The event had initially been due to take place last year in Italy, but organisers agreed with the UEC to delay the European Championships to 2021.

The French city Plouay stepped in as a late host for the 2020 event.

Five days of racing are planned in Trentino with elite, under-23 and junior road and time trial titles on offer, as well as a mixed relay title.

The UEC says 1,042 riders from 39 countries have registered for the European Championships.

"We are getting ready to experience together with fans all over Europe, five days of great cycling and based on predictions these Trentino European Championships promise to be very memorable," said Enrico Della Casa, UEC President.

"To believe that, take a look at the list of athletes registered, with some of the best riders from the international scene, many of whom have included these European Championships among their main objectives.

"This proves how much the continental event has grown over the years and especially the technical quality of the circuits located in the wonderful setting of the City of Trento, the Valle dei Laghi and Monte Bondone with its natural beauty, which will be appreciated and important for the spectacle of the event.

"With a huge TV audience, the races in Trento will be in the spotlight and have wide free-to-air television coverage all over the continent and elsewhere, thanks to the partnership with the European Broadcasting Union, reaching an even greater audience owing to the extensive live coverage."

The Netherlands will have high hopes of success in the women’s elite time trial and road race events.

Olympic time trial champion Van Vleuten will seek to defend the road race title she earned last year, with her victory seeing the Dutch triumph in four of the five European Championships held to date.

Anna van der Breggen, the 2016 road race winner and reigning time trial champion, has withdrawn from the European Championships with the Dutch rider saying she is not at her normal level.

Her compatriots Marianne Vos, Amy Pieters and Ellen van Dijk are all due to compete, along with Denmark’s Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky.

Marta Cavalli and Elisa Balsamo will be among the Italian riders hoping to feature prominently in the elite races, with the latter having won the women’s under-23 race last year.

Three-time world champion Sagan will seek to win the men’s European road race title for the second time, with the Slovakian having won the inaugural event in 2016.

Norway’s Alexander Kristoff and Italy’s Matteo Trentin, the 2017 and 2018 winners, will also feature in the field.

Slovenian star Pogačar will also line-up in Trentino after a successful summer for the 22-year-old, which saw him defend his Tour de France title and win Olympic bronze in the Tokyo 2020 road race.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel is due to contest both the trial time and road race events, having won the former back in 2019.

Defending time trial champion Stefan Küng could face competition from reigning world champion and Tokyo 2020 team pursuit gold medallist Filippo Ganna, with the Italian targeting home success.

Competition will begin tomorrow with junior men’s and women’s time trial events, as well as the mixed team relay.

Elite and under-23 time trial events are due to take place on Thursday (September 9), with both junior and the women’s under-23 road race events held the following day.

The women’s elite and men’s under-23 road races are scheduled for Saturday (September 11), followed the men’s elite road race on Sunday (September 12).

The European Championships are taking place in the build-up to the World Championships, which are scheduled to take place at Flanders in Belgium from September 19 to 26.