The 2016 European Cycling Championships are set to be held in Nice from September 14-18. Traditionally open to the youth categories, the European Championships will now feature a time trial and a road race for the “Elites”, which will start from Monaco.
Vincenzo Nibali, Philippe Gilbert, Fabio Aru and Alberto Contador, among others, have already confirmed they will ride in order to add the new starred jersey to their collection.
A.S.O. have worked with UEC in preparing the championships and has provided its intimate knowledge of the region to design the route that will be especially familiar to followers of Paris-Nice.
The final 12.5km circuit will take the riders over the Col d’Eze several times (four times for the Elite race). The road races will start in Monaco and the time trials will finish in front of the Allianz-Arena, after crossing the Var region.
THE PROGRAMME
Wednesday 14 September
ITT Junior Women (11 km) / ITT Junior Men (20 km) + ITT U23 men (32 km)
Thursday 15 September
ITT Elite and Espoir Women (20 km) / ITT Elite Men (37 km)
Friday 16 September
Road Race Junior women (51 km) / Road race Espoir men (138 km)
Saturday 17 September
Road Race Elite + Espoir women (113 km) / Road Race Junior men (113 km)
Sunday 18 September
Road Race Elite men (215 km)
Vincenzo Nibali: “I am very happy to return to the European Championships, in which I participated in the Espoir category in 2004, in Estonia. I raced in the time trial and finished in 8th place. It was a very nice experience to wear the jersey of the Squadra Azzura, and I will be thrilled to do it again in a few months on this demanding course that awaits us between Nice and Monaco.”
Fabio Aru: “This will be a new experience for me. A new European Champion title is good for our sport. Additionally, I am thrilled because it will be a home race for me because our team Astana installed its European base in Nice.”
Alberto Contador: “I have some very particular memories of the course of these Championships: my first major victory was in Nice in 2007, and we had to ride over the col d’Eze.”
