World Championship Road Race Women 2026
26.09
Demi Vollering (Netherlands) corrected the biggest aberration on her palmarès by winning the elite women’s road race at the World Championships in Montréal, beating Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) to the rainbow jersey after they found themselves together in front after the final haul up the Voie Camillien-Houde.
How to watch?
Curious about how to watch the 2026 World Championships Women's road race? Discover all the television and streaming options in our complete how to watch guide.
Route
The elite women’s World Championship road race covers 180.4 kilometres with 2,570 metres of elevation gain. After starting in Brossard, the peloton enters Montréal for eight laps of the 13.4 kilometre Mont Royal circuit. The key climb is Camillien Houde, 1.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.4 percent, followed by the shorter and steeper Chemin de la Polytechnique, with sections reaching 11 percent.
Avenue Pagnuelo offers another opportunity to attack. Technical descents, constant changes in pace and accumulating fatigue add to the difficulty. The uphill finish on Avenue du Parc favours both attackers and powerful punchers.
Read more about the route in our preview.
Favourites
Demi Vollering starts as the main favourite after winning the Giro, Tour and several major spring Classics. The punchy course suits her explosive style, while the Netherlands also have strong options in Puck Pieterse and Riejanne Markus. Lotte Kopecky could benefit from a more patient race and has a powerful sprint.
Elisa Longo Borghini and Kasia Niewiadoma bring plenty of experience, while Paula Blasi and Célia Géry represent the new generation. Marlen Reusser can attack from distance, while Noemi Rüegg and Kim Le Court are dangerous from a reduced group. Defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres will try to shine again on home roads.
Read all about the favourites in our preview.
