National champs round-up: Kelderman ends 11-year wait as Cort wins on retirement send-off

National champs round-up: Kelderman ends 11-year wait as Cort wins on retirement send-off

Wilco Kelderman's emotional solo victory in the Netherlands, Shari Bossuyt's second win over Lotte Kopecky in 2026, and 20-year-old Célia Gery's French breakthrough led a weekend of overdue victories and upsets across European national road race championships.

5 min read

The national road championships over the weekend produced some fantastic races with surprise winners, emotional victories and the usual expected continuations with some surprises bigger than others.

Wilco Kelderman (Visma | Lease a Bike) soloed to the Dutch road title after an 11-year drought since his last win, Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) outsprinted Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) to take her first senior Belgian title, a 20-year-old Célia Gery added the French title to a 2026 season that already included Brabantse Pijl and a Giro d'Italia stage win.

2026 National Road Race Champions

Selected major titles from the weekend

Velora
Country
Men's Champion
Women's Champion
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Great Britain
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Switzerland

Kelderman's long wait ends

We saw an absence of the major Tour de France favourites over the nationals road races. As a result, the biggest headline across cycling media over the weekend was the emotional win for Kelderman after 11 years of waiting since he won the national time trial title in 2015. Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek) finished second with Jochem Kerckhaert (Beat CC p/b Saxo) third in Nijmegen.

Netherlands – Men's Results

Nijmegen • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderNATTime
🥇
Wilco KELDERMAN
NED4:05:42
🥈
Bauke MOLLEMA
NED+1:18
🥉
Jochem KERCKHAERT
NED+1:18
4
Rick PLUIMERS
NED+1:44
5
Tibor DEL GROSSO
NED+1:44
6
Dylan VAN BAARLE
NED+1:48
7
Jelle JOHANNINK
NED+2:54
8
Pascal EENKHOORN
NED+2:54
9
Axel VAN DER TUUK
NED+2:54
10
Cees BOL
NED+2:54
Romain Grégoire celebrates winning the French National Road Championship in La Tour du Pin

"This is a wonderful feeling. It has been a long time since I last won a road stage, I think since my U23 days," Kelderman said in a team press release. "Today everything came together. It's still hard to believe."

The Dutch women's race delivered its own surprise as Classics rider Lieke Nooijen (Visma | Lease a Bike) outsprinted Femke Markus (Lidl-Trek) for the title, with Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek) third at 20 seconds.

Netherlands – Women's Results

Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Lieke NOOIJEN
Team Visma | Lease a Bike2:49:20
🥈
Femke MARKUS
Team SD Worx-Protime+0:00
🥉
Loes ADEGEEST
Lidl-Trek+0:20
4
Femke DE VRIES
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+0:27
5
Mischa BREDEWOLD
Team SD Worx-Protime+0:27
6
Lorena WIEBES
Team SD Worx-Protime+1:06
7
Riejanne MARKUS
Lidl-Trek+1:07
8
Karlijn SWINKELS
UAE Team ADQ+1:07
9
Babette VAN DER WOLF
EF Education-Oatly+1:07
10
Nina BUIJSMAN
Human Powered Health+1:07

There were more surprises in Belgium with the race in Brasschaat as Bossuyt managed to beat Kopecky in the sprint for the second time this season after she won a stage of La Vuelta Femenina earlier in the year. Sandrine Tas (Lotto-Intermarché) continued her superb introduction to the sport as the former speed skater continued to perform at the highest level. In the men's race it was Rune Herregodts (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) who managed to outsprint Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Fabio van den Bossche (Soudal-Quickstep) to take a surprise win.

Belgium – Men's Results

Brasschaat • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Rune HERREGODTS
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG4:49:32
🥈
Jonas RICKAERT
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:00
🥉
Fabio VAN DEN BOSSCHE
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
4
Quinten HERMANS
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:40
5
Thibau NYS
LIDL-TREK+0:40
6
Lionel TAMINIAUX
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:40
7
Gianni VERMEERSCH
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:46
8
Gil GELDERS
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:46
9
Dries DE BONDT
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:51
10
Michiel COPPENS
BEAT CC P/B SAXO+0:52

Belgium – Women's Results

Brasschaat • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Shari BOSSUYT
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM3:22:10
🥈
Lotte KOPECKY
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+0:00
🥉
Sandrine TAS
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+0:00
4
Anna VANDERAERDEN
FENIX-PREMIER TECH DEVELOPMENT TEAM+0:00
5
Kelly DRUYTS
-+0:00
6
Olivia VERCRUYSSE
FENIX-PREMIER TECH DEVELOPMENT TEAM+0:00
7
Femke VAN GOETHEM
CITYMESH - CUSTOMM PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
8
Margot VANPACHTENBEKE
LIDL - TREK+0:00
9
Audrey DE KEERSMAEKER
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+0:00
10
Emma SIEGERS
AG INSURANCE SOUDAL DEVO TEAM+0:00

In France, Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) took a well-deserved victory as he outpaced his competitors on the final rise to the line in Le Tour-du-Pin bringing the jersey back to the team for the first time since Valentin Madouas won in 2023. Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Joris Delbove (TotalEnergies) were the closest riders to him at the finish.

France – Men's Results

La Tour-du-Pin • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderNATTime
🥇
Romain GREGOIRE
FRA5:12:47
🥈
Paul LAPEIRA
FRA+0:13
🥉
Joris DELBOVE
FRA+0:14
4
Alex BAUDIN
FRA+0:22
5
Léo BISIAUX
FRA+0:26
6
Clément BERTHET
FRA+0:49
7
Jordan JEGAT
FRA+1:24
8
Alexandre DELETTRE
FRA+1:24
9
Axel MARIAULT
FRA+1:24
10
Dorian GODON
FRA+1:29

In the women's race, Gery took the win for FDJ United-Suez with a solo move on the final climb to beat Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) by five seconds, with Émilie Morier (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) third. The U23 world champion's 2026 wins now include Brabantse Pijl, the GP Chambéry and a Giro d'Italia Women stage, with the French title her fourth victory of the year.

France – Women's Results

Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderNATTime
🥇
Célia GERY
FRA3:00:27
🥈
Cedrine KERBAOL
FRA+0:05
🥉
Emilie MORIER
FRA+0:07
4
Maeva SQUIBAN
FRA+0:13
5
Juliette BERTHET
FRA+0:25
6
Clémence LATIMIER
FRA+0:26
7
Gladys VERHULST WILD
FRA+1:27
8
Solène MULLER
FRA+1:43
9
Léa CURINIER
FRA+1:43
10
Victoire BERTEAU
FRA+2:06

In Herning, Denmark it was a dream come true for Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) who took the Danish national title for the first time in his career just days after he announced he will be retiring at the end of the season. By contrast, Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis) took her sixth national road title on the women's side.

Denmark – Men's Results

Herning • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Magnus NIELSEN
UNO-X MOBILITY4:26:01
🥈
Anders FOLDAGER
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:00
🥉
Anthon CHARMIG
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00
4
Rasmus PEDERSEN
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
5
Mads PEDERSEN
LIDL-TREK+0:00
6
Kasper ASGREEN
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:00
7
Mads ANDERSEN
SWATT CLUB+0:00
8
Mads LANDBO
TEAM COLOQUICK+0:00
9
Sylvester STOKBRO
AIRTOX - CARL RAS+0:00
10
William LEVY
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00

Denmark – Women's Results

Herning • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Amalie DIDERIKSEN
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM3:11:16
🥈
Silje ANTVORSKOV
-+0:00
🥉
Emilie OLESEN
-+0:00
4
Alberte GREVE
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00
5
Ida Krickau KETELSEN
O'SHEA RED CHILLI BIKES+0:00
6
Mathilde CRAMER
O'SHEA RED CHILLI BIKES+0:00
7
Alma RASMUSSEN
HITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL+0:00
8
Olympia NORRID-MORTENSEN
-+0:00
9
Astrid Marie SØRENSEN
-+0:00
10
Gertrud MADSEN
-+0:00

In Aberystwyth, Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//Sram zondacrypto) completed a British double after winning the time trial earlier in the week. She chased down DAS-Huchinson's Josie Knight after the track star was out solo for most of the day before Bäckstedt soloed to victory, while Fred Wright (Pinarello Q36.5) took a second national road title in the men's race, outsprinting Lewis Askey (NSN) and Connor Swift (Netcompany-Ineos).

Great Britain – Men's Results

Aberystwyth • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Alfred Brockwell WRIGHT
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM4:15:47
🥈
Lewis ASKEY
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:00
🥉
Connor SWIFT
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
4
Elliot ROWE
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE DEVELOPMENT+0:17
5
Mattie DODD
INEOS GRENADIERS RACING ACADEMY+0:17
6
Oliver WOOD
-+3:05
7
Thomas PORTSMOUTH
-+3:05
8
Adam MITCHELL
VENDEE U PRIMEO ENERGIE+3:05
9
Jed SMITHSON
HAGENS BERMAN JAYCO+3:05
10
Danylo RIWNYJ
-+3:12

Great Britain – Women's Results

Aberystwyth • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Zoe BACKSTEDT
CANYON//SRAM3:30:44
🥈
Josie KNIGHT
DAS-HUTCHINSON+1:42
🥉
Millie COUZENS
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+2:02
4
Pfeiffer Zara GEORGI
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:02
5
Anna MORRIS
-+2:02
6
Imogen WOLFF
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:02
7
Erin BOOTHMAN
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+2:02
8
Josie NELSON
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:03
9
Anna HENDERSON
LIDL - TREK+2:03
10
Noemie THOMSON
DAS-HUTCHINSON+2:03

On Saturday Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) took his first national road race title in Italy in a sprint finish that saw him go up against a lesser group of sprinters as Tommaso Dati (Team UKYO) and Alessandro Romele (XDS-Astana) rounded out the podium. On Sunday the women raced in Pordenone with Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) taking her seventh national road race title and her fourth in a row. She won by 18 seconds over Monica Trinca Colonel (Jayco-AlUla) as Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) led in the bunch sprint for third.

Italy – Men's Results

Jun 27

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Jonathan MILAN
LIDL-TREK4:52:40
🥈
Tommaso DATI
TEAM UKYO+0:00
🥉
Alessandro ROMELE
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:00
4
Luca COLNAGHI
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
5
Marco MANENTI
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
6
Matteo TRENTIN
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
7
Alberto DAINESE
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
8
Gabriele BESSEGA
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
9
Giacomo BALLABIO
TEAM VORARLBERG+0:00
10
Dario Igor BELLETTA
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00

Italy – Women's Results

Pordenone • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Elisa LONGO BORGHINI
UAE TEAM ADQ2:49:08
🥈
Monica TRINCA COLONEL
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+0:18
🥉
Elisa BALSAMO
LIDL - TREK+1:50
4
Vittoria GUAZZINI
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+1:50
5
Eleonora Camilla GASPARRINI
UAE TEAM ADQ+1:50
6
Letizia PATERNOSTER
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+1:50
7
Arianna FIDANZA
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+1:50
8
Nadia QUAGLIOTTO
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+1:50
9
Soraya PALADIN
CANYON//SRAM+1:50
10
Francesca BARALE
MOVISTAR TEAM+1:50

Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) added the Swiss road title to the TT title he took earlier in the week with surprise podium riders Valentin Darbellay (Elite Fondations) and Melk Zumstein (V.C. Mendrisio) completed the podium. In the women's race Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime) retained her title after beating Marlen Reusser (Movistar) in Courtételle with Jasmin Liechti (Nexetis) coming in third but almost four minutes down.

Switzerland – Men's Results

Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Jan CHRISTEN
UAE Team Emirates-XRG3:43:40
🥈
Valentin DARBELLAY
Elite Fondations Cycling Team+0:14
🥉
Melk ZUMSTEIN
V.C.Mendrisio+0:25
4
Marc HIRSCHI
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+0:33
5
Fabio CHRISTEN
Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+1:12
6
Luca JENNI
Run & Race - Solarpur+1:13
7
Arnaud TISSIÈRES
Elite Fondations Cycling Team+1:30
8
Simon PELLAUD
Li Ning Star+2:47
9
Noah BÖGLI
Elite Fondations Cycling Team+3:05
10
Stefan KÜNG
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+3:05

In Spain, Marcel Camprubí (Pinarello-Q36.5) took his first professional victory after over five hours of racing in Sabiñánigo, holding off Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) by five seconds as Urko Berrade (Kern Pharma) completed the podium. Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal) did the Spanish road-TT double in the women's race, beating the Movistar pair of Sara Martín and Paula Ostiz.

Spain – Men's Results

Sabiñánigo • Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Marcel CAMPRUBI PIJUAN
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM5:01:09
🥈
Joel NICOLAU BELTRAN
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+0:05
🥉
Urko BERRADE FERNANDEZ
EQUIPO KERN PHARMA+0:11
4
Joan BOU COMPANY
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+0:43
5
Igor ARRIETA LIZARRAGA
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+1:05
6
Hector ALVAREZ MARTINEZ
LIDL-TREK FUTURE RACING+3:19
7
Jose Manuel DIAZ GALLEGO
BURGOS-BURPELLET-BH+3:31
8
Adria PERICAS CAPDEVILA
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+3:31
9
Roger ADRIA OLIVERAS
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:35
10
Xabier Mikel AZPARREN IRURZUN
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:38

Spain – Women's Results

Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Mireia BENITO PELLICER
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM3:42:18
🥈
Sara MARTIN MARTIN
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:02
🥉
Paula OSTIZ TACO
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:02
4
Margarita Victoria GARCIA CAÑELLAS
UAE TEAM ADQ+0:06
5
Sandra ALONSO DOMINGUEZ
-+0:08
6
Maite URTEAGA SORAZU
-+0:27
7
Tamara SEIJAS FERNANDEZ
-+1:22
8
Marina GARAU ROCA
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+1:22
9
Idoia ERASO LASA
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+1:42
10
Ainara ALBERT BOSCH
-+1:58

Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla) justified his Tour de France selection by taking the German men's title from a five-rider sprint with rising star Lennart Jasch (Tudor) taking second and Nico Denz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) rounding out the podium. Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez) retained the German women's crown, beating Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Justyna Czapla (Canyon-SRAM) to continue her strong 2026 form.

Germany – Men's Results

Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderNATTime
🥇
Felix ENGELHARDT
GER4:38:38
🥈
Lennart JASCH
GER+0:00
🥉
Nico DENZ
GER+0:00
4
Nils POLITT
GER+0:00
5
Georg ZIMMERMANN
GER+0:00
6
Tim Torn TEUTENBERG
GER+0:52
7
Maximilian SCHACHMANN
GER+0:54
8
Lennard KÄMNA
GER+0:58
9
Jermaine ZEMKE
GER+4:10
10
Maximilian Richard WALSCHEID
GER+4:45

Germany – Women's Results

Jun 28

Velora
PosRiderNATTime
🥇
Franziska KOCH
GER3:07:43
🥈
Liane LIPPERT
GER+0:00
🥉
Justyna CZAPLA
GER+0:00
4
Nele LAING
GER+0:02
5
Antonia NIEDERMAIER
GER+0:02
6
Linda RIEDMANN
GER+1:41
7
Clara JÄGER
GER+1:41
8
Rosa KLÖSER
GER+1:41
9
Karoline GOLDSCHMIDT
GER+1:43
10
Laura SÜßEMILCH
GER+4:26

Many of these new champions will debut their national jerseys at the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes next month.

Cover image credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

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Tim Bonville-Ginn headshot

Tim Bonville-Ginn

Pro cycling contributor

Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked in cycling for well over a decade with his articles being featured across publications such as Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Cyclist, Rouleur, Eurosport, Road cc, Domestique, and more.

As well as writing, Tim has worked as a social media and press manager for professional teams Human Powered Health, Global 6, and Saint Piran across Europe as well as commentating on races such as the African Continental Championships, Tour de Feminin and multiple rounds of the British road and circuit series for Golazo and Monument Cycling.

Expertise:Racing