Race news

Pidcock and Bäckstedt headline British challenge for 'incredibly attritional' Montréal Worlds

British Cycling have confirmed its selection for the upcoming World Championships in Montréal with Tom Pidcock and Zoe Bäckstedt leading the elite squads.

September 15 2026 - 2:15 PM

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Adam Yates and Tom Pidcock 2026 Tour de France stage 15

Kei Tsuji / Cor Vos

Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) will spearhead the Great Britain squad in the elite men’s road race at the upcoming UCI Road World Championships taking place on 27 September in Montréal, Canada.

Pidcock will arrive at the road race after a successful few months which saw him finish ninth at the Tour de France, win the mountain bike world title for the second time, taste victory at the GP Industria & Artigianato, and take fourth and sixth at the GP Québec and GP Montréal respectively.

“It was a super-hard race, and the Worlds are going to be incredibly attritional. I was up there, and I was racing, so it was definitely worth coming here,” said Pidcock after finishing sixth in the GP Montréal on Sunday, where the Worlds will also be held.

British Cycling also confirmed a protected leadership role for Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who supported Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) to a record-equalling fifth Tour victory this summer, most recently finishing 13th in the GP Montréal.

The duo will be joined by Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos), who will arrive off the back of finishing sixth overall and winning the youth classification at the Vuelta a España.

Finlay Pickering (Jayco AlUla), who also raced the Vuelta, finishing 28th overall, is also set to make his debut at the elite Worlds road race, while James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost), who finished 64th in Spain, is set for his first appearance since 2020.

Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) will also make his debut in the elite men’s road race after a fine Vuelta a España, and he will also race the time trial on 20 September, after impressing in the races against the clock in Spain.

The eight-man squad for the road race is completed by two of Pidcock’s trade teammates, British Champion Fred Wright and Mark Donovan (Pinarello-Q36.5). Wright is lining up for his fifth road race as an elite, while Donovan will make his third appearance.

Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) also joins Thornley in selection for the time trial after also impressing at the Spanish Grand Tour.

One notable absentee for the road race is Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike), who recently won five stages on his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España.

Former two-time junior road race and current under-23 time trial World Champion Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//Sram) leads the elite women’s squad for both the road race and time trial.

Bäckstedt has enjoyed a standout 2026 season on the road, which includes achievements such as winning the British road race and time trial double, as well as winning the Baloise Ladies Tour for the second consecutive year.

In the road race, taking place on 26 September, Bäckstedt will be joined by Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL), Josie Nelson (Picnic PostNL), Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-Suez), Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek) and Flora Perkins (Fenix-Premier Tech). In the time trial, taking place on 20 September, the 21-year-old will be joined by Anna Morris.

Cat Ferguson (Movistar) and Elliot Rowe (Visma | Lease a Bike Development) will lead the under-23 squads, respectively.

Ferguson is a former junior road race world champion, having won the rainbow jersey in Zürich in 2024. Meanwhile, Rowe arrives having finished sixth and won the youth classification at the Lloyds Tour of Britain.

In the under-23 women’s race on 24 September, Ferguson will be joined by Imogen Wolff, Awen Roberts, Abi Miller and Morven Yeoman. In the under-23 men's road race on 25 September, Rowe will be joined by Ben Wiggins, William Smith, Jacob Bush and Mattie Dodd. Wiggins will also race the time trial.

Gabby McHugh, Aalia Clay, Zoe Roche, Peggy Knox and Melanie Rowe have been selected for the junior women's road race on 25 September.

Evander Wishart, Leon Atkins, Dexter Townsend, Gus Dutton, and Finlay Storrie will represent Great Britain in the junior men's road race on 24 September, as they look to defend Harry Hudson's title from last year in Kigali, Rwanda.

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