Hector Alvarez, a cyclist from Spain, won the European championship in the under-23 category in the line race on Friday. The event took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as part of the EuroRoad26 championships. Alvarez made a decisive move two laps before the finish, launching an attack during the third and final climb of the Mozjanca route, which is 2.1 kilometers long with a 10.1% gradient. Although he was caught by a group of three riders, Alvarez regrouped and made another strong push in the final stretch, securing his victory alone in Sencur. He finished ahead of Jan Michal Jackowiak from Poland and Niels Driesen from Belgium. Alvarez, who was born in Alicante, Spain, is now the European champion in under-23 cycling. He previously earned two medals at the World Championships held in Montreal earlier this year. Just one week after receiving a silver medal at those championships, Alvarez claimed gold at the EuroRoad26 event in Ljubljana, marking a significant achievement in his career. In the women's under-23 category, the Swiss cyclist Mara Winter was crowned European champion. She finished ahead of Nienke Vinke from the Netherlands and Viktória Chladoňová from Slovakia, who had won the world title. The French cyclist Lenaic Langella placed 15th in the race, while the French team leader, Maxime Vezie, was involved in a crash during the event. The final standings of the 2026 European Under-23 Championships included Hector Alvarez in the men's category and the trio of Mara Winter, Nienke Vinke, and Viktória Chladoňová in the women's category. The competition highlighted the rising talent in European cycling and showcased the intense competition among young athletes from across the continent.