France retains European mixed relay cycling title with 72-second win over Italy

Title defense in Šenčur

France retained the mixed relay team time trial title at the European Road Cycling Championships on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, in Šenčur, Slovenia. The six-rider squad finished the 44-kilometer route in 1 hour, 0 minutes, and 19 seconds to claim the gold medal. The triumph earned France its third European mixed relay title since the discipline was established in 2019, making it the first nation to defend the continental crown. Six national selections entered the competition, which consisted of two laps around a 22.1-kilometer circuit. Italy claimed the silver medal after finishing 1 minute and 12 seconds behind the French squad, while Luxembourg completed the podium in third place, 3 minutes and 34 seconds back.

Splitting the field on the Mozjanca

The men's trio of Thibault Guernalec, Bruno Armirail, and Rémi Cavagna started first for France, establishing an early advantage against the clock. After the opening eight kilometers, the French team led Italy by 26 seconds. The central test of the 22.1-kilometer lap was the Mozjanca climb, a two-kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 10.2%. Guernalec was dropped on the steep slopes, but Armirail produced a strong sustained effort alongside Cavagna to keep the team moving quickly. Italy faced similar separation when Mattia Cattaneo dropped from his teammates Marco Frigo and Matteo Sobrero. Armirail and Cavagna completed their leg with a 24-second lead over Italy and a 1-minute-31-second cushion over Luxembourg before handing over to the women's squad.

Extension of the gap by the women's trio

Juliette Berthet, Cédrine Kerbaol, and Maëva Squiban took over for the second 22.1-kilometer circuit to complete the 44-kilometer distance. On the second ascent of the Mozjanca climb, Berthet and Kerbaol set the tempo at the front while Squiban lost contact. At the crest of the hill, the French pair increased their advantage over Italy to a full minute, with Poland occupying third position at 2 minutes and 54 seconds. The French women overtook the Polish squad on the road, having made up the four-minute starting gap between the two teams. Berthet and Kerbaol maintained their rhythm through the closing sector, expanding the final margin over Italy's women, Elisa Longo Borghini, Monica Trinca Colonel, and Alessia Vigilia, to 1 minute and 12 seconds.

Squad changes and championship context

The gold medal marked the first podium finish for France at the 2026 European Championships following earlier setbacks in the road race events. It also represented a reversal of the World Championship mixed relay in Montreal on 22 September, where Italy took the gold medal. For Tuesday's race, the Italian lineup missed Filippo Ganna and Vittoria Guazzini from their world champion squad, with Frigo and Vigilia stepping into their places. The 72-second victory surpassed France's previous European win in 2025 in the Drôme department, which was decided by seven seconds. Speaking after the podium ceremony, Armirail focused on his recovery ahead of Wednesday's individual time trial.

We were all good today, so we set a great time. Afterwards, for me, there is still tomorrow.