2026 World Championships elite men's road race preview: Who will seize Pogacar's throne?

In 1974, Montréal hosted the UCI Road World Championships, becoming the first city outside Europe to do so. The Worlds returned to Canada, with Hamilton hosting the 2003 edition, and 2026 sees the championships make a historic return to Montréal. 

Fifty-two years ago in Montréal, Eddy Merckx claimed the third and final rainbow jersey of his career, outsprinting Raymond Poulidor, the eternal second. 

Over half a century later, the storylines ahead of the 2026 Worlds in Montréal are strikingly connected, after the competitive landscape was significantly altered by reigning champion Tadej Pogačar’s season-ending crash while leading the Vuelta a España.

In the blue corner, Belgium sits proud and mighty as one of the leading challengers for the rainbow jersey, with Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert spearheading a dual-pronged attack. 

No nation has won the elite men’s road race more than the 27 times that Belgian riders have done so, with Evenepoel contributing to that tally back in 2022 in Wollongong, Australia. 

Meanwhile, Mathieu van der Poel will be aiming to add another rainbow jersey to his glittering collection across multiple disciplines, including the road race in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2023. 

The Flying Dutchman is of course the grandson of the legendary Poulidor, which adds a personal connection to Montréal, following the Frenchman's near miss back in 1974. 

Paul Seixas will lead the hopes of France in a predominantly French-speaking city, while Isaac del Toro outsprinted the Frenchman to win the GP Montréal less than two weeks ago on the same circuit as the Worlds. 

The Mexican champion will be spurred on by the opportunity to create history for his nation and keep the rainbow jersey with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG camp for a third successive campaign. Seixas, meanwhile, could become the youngest rider to do so as an elite.

Speaking of rainbow jerseys, Tom Pidcock has already tasted plenty of Worlds success during his career across multiple disciplines, including as recently as last month, when he became the XCO Mountain Bike World Champion for the second time in his career in Val di Sole, Italy.

The Brit has the opportunity to join Pauline Ferrand-Prévot as the second rider to become the elite World Champion in the road race, XCO mountain bike and cyclocross disciplines. 

Equally, in the absence of the sport’s most dominant force right now, the ambitions of a plethora of challengers have suddenly widened. On the punchy and technical Mont Royal circuit, anything is possible, and the rainbow jersey is certainly up for grabs.

• 📅 Date: Sunday, 27 September 2026
• 📍 Route: Quartier Dix30 (Brossard) to Parc Jeanne Mance (Montréal)
• 📏 Distance: 273.7km / 170 miles
• ⛰️ Elevation Gain: 3,803m / 12,477ft
• ⏱️ Start Time: 14:00 UK time (09:00 Local / EDT)
• 🏁 Expected Finish: 20:40 UK time (15:40 Local / EDT)

The elite men’s road race will begin in Brossard, with the opening section of the race through Montérégie set to see a breakaway establish itself before the peloton crosses the Samuel De Champlain Bridge and enters Montréal, where the Mont-Royal circuit awaits. 

At 13.4km in length, the Mont-Royal circuit is the main playground for the 2026 Worlds, with 269 metres of climbing packed into each lap. 

The men’s peloton will tackle the circuit 12 times, taking the total distance of the road race to 273.7km with 3,803m of elevation gain. 

The climbing begins almost immediately after the riders pass the finish line on Avenue du Parc, with the road rising towards the Camillien-Houde climb. 

At 1.6km in length with an average gradient of 7.4%, it’s the circuit's main climb, which can serve as a launchpad for attacks. 

This was shown by Seixas at the recent GP Montréal, where the Frenchman launched a stinging attack on the gradients rising to 10%, which only Isaac del Toro could match over the crest of the climb. 

The route then descends to the shorter, but sharper Chemin de la Polytechnique climb where gradients reach up to 11%.

Another opportunity to springboard an attack comes on the Avenue Pagnuelo where the road rises once more, just a few kilometres from the finish. 

However, the climbs won’t be the only sections on the course where the differences can be made, with repeated descents, technical sections and constant changes of pace adding to the cumulative fatigue that will build throughout the race. 

The finish on Avenue du Parc is not to be underestimated, with the road rising towards the line. In the event of a sprint finish, the uphill drag will favour those who have the most punch and strength left. 

For a solo rider holding off the chase, there will be no respite all the way to the finish line.

In the absence of Pogačar, last year’s runner-up, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), has naturally risen to the top of the billing, and for good reason.

The 2022 winner made the bold decision to leave Soudal Quick-Step, the team with whom he began his professional career back in 2019, jumping straight from the junior ranks as World Champion after one of the most dominant performances in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2018. 

It’s fair to say that Evenepoel’s switch to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has been a success so far, and that the Olympic Champion has gotten better as the season has progressed. 

Evenepoel’s second-place finish and two stage wins at the Tour de France firmly turned heads, and he backed this up by winning a record-fourth edition of the Clásica San Sebastián before pivoting his attention towards Montréal and a bid at Worlds glory.

He hit the ground running in Canada by winning the GP Québec, before a more reserved fifth place at the GP Montréal a few days later. 

He backed this up with a rainbow jersey winning performance in the time trial on Sunday, becoming the first rider to win four successive editions of the elite men’s time trial. 

As a result, Evenepoel could also become the first male rider to win both the time trial and road race at the same championships, something he had highlighted as a goal weeks prior. Only he and Abraham Olano have won both events during their careers full-stop, highlighting the rarity of such an accomplishment.

However, as good as the records sound on paper, Evenepoel knows that he will need to do the business on Sunday, but will be confident he has the tools necessary to do so. 

In Québec, Evenepoel showcased his ability to sniff out the right moment to break free, and demonstrated that the winning moves don’t necessarily come to fruition on the climbs. 

The Belgian won’t be afraid of going long-range, as that has become a trademark of many of his most iconic victories; equally, he has shown this season on multiple occasions that he has a devastatingly strong sprint at the end of an attritional race. 

One of the biggest influences on the outcome of Evenepoel’s race could be Wout van Aert (Belgium). 

The Visma | Lease a Bike star has missed the last two editions of the Worlds, yet he boasts an excellent track record with silver medals in 2020 and in his most recent appearance in 2023, alongside a fourth-place finish in 2022. 

The 2026 campaign has already proven to be one of the most monumental in Van Aert’s illustrious career, defined by him finally unlocking the vault to secure an elusive victory at Paris-Roubaix. 

After conquering that long-awaited milestone, the question now is whether the Belgian can just as quickly discover the winning formula to claim his first elite road world title. Based on his recent exploits in Spain, that appears to be a very distinct possibility. 

Bouncing back from missing out on the Tour due to injury, Van Aert acted as a chief animator at the Vuelta, ratcheting up two of Visma’s seven stage wins as well as the points classification. 

What stood out most was the nature of Van Aert’s victories and his unrelenting performances across the three weeks, as well as his level of climbing. While Van Aert possesses a fast finish, both of his breakaway victories required far more than just his quick turn of speed. 

The Belgian had to constantly navigate the pressures of being a heavily marked rider, neutralising counter-attacks and picking his moments with precision.  

That recent muscle memory should serve Van Aert well during the chaotic, unpredictable nature of the Worlds, when there is a flurry of long-range moves that could pose a serious threat. 

Inevitably, questions have been raised regarding how well Evenepoel and Van Aert will complement one another on Sunday. However, the internal mood within the Belgian camp strongly indicates that the squad believes they can conduct a harmonic symphony that will deliver the rainbow jersey.

The duo have previously shown they can work together, with Van Aert playing a role in Evenepoel’s 2022 victory and Olympic success. It will certainly be an intriguing dynamic to watch unfold, and one that could easily become the defining factor of the entire race.

If the GP Montréal doubled as a dress rehearsal for the Worlds, then it’s safe to say that Isaac del Toro (Mexico) has nailed his script. 

The Mexican Champion soared to victory on Avenue du Parc with a commanding sprint victory over Paul Seixas, after proving to be the only rider capable of responding to the French teenager’s explosive acceleration on the Camillien Houde climb. 

Del Toro’s performance carried all the hallmarks of what’s required to become World Champion, prompting the question of whether he will be able to carry that momentum into Sunday’s main event. 

Considering Mexico has only ever seen two of its riders crack the top 20 in the history of the men’s road race, Del Toro’s stellar rise carries immense national significance, and he is already no stranger to the Worlds. 

Last year, in his debut no less, the young Mexican bravely bridged across to his trade teammate and leader Pogačar on Mont Kigali, and stuck with the Slovenian for 33km before eventually relenting, yet still securing a historic, nation-best seventh-place finish. 

Unlike Belgium, there’s no disguising Mexico’s game plan: it is all-in for Del Toro. Consequently, it will be intriguing to see how much of a factor team strength plays in the finale. 

Although Mexico are able to field a healthy squad size of six, Del Toro is the only rider racing at WorldTour level. 

Ultimately, if Del Toro has the exceptional legs that we have seen multiple times this season, that disparity may not matter, as when the race hits the punchiest of gradients repeatedly, very few will be able to handle the power of the Mexican star. 

Like Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) knows what it’s like to win the road race, having done so in Glasgow back in 2023. On that occasion, the flying Dutchman was simply unstoppable, a signature characteristic he has displayed time and time again at the biggest moments throughout his illustrious career.

Yet, in terms of the Montréal Worlds, one question mark has been placed at the doorstep of the Dutchman, as well as Van Aert, and that is whether the course is too climbing-heavy for his powerful frame.

However, the same doubts were thrown at Van der Poel ahead of the Zürich Worlds in 2024, and he crushed those reservations with an impressive bronze medal on a course that featured even more climbing than what’s on the menu in Montréal. 

What remains certain is that Van der Poel will arrive in Montréal in peak condition, having mirrored his 2024 blueprint by using the Tour de Luxembourg as his final tune-up event. 

There, the Dutchman bookended the week in spectacular fashion, winning the opening punchy stage before producing a stunning 175km solo effort to win his second stage of the week, in his final outing before boarding the flight to Canada.

It was the type of performance that simulated the old-school high-volume philosophy of someone like Gianni Bugno before his two World titles in 1991 and 1992, supercharging his baseline endurance.

Ultimately, wherever Van der Poel lines up, chaos and entertainment naturally follow, and it would take someone bold to rule out the Dutchman with a rainbow jersey on the line. 

While Paul Seixas (France) missed out on the top step of the podium at the recent Canadian double, the 19-year-old French sensation showcased his credentials as a serious challenger for the rainbow jersey. 

On his elite debut in Kigali last season, he fought his way to an impressive thirteenth place before securing a bronze medal on home soil at the European Championships just a week later. 

Since then, his stock has risen stratospherically. Seixas has put together a clinic of a campaign, winning Itzulia Basque Country alongside a historic triumph at Flèche Wallonne, second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and third at Strade Bianche, before anchoring his superstar status with a fourth-place finish on his Tour de France debut. 

Seixas has constantly dismantled barriers ever since turning professional in 2025. Should he pull off the monumental feat of claiming the world title on Sunday, he would become the youngest rider ever to do so, surpassing Karel Kaers of Belgium, who was 20 years and 76 days old when he won in Leipzig in 1934.

It’s been a positive week in Canada already for the 19-year-old after he secured the bronze medal in the individual time trial behind the formidable pairing of Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna. 

Backed by a characteristically aggressive French squad directed by Thomas Voeckler, Seixas is firmly set to be one of the primary protagonists if his recent performances are any metric to go by.

His explosive attack in Montréal on the Camillien Houde climb less than a fortnight ago was a statement of intent. If Seixas is able to produce another moment like that on Sunday, he’ll be an immense force to contend with in the finale.

Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) will once again spearhead the British challenge after a successful summer which included a ninth-place finish at the Tour, before winning the XCO Mountain Bike World Championships for the second time in his career, with a stellar performance in Val di Sole. 

Pidcock immediately hit the ground running on his return to the road, winning the GP Industria & Artigianato, before finishing fourth in Québec and sixth in Montréal.

The way Pidcock raced the Canadian double shows that he will not fear anyone. The Brit was one of the main aggressors during the natural selection phases of both races.

If Pidcock has the same spring in his step as he did in Milan-Sanremo, for example, where he was able to match Pogačar on the Cipressa and Poggio, he will be very difficult to distance on the Mont Royal circuit.

Equally, with his supreme bike handling and race IQ, Pidcock should be well equipped to navigate the other challenges on the circuit, and the uphill rise to the finish should also suit him.

Great Britain also have Adam Yates and Oscar Onley in their ranks. Yates supported Pogačar to a record-equalling fifth Tour title this summer, while Onley won the youth classification and finished sixth overall at the Vuelta. 

Enric Mas (Spain) broke Spain’s eleven-year wait for men’s Grand Tour glory by winning the Vuelta a España earlier this month. While Alejandro Valverde’s Worlds success in Austria back in 2018 was more recent than Alberto Contador’s Giro d’Italia victory in 2015, Spain will also be dreaming of another rainbow jersey.

Though unlike their golden years when they won five elite men’s road race titles across a decade-long spell from 1995-2004 with Abraham Olano (1995), Óscar Freire (1999, 2001, 2004) and Igor Astarloa (2003), they know that they will arrive in Montréal as dark horses.

While Mas has not traditionally been regarded as a one-day specialist, he has impressed in the past when he has shown fine form, and he will start the race fresh off the back of the biggest result of his career. 

In 2022, Mas beat Pogačar to win the Giro dell’Emilia before taking the Slovenian to a sprint finish at Il Lombardia just over a week later. 

Furthermore, Mas was in the mix the last time he competed for the rainbow bands back in 2024. He was part of the six-man group that contested the bronze medal, ending eighth. 

While the rainbow jersey may seem a long shot, the Vuelta victory could give Mas the wings needed to produce another stellar performance and be at the sharp end of the action. 

Mas will be joined in Spanish leadership by Juan Ayuso (Spain), who has endured a mixed 2026 campaign, filled with plenty of positives, but also some unlucky moments with crashes and bouts of illness.

This was epitomised when he crashed just metres from the line at the GP Québec earlier this month, wiped out while sprinting for 11th in a racing incident in the blink of an eye. After getting to his feet, he walked his bike across the finish line for 28th place.

Despite taking a heavy hit, Ayuso showed his resilience just a few days later, going on the attack at the GP Montréal, before ultimately withdrawing before the finish. 

Ayuso showed his talent in last year’s Worlds as the only rider who dared, or maybe was even able, to follow Pogačar’s initial acceleration on Mont Kigali, before being joined by Del Toro. 

And while he was unable to sustain the pace of his two former trade teammates, Ayuso still fought valiantly to the finish of an extremely attritional Worlds to finish eighth. 

While the Spanish duo may not be high on the radar in terms of the rainbow jersey discussion, at top form, a medal is a distinct possibility, and who knows what else if the stars truly align. 

Like Mas, there will be a number of riders hoping to come away from the Vuelta with form that can see them be competitive in Montréal. 

These include no less than the two men who stood on the final podium in Granada alongside him: Primož Roglič (Slovenia) and Felix Gall (Austria).

Roglič will lead the Slovenian challenge in the absence of Pogačar, while Gall will spearhead a three-man Austrian squad. 

While the duo are unlikely to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the contenders who were involved in the GP Québec and Montréal, it’s clear that the duo are in good form, which could lead to a positive performance in Canada.  

The late, bitter blow of Richard Carapaz’s withdrawal due to health complications has transformed the tactical landscape for Ecuador. The 33-year-old, fresh off fourth overall at the Vuelta, was expected to form a dual-pronged attack with Jhonatan Narváez (Ecuador), with both riders providing different options.

Instead, Carapaz’s absence leaves Narváez as the undisputed leader of the tricolour squad. The 29-year-old was one of the stars of the Giro back in May, winning three stages in an array of styles.  

Narváez’s suitability should serve him well in Montréal; if he has form similar to that of the Giro, he could be able to follow some dangerous moves, while also backing his abilities for a big result in any sort of reduced sprint. 

Carapaz's 22nd in 2020 remains Ecuador's best result in the elite men's road race, and in his absence, Narváez will be hoping to eclipse that significantly.

The United States boast one of their strongest squads in recent memory, and will be hoping and expecting to shine on North American roads. 

Among their ranks is the ever-energetic Quinn Simmons (United States), a former junior world champion, who seems to be improving year-on-year. 

It would almost be a shock if the American champion didn’t launch an attack at some point during the race; such is his all-action racing style. 

In addition to Simmons, Brandon McNulty (United States) also impressed in the recent Canadian double, finishing third in Montréal as the defending champion. The 28-year-old also narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the time trial, confirming he is in top form. 

Matteo Jorgenson (United States) will also be one to watch after finishing eighth in Québec. The Visma star is electric when at his best, and will be expecting to be in the mix if he is feeling good.

Italy are currently enduring their longest drought without a champion since 1953, with their last victory coming via Alessandro Ballan back in 2008. 

While they do not arrive in Canada among the top-tier favourites for victory on Sunday, the Italian squad is packed with riders who could impress on Sunday. 

Giulio Ciccone (Italy) finished sixth last year, and his recent performances in Canada indicate that he could go well, having finished second in Québec and seventh in Montréal. 

Meanwhile, the latest generation of Italian climbing talent has hit a rich vein of form at the perfect moment. 

Giulio Pellizzari (Italy) and Davide Piganzoli (Italy) have both tasted victory this month at the Giro della Toscana and Tour de Luxembourg, respectively. Christian Scaroni (Italy) also finished third at the Giro della Toscana behind Pellizzari, offering another option for the Italians. 

In addition, Italy will line up with one of the most intriguing wildcards in reigning under-23 World Champion Lorenzo Finn (Italy).

The 19-year-old has started two road races at the World Championships during his career and won them both, claiming the junior rainbow jersey in 2024, before soloing to an emphatic victory in the under-23 race last season.

While Finn could have comfortably spent multiple years racing in the under-23 category, his total dominance this season, which culminated in overall victories at the Giro d’Italia Next Gen and the Tour de l’Avenir, has seen the 19-year-old step up to the elite category.

Additionally, no rider has ever won the junior, under-23 and elite men’s road race, giving Finn an added incentive in the years to come.

Fortune favours the brave at the Worlds, and one rider who never fails to try to leave his mark is Ben Healy (Ireland). The 26-year-old is synonymous with combative racing, and he was rewarded for his efforts, earning a bronze medal last year in Rwanda. 

It would be a shock if Healy wasn't involved in some capacity, given he went long range at the GP Montréal and held the solo lead inside the final 20km before ending eighth.

Derek Gee-West was set to lead the ambitions of the host nation, though the 29-year-old suffered a rib injury in a crash at the GP Montréal, forcing him out of the action.

In a stunning subplot for the Canadians, 39-year-old Michael Woods (Canada), who claimed bronze in Innsbruck in 2018, has come out of road retirement to specifically race his home Worlds. After finishing 18th at the GP Montréal in his final preparation race, Woods will wear the maple leaf with pride and could be one to animate the action. 

Meanwhile, Australia arrive with two former medallists in Michael Matthews and Ben O’Connor. Matthews boasts an exceptional track record on Canadian soil, as a three-time winner of the GP Québec and former winner of the GP Montréal. While the 35-year-old has shown he can race combatively, he also packs a strong finish at the end of an attritional race, which allows him to keep his cards close to his chest. 

The same can be said for Mads Pedersen (Denmark), who will lead the Danish hopes in the absence of Mattias Skjelmose, who was forced to withdraw from selection due to illness. Like his trade teammate, Pedersen also suffered from illness in Spain and was forced to abandon in the second week. 

If the Tour de France had been the final race before the Worlds for Pedersen, the narrative surrounding the 2019 champion would likely be distinctly different, given his exceptional performance. 

The external expectations on the Danish team may be lightened as a result, which could work in Pedersen's favour, as well as his Danish teammates, who include Michael Valgren (Denmark), who finished third in 2021. The 34-year-old has enjoyed something of a renaissance this season with stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro d’Italia, and appears a prime candidate to be part of an early move that could go far. 

With the absence of an overwhelming favourite in Pogačar, the dynamics could differ from what we have seen in many major races in recent seasons. Thus, this could open the door to a rider who may have flown under the radar ahead of the race, leaving their mark in a big way. 

Magdeleine Vallieres’ major upset in Kigali twelve months ago served as a reminder of the unpredictability of the sport at times. The same can be said of Mas’ recent triumph at the Vuelta, and Pogačar's race-ending crash.

Interestingly, when Canada last hosted the Worlds in 2003, many would have considered Igor Astarloa’s victory in the elite men’s road race as somewhat surprising. Prior to his rainbow glory, Astarloa had tasted victory at the top tier of cycling just once previously, at Flèche Wallonne earlier in the same campaign.

In terms of the current peloton, the nation that arguably fits this billing best is Norway. Along with the remarkable rise of Uno-X Mobility, the level of Norwegian talent in the peloton has boomed in recent years, and was most recently showcased at the Vuelta.

Despite the increasing emergence of Norwegian talent, it’s not as though the nation doesn't know what it is like to win the elite men’s road race. 

Back in 2010, Thor Hushovd sprinted to a historic victory from a reduced group in Geelong, Australia. Since then, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Alexander Kristoff have added silver medals in 2012 and in 2017 respectively, the latter being a home Worlds in Bergen. 

Hushovd, now general manager of Uno-X Mobility, has spearheaded the team’s meteoric rise, which most recently culminated in two stage victories on Vuelta debut for Andreas Leknessund (Norway) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Norway).

Both were maiden Grand Tour stage victories that had been coming for some time, with the duo consistently knocking on the door with their combative racing styles. 

That eagerness and willingness to go on the attack could work in Norway’s favour if some of their riders, including this duo, are able to infiltrate a dangerous move before the big favourites take action. 

If they can anticipate the moves of the big favourites by already being up the road, it gives them an increased chance of being involved in the finale.

Some of the other riders who could make a move before the big favourites to give themselves a greater chance of being involved deeper in the race include: Santiago Buitrago and Harold Tejada (Colombia), Jan Christen and Mauro Schmid (Switzerland), João Almeida and Afonso Eulálio (Portugal), Toms Skujiņš (Latvia), Finn Fisher-Black (New Zealand), Florian Lipowitz (Germany) and Mathias Vacek (Czechia).