European Cycling Championships no longer part of major event: Every sport must organize it on their own from 2026

In recent years, the European Cycling Championships have been organized simultaneously with various other sports. The European Games were a reality: in 2018, the event was held on Scottish soil for the first time. The goal was to do this every four years, but in 2026, the fun will be over, as the European championships will once again become independent of other sports.

Next year's European track cycling championships have a setting. Turkey's Konya will host that event, according to Cicloweb, but the other branches of cycling - mountain biking and road cycling - will not be located in Turkey. Where those events will take place is still a mystery, but at least it is certain that Konya will not be home to these branches of cycling.

Glasgow was the first city to host the European Games in 2018. The goal was to increase television viewership in a summer when no Olympics were held. The European Olympic Committees (EOC) joined forces to create a fantastic spectacle. The event was enormous and included cycling, athletics, rowing, gymnastics, golf, and swimming. The format seemed very successful at the time, and it was repeated in 2022.

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Fabio Jakobsen was the fastest in Munich.

Munich 2022 was the beginning of the end

That year, it was up to Munich. Fabio Jakobsen and Lorena Wiebes won the Netherlands gold in the road race, but the grandeur of the event had already diminished considerably. Water sports had already been eliminated: the European swimming championships were then organized in Rome. Although climbing and beach volleyball replaced it, the crowd's attention was considerably lower than before.

In 2026, there will be no unified European championships. Every sport will have to organize its own events. This also means cycling is no longer united in a European Championship spot. The European Road Cycling Championships will be organized this year in France's Ardeche region.

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