2028 UEC Road European Championships coming to Brabant in the Netherlands
The Province of North Brabant and the municipalities of Bergen op Zoom, Breda, Roosendaal and Tilburg, together with the Royal Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) and Golazo, are bringing the 2028 UEC Road European Championships to Brabant. The championships will make Brabant the host region for one of Europe’s biggest cycling events. Alongside elite sport, the event aims to achieve a broader goal: encouraging more people to cycle and lead an active lifestyle.
The UEC Road European Championships will form part of the Dutch Cycling Festival 2028, organised by the KNWU to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Throughout the year, the bicycle will take centre stage, both as a competitive sport and as an integral part of everyday life.
The individual time trials will start in Bergen op Zoom and finish in Roosendaal. The road races will start in Tilburg and finish in Breda. Over the coming period, the partners involved will work together on the further preparations for the event. Their focus will extend beyond the races themselves to the wider social and community impact the championships can have across Brabant.
A championship that goes beyond the finish line
For Bas Maes, Provincial Executive for Sport, the UEC Road European Championships fit perfectly with Brabant’s ambition to connect elite sport with health, social interaction and talent development.
“Brabant has a rich cycling tradition. It is therefore special to be able to bring the UEC Road European Championships to our province together with our partners. We have the opportunity to bring world-class sport to Brabant while also inspiring more people to get on their bikes more often. It is precisely this combination that makes the event so important for Brabant,” says Bas Maes.
According to Maes, the significance of the championships goes beyond performances on the road and includes what the event can mean for residents and cycling clubs across the province.
“Along the route, at cycling clubs and in schools, sport brings people together. It creates enjoyment, social interaction and inspiration. That is why we invest in major sporting events that do not stop at the finish line, but also contribute to a healthy and active Brabant,” Maes adds.
100 years of KNWU: putting the power of the bicycle centre stage
For the KNWU, the UEC Road European Championships will be a key part of the Dutch Cycling Festival 2028. In 2028, the national federation will celebrate its 100th anniversary and use the occasion to highlight the power of the bicycle, both in sport and in everyday life.
Andreas Roodbeen, CEO of the KNWU, says: “The UEC Road European Championships are giving our centenary celebrations in 2028 an increasingly clear shape. Seeing Europe’s best riders race through Brabant, from Bergen op Zoom to Roosendaal and from Tilburg to Breda, will be fantastic for cycling and for everyone who has a passion for the bicycle. With the Dutch Cycling Festival, we are celebrating 100 years of the KNWU, but above all we are looking ahead. We want to showcase the power of the bicycle and harness the energy surrounding these championships to inspire as many people as possible to cycle themselves, with a particular focus on the next generation.”
Championships in a country where cycling an integral part of everyday life
UEC President, Enrico Della Casa, says: "The Netherlands has always been one of the leading lights of European and world cycling, a country where cycling is synonymous with culture, tradition and passion, and forms an integral part of everyday life. That is why we are particularly delighted that the 2028 UEC Road European Championships will take place in North Brabant.
This event will be the culmination of two years’ work, leading up to what we are convinced will be one of the most significant and memorable moments of the European cycling season. The Road European Championships have now grown to an extraordinary scale, with nearly 900 athletes and the participation of around 45 countries out of the 51 federations that make up the Union Européenne de Cyclisme and have become one of the flagship events on the international calendar.
The 2028 edition will be of even greater significance, as it will form part of the 2028 Dutch Cycling Festival during which the Royal Dutch Cycling Federation will celebrate its centenary. It will therefore not only be a major sporting event, but also a true celebration of cycling in all its forms, capable of bringing together athletes, enthusiasts, families and local communities.
North Brabant, with its rich cycling tradition, provides the ideal setting for an event of this scale, capable not only of hosting top-level competitions but also of encouraging more and more people to take up cycling and leaving a significant legacy in the region.
I would like to thank the Province of North Brabant, the participating towns, the Royal Dutch Cycling Federation, LIBEMA and Golazo, as well as its CEO Bob Verbeeck and Christophe Impens, Director of International Cycling. Their experience, professionalism and in-depth knowledge of cycling provide us with a guarantee in terms of organisation and the best foundation on which to work together to create a European Championships that will leave a lasting impression."
A lasting social legacy
Event organiser Golazo also sees the UEC Road European Championships as much more than a sporting event. According to Christophe Impens, Director International Cycling at Golazo, the championships provide an opportunity to combine elite sporting performance with social impact and inspire people of all ages to get on their bikes more often.
“Golazo is particularly proud to bring the 2028 UEC Road European Championships to the Netherlands together with the Province of North Brabant and the participating municipalities. These championships will be much more than an elite sporting event for men and women. Junior and U23 riders will also have an international stage on which to showcase their talent. Alongside the sporting battle at the highest level, we want to make this a celebration of the bicycle for everyone. We will develop a wide range of community and participation initiatives to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to cycle more often. In this way, we aim to create not only sporting impact, but also a lasting social legacy for North Brabant and the Netherlands.”
More than just racing
The UEC Road European Championships will give Brabant an opportunity to showcase itself as a sporting and welcoming region. At the same time, the partners involved want to use the event to encourage residents to be more active and cycle more often.
The championships therefore support the Province of North Brabant’s ambition to use sport and physical activity to promote health, social interaction and talent development. Elite sport can inspire, engage and bring people together. The European Championships will demonstrate what sport can contribute to health, social connection and the development of talent.
Working together to deliver a major championship
The Province of North Brabant is working on the UEC Road European Championships together with the municipalities of Bergen op Zoom, Breda, Roosendaal and Tilburg, the KNWU and event organiser Golazo. Over the coming period, the partners will further develop the plans for the championships.
Further information about the programme and the detailed format of the championships will be announced at a later stage.