The 2026 European Cyclocross Championships run Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, in Zeddam, Netherlands, featuring six continental titles across a revamped Montferland forest course, BiciDaStrada reported. Eurosport 2 broadcasts the elite races live, while the Italian national selection fields 21 athletes across the categories under head coach Daniele Pontoni.
Cyclists from across the continent converge on the Dutch-German border region for the 2026 championships. Over 300 athletes representing 25 nations have registered for the weekend competition, organized across a 2.97-kilometer circuit designed by former elite world champion Erwin Vervecken, according to event details reported by BiciDaStrada. The venue returns to international prominence two decades after hosting the 2006 world championships.
Rebuilt Staircase Features Constant Width and Altered Gradient
Racing takes place through the wooded terrain of Montferland. Each lap measures 2.97 kilometers and combines grass sections, sand pits, and forest tracks. The signature obstacle is a historic 99-step staircase that was bypassed during the 2006 world championships because it was too narrow for a pack of riders.
Organizers completely rebuilt the climb for the 2026 continental championships. The new ramp features a constant width of three meters to comply with Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC) standards for passing, with an altered gradient of 25 degrees across 50 meters, replacing the previous 29-degree pitch over 43 meters.
Exiting the climb cleanly without losing momentum is critical for the subsequent effort toward the windmill before a newly constructed 60-meter footbridge returns the field to the grass sections.
Italian Delegation Targets Podium Finishes with Twenty-One Riders
Head coach Daniele Pontoni leads a 21-rider Italian delegation into the Netherlands, aiming to defend strong nation results from recent continental championships, as detailed by OA Sport and Pianeta MTB. The Italian Federation’s official delegation totals 34 members, including medical staff, mechanics, and technical assistants based across the German border from the venue, MTB-VCO.com reported.
Sara Casasola anchors the Italian medal hopes in the women’s elite division. The 26-year-old finished fourth at the European championships last year and now aims to fight for the podium, BiciDaStrada noted. She is joined in the elite women’s squad by Carlotta Borello, Lucia Bramati, and Rebecca Gariboldi, while Gioele Bertolini and Federico Ceolin contest the men’s elite race.
In the under-23 categories, Italy features reigning under-23 and junior standouts. Stefano Viezzi and Filippo Grigolini line up for the under-23 men’s race, accompanied by elite women’s and junior selections that include Elisa Ferri and Giorgia Pellizotti, according to the federation entry lists published by Pianeta MTB.
Top International Favorites Headline Elite Divisions
The women’s elite race features Dutch champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado among the primary favorites, alongside outside contenders like Italy’s Sara Casasola, France’s Amandine Fouquenet, and Luxembourg’s Marie Schreiber, who is very explosive at the start.
In the men’s elite division, Belgian rider Michael Vanthourenhout enters as the most in-form competitor after winning three races out of three, including the opening round of the Superprestige at Overijse. Compatriot Thibau Nys, winner of the Koppenbergcross despite two crashes, joins Vanthourenhout at the head of the Belgian squad.
Eurosport Broadcasts Live Coverage of Elite Races
The elite races are broadcast live on Eurosport 2, with the connection starting at 14:50 ahead of the 15:00 start, as confirmed by event organizers.
Coverage for the elite categories begins at 14:50 local time on Saturday, November 7, for the women’s elite race, and at 14:50 local time on Sunday, November 8, for the men’s elite race.
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