Results European Championships 2026 men's under-23 road race - Hector Alvarez turns Worlds silver into European gold in remarkable comeback
Cycling
Hector Alvarez is the new under-23 men's European champion after a remarkable resurgence, attacking the favourites, getting caught by chasers before a second surge saw him power to a solo victory.
With 141.8 kilometres on the menu taking riders from Ljubljana to Sencur, three ascents of the 2.1 kilometre Montzjaca climb meant that its ten percent average gradient would prove decisive.
Although road world champion Ashlin Barry isn't involved, surprise time trial world champion Ryan Gal was at the start. The day's favourites included Hector Alvarez, Belgium contenders Matisse van Keckhove and Niels Driesen as well as Kasper Haugland among others. Other in-form riders included Kristian Egholm and Eike Behrens.
With 43 kilometres to go and the first ascent of the climb over and done with, Nicolas Milesi's earlier attacks proved that the Italian team were up for making the day difficult for the favourites.
Capello kicks off final phase of racing
Roberto Capello was next to attack for the Italian team as he left in solo pursuit with just under two laps to go - building a lead of over 30 seconds in the following kilometres as Belgium began to pace behind.
On the penultimate climb, Max Bock hit the road on front of the peloton as he reeled in Capello and went over the top alone. In chase, the Belgian contenders and Alvarez seemed in good positions while France and Poland were also in contention as the group re-gathered.
Hector Alvarez soon picked his move, attacking from the back of a ten-rider group to use rolling terrain after the climb to his advantage. He built a gap of over 30 seconds in the coming kilometres as he settled into a long-range solo effort with nine in chase behind.
The Spanish rider's gap remained steady at the front as he crossed the line for the final 22-kilometre lap. Behind, the chasers grew in numbers as other groups joined, with Belgium's work keeping the gap at just over 40 seconds.
Max Bock again put the hammer down on the climb, joined by Niels Driesen and Jan Michal Jackowiak, the trio gradually reeled in Alvarez as the German impressively led from the front, forming a quartet right at the top of the ascent.
It seemed like the Spanish rider's race was done when Jackowiak took off in chase of victory on the rolling terrain, but Alvarez had enough in the tank to make it across to him before the descent - then attacking himself on the beginning of the downhill.
With Bock and Driesen behind, they caught Lewandowski as Alvarez's remarkable second wind saw him surge to a comfortable victory on the lat run-up to the finish. He turns World Championships road race silver last weekend into European gold this week.
Jackowiak rode well behind to take silver while Driesen left bock in his wake to claim bronze.
Results European Championships 2026 men's under-23 road race
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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