2026 World Championships elite women's road race preview: Can Vollering extend 2026 masterclass?

Twelve months ago, Magdeleine Vallieres caused a seismic shock by claiming just her second professional victory to become the World Champion in Kigali, Rwanda.

Beyond the adulation of being the first champion from Canada and the immense prestige that follows the rainbow jersey, Vallieres’ victory also meant that the Canadian would eventually have the rare opportunity to defend her title on home soil in Montréal. 

This marks the first time since 1989 that a reigning elite women’s world champion has had the opportunity to defend the title on home roads.

On that occasion, the legendary Jeannie Longo claimed her fourth successive victory, following successes in 1985, 1986 and 1987 (with the 1988 edition not held due to the Olympic Games).

For Vallieres, the pressure of defending the rainbow jersey won’t be as great as with Longo, thanks primarily to the exceptional season of Demi Vollering. 

Vollering has the opportunity to round out one of the greatest seasons by achieving the triple crown: winning the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and World Championships in the same campaign. And that doesn't even include the many Classics that Vollering also secured in the spring. 

However, with a punchy course awaiting the riders in Montréal, and with plenty of contenders in the mix, this is unlikely to be an easy and straightforward affair for Vollering, as the Worlds rarely is. 

The Dutch star was pushed all the way en route to securing victory at both the Giro and Tour, and there will be plenty of contenders looking to do the same in Montréal.

But as Vollering has shown time and time again, and particularly this season, she is always ready to deliver the spectacular, and we can expect a thrilling race on Saturday. 

• 📅 Date: Saturday, 26 September 2026
• 📍 Route: Quartier Dix30 (Brossard) to Parc Jeanne Mance (Montréal)
• 📏 Distance: 180.4km / 112 miles
• ⛰️ Elevation Gain: 2,570m / 8,432ft
• ⏱️ Start Time: 14:00 UK time (09:00 Local / EDT)
• 🏁 Expected Finish: 19:10 UK time (14:10 Local / EDT)

The elite women’s road race will begin in Brossard, though it’s when the race enters Montréal that the Mont-Royal circuit awaits, where the 2026 race will likely be decided. 

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

The peloton will tackle the circuit 8 times, taking the total distance of the road race to 180.4km (112 miles) with 2,570m (8,432ft) of elevation gain.

The gradient kicks in almost immediately after the riders pass the finish line on Avenue du Parc, with the road tilting up toward the Camillien-Houde climb. 

At 1.6km in length with an average gradient of 7.4%, it is the circuit's main ascent and a primary launchpad for attacks. 

The route then descends to the Chemin de la Polytechnique climb, which is shorter but punchier, with gradients reaching 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 also not to be underestimated, with the road rising steadily all the way to the line. 

In the event of a reduced sprint, this uphill drag to the finish will heavily favour the riders with the most punch and strength remaining. Meanwhile, for a solo attacker holding off a chase, there will be no respite until they cross the line. 

Annemiek van Vleuten is the only woman who has achieved the historic triple crown of winning the Giro, Tour and Worlds road race in the same season, alongside Eddy Merckx, Stephen Roche and Tadej Pogačar in the men’s peloton. 

Demi Vollering (Netherlands) will be aiming to become the fifth member of one of cycling’s most exclusive clubs, having won both the Giro and Tour this season, as the European champion arrives in Montréal as the pre-race favourite. 

The weight of expectation also won’t daunt Vollering. The Dutch star has become accustomed to winning the biggest races in the sport, though the rainbow jersey remains the glaring omission from her spectacular palmarès. 

To capture that elusive piece of cycling’s holy grail, Vollering knows she must navigate a race that can be as much of a chess match as it is about physical attrition, as was the case twelve months ago.

Many nations will be looking at Vollering and the Dutch team to take control of the race, and additionally, plenty will try to anticipate the pre-race favourite by launching early attacks.

On paper, Vollering should be difficult to live with on the punchy gradients of the Camillien-Houde climb, as demonstrated by numerous devastating accelerations this season en route to victories at the Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Giro, Tour and beyond.

If that isn’t enough to secure Vollering’s status as pre-race favourite, then the strength of the Dutch team certainly does so. Vollering will be flanked by riders who could easily lead a team in their own right at the Worlds, none less so than Puck Pieterse (Netherlands), who has worn the rainbow jersey off-road.

A born entertainer, Pieterse should also be at home on this punchy circuit, having finished on the podium this season at Flanders, Flèche, Liège, as well as winning the mountains prize at the Tour. 

Pieterse’s tenacity is just one of many strings to her bow, and the 24-year-old gives the Dutch and Vollering another card to play. 

Beyond Pieterse, the Dutch also have the ever-combative Riejanne Markus (Netherlands), who is never afraid to try from long-range. 

Letting Markus get away in a strong group early on this circuit will never be a straightforward problem to solve, as she showed at the Tour, after being caught within sight of the finish line on stage 2. 

Despite the unfortunate absence of Mischa Bredewold, as well as Anna van der Breggen, the quality of the Dutch is remarkable, with Femke De Vries,Amber Kraak, Lieke Nooijen and Karlijn Swinkels rounding out the squad.

While the Dutch have a supremely talented squad spearheaded by the pre-race favourite, there will be plenty of other riders who can challenge for the rainbow jersey. 

One of those nations is Belgium, who will be led by former two-time champion Lotte Kopecky (Belgium). 

Having chosen to forego the defence of the rainbow jersey in Rwanda, Kopecky’s only recent memories of the Worlds are of winning in 2023 and 2024, and she’ll certainly intend to keep it that way.

With the onus likely to be on Vollering and the Dutch to dictate the nature of the race and make things selective, Kopecky could be able to play a patient game, focusing on tracking any moves made by Vollering or any others on the climbs. 

Kopecky also holds an ace card, with a strong sprint at the end of an attritional race, meaning most will not want to take the Belgian to the finish on Avenue du Parc.

Two more heavyweight nations that boast serious contenders are Italy and Spain. You'll be hard-pushed to find many riders with more experience than Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), who has started 14 editions of the elite women's road race. 

Additionally, Longo Borghini has finished in the top 10 seven times, more than any other rider in the field, demonstrating her consistency in being in contention.

Despite that impressive statistic, Longo Borghini is still chasing the rainbow jersey in the road race, and will be buoyed by being part of Italy’s winning team in the mixed relay on Tuesday. 

Longo Borghini has the racecraft needed to thrive in the chaotic nature of the Worlds, and the Italian remains one of the best in the business, as illustrated by her third-place finish at the Tour. 

Silvia Persico (Italy), trade teammate of Longo Borghini, is a former bronze medallist and gives the Italian team another option. 

The final member of the 2026 Tour podium, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland), is another standout contender, lining up for her 13th road race as an elite.

Niewiadoma-Phinney pushed Vollering all the way at the Tour, conceding the yellow jersey on the penultimate stage, one day after producing a sensational performance to win on Mont Ventoux. 

The tougher the route is, the better Niewiadoma-Phinney seems to perform, and as the accumulation of climbing in the legs builds, the more likely the Polish star is to come to the fore. 

With the added dynamic of Niewiadoma-Phinney likely wanting to avoid a sprint finish, the Polish rider will likely look to make the race selective by animating the race with attacks. 

With Dominika Włodarczyk (Poland) also a part of the equation, Poland has two of the strongest climbers in the field, both of whom aren’t afraid to race aggressively, and that could lead to an exciting outcome if the duo play their cards right.

In contrast to Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma, Paula Blasi (Spain) is set to make her second appearance in the road race as an elite rider, though the 23-year-old is already seen as a serious challenger, given her talent. 

This season has seen multiple major victories for Blasi, including both the Amstel Gold Race and Vuelta España Femenina. 

While the Vuelta victory stands tallest, Blasi's success at the Amstel Gold Race demonstrated what the Spanish rider is capable of on punchy terrain, similar to what will be on the menu in Montréal. 

Blasi is also chasing history as Spain have never won the elite women’s road race at the Worlds, with two bronze medals their best outcomes previously. 

Blasi will face a fellow young challenger in Célia Géry (France), who will make her debut in the elite race, having claimed the under-23 title in Rwanda last season. 

The 20-year-old is one of the most talented riders in the peloton, and has used her power on short, sharp climbs to great effect this season. No less so than at the French championships, where Géry powered clear in the closing kilometres to take the tricolour.

Beyond Géry, the French have an abundance of riders who could be in the mix, such as Juliette Berthet (France), Cédrine Kerbaol (France), and Maëva Squiban (France).

This gives the French the opportunity to take the race to the opposition, with multiple cards to play, leaving their rivals guessing as to who will be the strongest and team leader on the day.

Meanwhile, after winning the time trial, Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) has the opportunity to become the first rider since Van der Breggen in 2020 to complete the Worlds double.

Given her time trial prowess, Reusser has the ability to go long-range, but that’s not to say that she can’t also match the punch of the other contenders on the climbs, as demonstrated at the Tour. 

Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) provides a more punchy option for the Swiss and is one of the riders most likely to be confident in taking the race to a reduced group sprint.

The contenders so far will represent powerhouse nations of cycling, though the same can’t be said for Kim Le Court (Mauritius). 

That certainly doesn’t mean that the Mauritian champion will be any less of a contender after another standout season so far. 

Having won a stage at the Tour, as well as winning the Tour of Britain in recent months, Le Court has shown she has the punch to handle repetitive climbing and a fast finish after a hard day.

In fact, Le Court is arguably one of the riders most suited to the Mont Royal circuit, and would also be one of the favourites in the event of a sprint for victory. 

Ultimately, it is set to be a special occasion for the current champion Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada), who will have the opportunity to try to defend the rainbow jersey on home soil. 

Unlike last year in Rwanda, Vallieres won’t be able to fly under the radar, but the Mont-Royal circuit is also tailored to her strengths.

In addition to Vallieres, the host nation also has Sarah Van Dam (Canada), who should also be comfortable on the punchy climbs, having finished seventh at Amstel and 13th at Liège. 

Another nation to watch out for is Germany, who have a trio of challengers who all offer something slightly different to one another: Franziska Koch, Antonia Niedermaier and Liane Lippert. 

Koch claimed victory at Paris-Roubaix and finished third at Strade Bianche in the spring, while Niedermaier finished second at the Giro and fourth at the Tour. 

Meanwhile, Lippert showed signs of good form with a third-place finish at the Tour of Britain in August, and is a three-time top 5 finisher at the Worlds.

Some other riders to watch for a strong performance include Caroline Andersson (Sweden), Zoe Bäckstedt and Lauren Dickson (Great Britain), Nina Berton (Luxembourg), Kate Courtney and Kristen Faulkner (United States), Niamh Fisher-Black (New Zealand), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa), Mie Bjorndal Ottestad (Norway) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark).