UEC event thanks to the professionalism and passion with which they are preparing this moment of great sport.”
