The Mountain Bike European Championships still do not carry the same weight as the World Championships, let alone the Olympic Games. This is also evident in how far in advance these continental championships are even being discussed. The Valais region spent years building up anticipation for the 2025 World Championships. The fact that MTB titles and jerseys will be awarded in Switzerland again in 2026 has not been a major topic of discussion so far.

Swiss Cycling is now providing information about the UEC Mountain Bike European Championships a good two months before the start. None of the local organizers are attending the kick-off event. Only local hero Filippo Colombo is expressing his delight at being able to ride for titles on one of his home trails. “I grew up three kilometers from the course. My club is organizing the races, and my friends and family will be lining the course. That’s very special to me.”

Patrick Müller, Head of Competitive Sports at Swiss Cycling, sees the 2026 European Championships as part of a series that includes the 2026 World Championships in Val di Sole, the 2027 World Championships in Haute-Savoie (road, MTB, BMX), and finally the ultimate goal of the current cycle: the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The European Championships have become more important in recent years, he argues in an interview with Ride, with more and more top riders participating. “For Swiss athletes, it’s an important event because it takes place in their own country.”

A European Championship already took place in Rivera on Monte Tamaro in 2020—the “Corona European Championships” in October. Nino Schurter snatched the title from Titouan Carrod on the final lap with a maneuver that was not without controversy. Mathias Flückiger finished third. “In the medal count at the time, France was in first place and Switzerland in second. In 2026, we want the top spot,” announces Patrick Müller.

Will this be the European Championships of 32-inch bikes?

National coach Beat Müller explains what Swiss Cycling is doing to make this happen. He immediately addresses the next big thing in mountain bike development: 32-inch wheels. He presents his own tests with the large wheels and derives the impressive formula 

P_η = C_r m g v + s m g ν + m a ν + 0.5 C_d A ρ ν³ 

, which is intended to quantify the advantage. The result: 32-inch wheels are said to yield a 1.9 percent time gain compared to 29-inch wheels on a suitable course. “That’s about 100 seconds in an Olympic cross-country race,” explains Beat Müller. He notes that 29-inch wheels still offered a 2.4 percent advantage over 26-inch wheels. And a realistic performance increase for a top athlete from one season to the next is around 1 percent. 32-inch wheels offer advantages on rough terrain because the larger wheels roll over obstacles and potholes with less vertical movement. In other words: there’s less jolting. Winding courses with tight turns, on the other hand, are not the preferred terrain for the new wheel size.

Who will be the first to make the switch?

In conversation with Lars Forster, Alessandra Keller, Fabio Püntener, Patrick, and Beat Müller, it becomes clear: all teams and riders are watching what the others are doing. Who will be the first to line up at the start with a 32-inch wheel—and how will he or she fare with it? Many have tested it, but the results aren’t yet conclusive; the tire selection is still very limited, and there are hardly any truly compatible forks, the athletes say. But once the first rider or team makes the switch, things could move quickly. Alessandra Keller clarifies: “At the Cape Epic, someone rode a stage on a 32-tooth bike and nothing major happened. But if someone wins on a 32-inch bike, it’s a different story.” When that time comes, however, she sees herself as having an advantage as a tall rider.

Beat Müller is convinced that 32-inch bikes offer advantages on the rugged European Championship course at Monte Tamaro as well as on the World Championship course in Val di Sole. “The question is whether the market is ready for the switch yet, because manufacturers still have a lot of 29ers they want to get rid of.” He’s still expecting the switch to happen this season, he insists. He can’t say whether a rider will get the green light to ride on the larger wheels before the European Championships. “The level of competition is incredibly high, especially among the men. That’s where the 1.9 percent we calculated makes a big difference. If someone from the leading group capitalizes on this advantage, it’s quite possible that the new European champion will be riding a 32-inch bike.”