The 2026 XCO/XCC European Championship is coming: favorites, schedules, and how to watch it

The 2026 European Mountain Bike Championship is here. From July 29 to August 2, the Monte Ceneri circuit (Ticino, Switzerland) will once again become the epicenter of European XCO just a few weeks before the World Cup in Les Gets and, above all, the World Championship in Val di Sole, the major event of the year.

2026 XCO/XCC European Championship: Monte Ceneri gathers the continental elite before the big challenge of the World Championship

The Swiss track previously hosted the European Championship in 2020, held during the pandemic and with hardly any audience. Six years later, the competition returns to the same venue, a circuit highly rated by riders thanks to a very physical, technical course designed for fans to follow much of the action from different points.

The organization expects around 350 riders from 32 countries, confirming one of the widest participations on the continental calendar.

A European Championship with numerous absences… but a lot of talent

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The European Championship arrives at a very demanding moment in the calendar. After several months of World Cup racing and with the World Championship less than a month away, many of the big names have decided to skip the event to prioritize rest and prepare for the decisive stretch of the season.

Still, the elite races will feature some of the main figures in the European scene.

In the women's category, the big favorite will be the reigning European and world champion Jenny Rissveds, who will face strong opposition from local riders Alessandra Keller, Sina Frei, and Nicole Koller, as well as the British Evie Richards.

Among the men, names like Mathis Azzaro, Charlie Aldridge, and the Swiss Filippo Colombo stand out, whose participation remains uncertain after suffering a fibula fracture. The rider himself acknowledged during the championship presentation that he is still recovering and that his presence will depend on his progress in the last few days. Also, Victor Koretzky is registered, who, if confirmed, would be returning to competition after overcoming his injury.

The Spanish team will be present with 15 bikers, in the elite category, represented by Jofre Cullell, David Campos, Nuria Bosch, and Estíbaliz Sagardoy.

Complete schedule of the 2026 MTB European Championship

The competition kicked off this Wednesday with the Short Track qualifiers, while medals will start being awarded from Thursday. The official program is as follows: Monteceneri 

Wednesday, July 29

• 16:15 – Short Track Open Qualifiers (XCC)
• 17:15 – Junior Short Track Qualifiers (XCC)

Thursday, July 30

• 11:00 - 11:30 – Final XCC Junior Women
• 11:45 - 12:15 – Final XCC Junior Men
• 16:00 - 16:30 – Final XCC U23 Women
• 16:45 - 17:15 – Final XCC U23 Men
• 17:30 - 18:00 – Final XCC Elite Women
• 18:15 - 18:45 – Final XCC Elite Men

Friday, July 31

• 15:30 - 16:30 – Final Team Relay (XCR)

Saturday, August 1

• 11:00 - 12:15 – Final XCO Junior Men
• 14:15 - 15:30 – Final XCO Junior Women
• 16:15 - 17:45 – Final XCO U23 Men

Sunday, August 2

• 11:00 - 12:30 – Final XCO U23 Women
• 13:30 - 15:10 – Final XCO Elite Women
• 16:10 - 17:50 – Final XCO Elite Men

How to watch the 2026 XCO European Championship

The XCO elite events will be the only ones that can be followed live through Eurosport's digital platforms.

Sunday, August 2

• 13:15 – Live broadcast through Eurosport's digital platforms for the Elite Women's XCO
• 16:00 – Live broadcast through Eurosport's digital platforms for the Elite Men's XCO

Additionally, Eurosport 1 will offer both events on delay on Sunday starting at 18:15.

Although the European Championship will not feature all the big names from the international circuit, it will still provide an excellent opportunity to gauge the form of many contenders before the World Championship in Val di Sole, which will take place from August 26 to 30. For many riders, it will be the last major competition before facing the season's big goal.