Confirmed Montreal 2026 route gives Pogacar clear shot at Worlds hat-trick
The UCI has officially approved and unveiled the routes for the 2026 World Championships in Montreal. The elite men and women will race identical 39.9km time trial courses, while the road races will use a circuit nearly identical to the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. It offers Tadej Pogacar the chance of a threepeat, though the more balanced route leaves scope for riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.
The traditional GP Montreal circuit, which will form the backbone of the World Championship road races, features 269 metres of elevation gain over its 12km loop. The challenging route includes the long and steep Côte Camillien-Houde (1.8km at 8%) in Parc du Mont-Royal, followed by the Côte de Polytechnique (780m at 6%)
For the final 4km, riders will tackle the kicker of Pagnuelo (535m at 7.5%) and the finale on the Avenue du Parc.
There are only minor modifications to be made to accommodate the World Championships infrastructure. The U-turn just before the finish will be removed, and the finish line will shift one lane to provide space for TV trucks, equipment, and hospitality areas, slightly altering the approach to the final uphill stretch in the typical finishes of GP Montreal
Before reaching the finishing circuit, both men's and women's road races will start in Brossard and make an approach through the predominantly flat Montérégie region. Men will complete a 112.4km loop while women will ride a shorter 72.8km version before both fields cross the Saint-Laurent river to enter the Montreal circuit.
The men's road race will total 273.2km with twelve laps of the finishing circuit, while the women will race 180km with eight laps. Junior and under-23 categories will compete exclusively on the local circuit, with varying numbers of laps depending on category.
In the time trial events, the 39.9km course for elite men and women represents a continuation of the equality seen at the 2022 Wollongong World Championships, where the time trials were of equal length for both men and women. The relatively flat route includes 195 metres of elevation gain, primarily concentrated in the final kilometres returning to Montreal.
Junior and under-23 categories will race shorter time trial distances ranging from 11km for junior women to 32.1km for under-23 men.
The 2026 World Championships will mark the second time the event has been held in Montreal, following the 1974 edition when Eddy Merckx won the men's road race.
The demanding Kigali course saw a number of habitual elite men’s contenders opt against the trip to Rwanda, including Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Wout van Aert (Belgium) and Mads Pedersen (Denmark).
The difficult but less onerous Montreal circuit should attract a wider slate of contenders, and Classics hunters will feel the course gives them a shot at the rainbow jersey.
Pogacar, however, looks the obvious favourite for the elite men's race next season even at this early remove given his performances at the GP Montreal over the years.
