The 2020 UEC Road European Championships (September 9-13, 2020) were presented in Milan, part of a memorable season that also features the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Over 800 riders and an extensive media coverage are expected to turn the spotlights on the beauties of Trento, Monte Bondone and the Lakes Valley (Valle dei Laghi)
Renowned as the city of sports after the resounding success of 2018 “Festival dello Sport” (set to return with the second edition from October 10 to 13), Trento further extends its perspective. Main center and symbol of a province that welcomes over 4.5 million visitors (2018) from all over the World between Summer and Winter, famous for its university and a youth-oriented pole, Trento now takes in another high-profile challenge by hosting the 2020 UEC Road European Championships from September 9th to 13th, 2020.

With due advance, the organizing committee headed by the Trento Monte Bondone Valle dei Laghi Tourist Board, in collaboration with the Province of Trento, the Municipality of Trento and Trentino Marketing, presented today – Monday June 10th – at the Sala Buzzati in Milan the official logo and the courses where no less than 13 titles (6 men, 6 women, 1 team) will be awarded, with the Elite Men Road Race set to close the program.
A STRATEGIC CHOISE IN AN EXCITING SEASON
In between the Olympic race in Tokyo and the World Championships in Switzerland, the 2020 Euro Road Championships will mark the fourth time such event is hosted by Italy – after Bergamo 2002, Verbania 2008 and Offida 2011 – and do so in a peculiar and loaded season.
As a consequence, it is important for the main protagonists to know the technical proposal in advance, so to be able to program their season based on the most suitable goals. Based on the fact that both the Olympic race and the Worlds will take place on very challenging, climber-oriented courses, the choice of “Trentino 2020” was to chart technically demanding routes, but whose difficulty will certainly be lower, so to attract the attention of strong fast men, who are likely to be ruled out of contention in the other major fixtures. More than sprinters: champions with a fast finish, and able to hold their own on every terrain.
THE EUROPEAN TITLE IS REAL CHAMPIONS‘ BUSINESS
The Road European Championship was first contested 25 years ago (1995), and has grown in relevance in recent years, also thanks to the rise in prominence by the UEC (Union Européenne de Cyclisme) in its quest to valorize the tradition of cycling in Europe – where the sport was born and raised – in a time when several realities with less tradition but strong economic potential keep landing on the World cycling calendar.
A testament of the value of the European title, and of the jersey the winners earn the honor to wear for a whole year, is the stature of the Elite Men Road Race winners in the last three years. In France 2016, Peter Sagan saw off Julien Alaphilippe; in Denmark 2017, Alexander Kristoff beat Elia Viviani; in 2018, in Glasgow, Matteo Trentin earned the honors ahead of Mathieu Van der Poel, the latter to be considered a top favorite for the 2019 edition in his own land, in Alkmaar (Netherlands) in early August.

TRENTIN AND PATERNOSTER TO LEAD THE ITALIAN CHARGE
The top names of International cycling from the Old. Continent look at the European Championship as a main goal of the season, and the fact that the reigning European Champion, Matteo Trentin, hails from Trentino further raises the expectation for the 2020 edition, even more if we consider what Trentino has represented for Italian cycling (and currently does).

Champions like Moser, Fondriest, Simoni have left a remarkable legacy, picked up today by Trentin, Gianni Moscon, Daniel Oss, Cesare Benedetti, Nicola Conci, and the beautiful Letizia Paternoster, young princess of Women’s cycling. With 3000 registered athletes and roughly 100 affiliated teams in a province counting barely 500.000 people, Trentino is arguably the most fruitful area for Italian cycling, considering the quantity and quality of talent it generates.
HISTORY, CULTURE, NATURE, INNOVATION: AN EVENT FOR EVERYBODY
“2020 UEC Road European Championships – Trentino 2020” is the official naming of the event, whose most iconic location will be the breathtaking scenery of Piazza Duomo, that already hosted big cycling events in the recent past, like the yearly fixture of “La Leggendaria Charly Gaul – UCI Granfondo World Series”, 2013 Amateur and Master World Championship, the final stage of 2017 Tour of the Alps, with the awarding ceremony of eventual Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, and the start of the Giro d’Italia time trial in 2018.
The race courses – time trial and road races for the Elite, Under 23 category, both men and women, and the team relay – will pass through significant locations of the city of Trento, the Lakes Valley (Valle dei Laghi) and the Monte Bondone, enhancing culture (Buonconsiglio Castle and the many historical sites), nature (the Toblino and Cavedine lakes – among others – the western slopes of the Monte Bondone) and the symbols of research and innovation (the Albere district, the MUSE – Sciences Museum, the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Povo and the Engineering Faculty in Mesiano).

SHORTER RACES FOR A WORLDWIDE TV SHOW

All the races will move from and finish in Piazza Duomo, with the exception of the time trials, starting from the MUSE – Sciences Museum in Trento. The UEC made an option to reduce the length of the races, and his will apply also to the Men Elite Road Race, to be contested on a 180 km distance, with a roughly 70-km in-line stretch featuring the Passo San Udalrico and Monte Bondone climbs, before entering the final circuit to be covered seven times, with the Povo climb as the only difficulty on the profile.
The European Championships promise to have a significant impact, involving 50 Countries, over 800 athletes and 450 staff members. From a media point of view, along with a significant coverage from the International press, the Eurovision will produce the whole event live on TV, airing the first three days in streaming and the last two on TV, on Eurosport and at least seven national TVs, including Italian Raisport, to extend the visibility in over 60 European Countries, plus the coverage given by Eurosport Asia.
THE PROGRAM: 13 TITLES FOR GRABS OVER FIVE DAYS

Here is the complete program of the 2020 UEC Road European Championships:

Wednesday September 9th, 2020
• Junior Women Individual Time Trial
• Junior Men Individual Time Trial
• Team relay (Men/Women Team Time Trial)

Thursday September 10th, 2020
• Elite Women Individual Time Trial
• Under 23 Women Individual Time Trial
• Under 23 Men Individual Time Trial
• Elite Men Individual Time Trial

Friday September 11th, 2020
• Junior Women Road Race
• Junior Men Road Race
• Under 23 Women Road Race

Saturday September 12th, 2020
• Under 23 Men Road Race
• Elite Women Road Race

Sunday September 13th, 2020
• Elite Men Road Race