Elite men road race podium (l-r): second-placed Michael Matthews (Australia), winner Brandon McNulty (USA) and third-placed Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) (Image credit: Getty Images)
And that brings our final live report for the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, Canada, to a close.
Thanks for joining us today, and for the amazing racing we witnessed in the past week.
Next year’s championships are in Haute-Savoie, France, are a hugely ambitious project for a combined championships bigger than any in history.
Make sure to read our post-race report on all the action while also keeping an eye on our homepage for the latest reactions – there should be a lot after these exciting races.
Let’s hear from the new world champion. Brandon McNulty (USA).
“Honestly I don’t know. Really this is – I don’t know. I’m really at a loss. Until the last 100 metres I really didn’t even believe it I was so tired. I mean, I don’t know, I really don’t know.”
“Absolutely, the last climb up Mont Royal I was doing like zone 2, just dying, but I just kept pushing and I don’t know. We’ve said for weeks now that we have a super strong team and it’s possible. I think we rode cray well, marked everything, had guys ahead, I’m just seriously at a loss for words.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Top 10 – elite men road race results
Rank
Name
Time
1
McNULTY Brandon (United States)
6:17:04
2
Michael Matthews (Australia)
0:00:13
3
Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands)
0:00:13
4
Quinn Simmons (United States)
0:00:13
5
Isaac del Toro (Mexico)
0:00:14
6
Mads Pedersen (Denmark)
0:00:14
7
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain)
0:00:14
8
Matteo Jorgenson (United States)
0:00:14
9
Giulio Ciccone (Italy)
0:00:14
10
Ben Healy (Ireland)
0:00:14
USA’s Brandon McNulty stunning 32km solo ride deliver world title (Image credit: Getty Images)
Michael Matthews (Australia) takes the sprint for second place ahead of Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands).
Quinn Simmons (USA) is fourth, and Isaac del Toro (Mexico) takes fifth.
What a race! Almost six hours of racing.
Brandon McNulty wins after a solo 32km flyer!
The first world title for the USA in three decades.
McNulty keeps checking behind before going under the red kite, 1km to go.
The chase group is back together, 25 seconds back.
McNulty jas 22 seconds to the Pidcock, Schmid and Jorgenson group.
The final difficulty is the tough 600 metres drap uphill to the line.
McNulty sprints up Avenue Pagnuelo. His gap holds at 23 seconds with 4km to go.
Seixas is cramping while Pidcock catches Schmid with Jorgenson on his wheel.
Del Toro tries again to drop the others.
Schmid goes on the move, accelerating from the back of the chase group. A last-ditch attempt to catch McNulty.
Pidcock goes too, and Jorgenson once again gets on the Pidcock train.
McNulty is at top of the climb with 7km to go. He holds 32 seconds to the chase.
Van der Poel goes again. Jorgenson goes straight onto his wheel with Ciccone and Pedersen.
Pidcock closed it down to 10 seconds but never connected with the American, and then the chase slowed down as Evenepoel caught back on.
McNulty, who finished 4th in the TT, goes into aero position on the flatter roads and grows the gap to 29 seconds before the Polytechnique climb.
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) put in massive accelerations to try and close the gap
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Van der Poel tried to close the gap but couldn’t do it.
Seixas then Del Toro go to the front as Evenepoel is dropped.
Pidcock is closing the gap!
Bell lap – 13.4km to go
McNulty has 53 seconds on the chase group, as Evenepoel is caught just before they go through the finish line for the penultimate time.
Pedersen and Simmons made their way to the chase group at the bottom of Camilien-Houde.
Healy accelerates on the climb; Ciccone reacts, but they slow down again.
Rinse and repeat. Ciccone attacks and Pidcock reacts. SImmons tried to go with them but can’t keep up.
Van der Poel accelerates with Mauro Schmid on his wheel. Schmid came across with Evenepoel, but he is brought back.
Huge acceleration from Evenepoel from the back of the group. Jorgenson briefly gave chase but then swung off, leaving the others to close it down. Pidcock gives chase.
It is now Ciccone’s turn to attack, as Evenepoel surges from the second chase group and catches on.
Healy attacks and Pidcock reacts. Jorgenson is following every move, blocking and waiting in case McNulty is caught.
Pidcock goes again and Jorgenson stays on his wheel.
Van der Poel, Matthews, and Healy catch back onto the chase group, as the gap to McNulty is now 36 seconds.
Pidcock attacks again! But can’t get anyone else to continue at the high speed. Everyone is cooked.
Huge crowds cheer on USA’s Brandon McNulty who attacked with 32km to go
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Pidcock’s effort only shaved off a few seconds from the lead but it did shell riders off the back of the chase group.
Van der Poel and Buitrago are distanced. Del Toro is also a few metres back.
Pidcock goes again. Seixas and Jorgenson stay with him, and so does Matthews and Ciccone.
2 laps to go
McNulty is all in, taking a corner hot but managed to stay upright.
The American has a 1:08 lead to the chase group, with really no organisation, as more riders catch on to the back. The Evenepoel is 1:29 back.
Pidcock attacks on the climb, as Del Toro is sitting at the back of the group.
McNulty gets a gap on Polytechnique as Roglič catches back on to the group.
The American has 35 seconds on the group of favourites. Del Toro looks over his shoulder as some of the riders are free-wheeling, looking at each other to chase.
Evenepoel’s group is at 1:20
And we have a reset at the front. Simmons and Healy look to be in difficulty as Roglič is dropped.
Del Toro closed the gap, effortlessly and a new front group is created with Del Toro, Ayuso, Ciccone, Seixas, McNulty, Jorgenson and more.
McNulty attacks on the right-hand side. Everyone looks at Del Toro but Seixas is the one that has to close it down.
Del Toro has a chat with trade teammate McNulty at the back of the chase group.
Del Toro accelerates again with Pidcock behind him, as the gap is now down to 9 seconds, and the connection is made.
Immediately, Jorgenson and Ciccone counter on the right-hand side. Pidcock reacts immediately.
Healy accelerates as Onley falls off the pace, The Irishman closes down and catches the lead trio with 38km to go, making it four in the break. Van der Poel looks at him, and keeps on going.
Behind, Van Aert cracks and is done for the day. Yates is also dropped from the chase group, with Del Toro pushing the pace. Evenepoel is also dropped.
With three laps to go, the gap has tightened up
Van der Poel, Simmons and Roglič have 10 seconds to Healy and Onley.
Chase 2, with 17 riders are at 32 seconds. This group includes Van Aert, Evenepoel, Del Toro, Seixas, Ciccone, Matthews, Jorgenson, McNulty, Ayuso, Piganzoli, Kung, Honoré and Buitrago.
Evenepoel attacks and gets a quick reaction from Seixas and Pidcock.
Del Toro counters, and gets a small gap, and Seixas is forced to close it down.
Van Aert goes to the front, working for Evenepoel.
45km to go
Evenpoel jumps solo from the third chase group, and Van Aert drops back to bring him to the Seixas-Del Toro group.
Van der Poel, Roglič and Simmons have 41 seconds on a chase group.
The chase group includes Del Toro, Ayuso, Matthews, Pidcock, Seixas and Jorgenson and McNulty who are blocking for teammate Simmons in the break.
In between are Onley and Healy together at 26 seconds.
Evenepoel was about to make contact on the climb but then sat up. Roglič was momentarily dropped from leaders down to three with Van der Poel and Simmons.
Lap 9 of 12
Break of 4 with Van der Poel, Roglič, Onley and Simmons have 19 seconds on Healy who jumped from the chase.
Ciccone now attacking out of the Seixas group as the USA riders are blocking the chase somewhat.
With 56 km to go, Van der Poel, Roglič, Onley and Simmons have a gap of 28 seconds,
Chase 1 includes Seixas, Del Toro Pidcock, Ayuso, Jorgenson, McNulty and more.
Chase group, a further 16 seconds, includes Evenpoel, Yates and Kung.
Healy and Pidcock, with the USA duo of Jorgenson and McNulty, catch the Van Aert group.
Del Toro attacks with Seixas on his wheel; he flies across and makes it across.
There are groups everywhere on the circuit.
Pidcock connects with Healy and they give chase, both working together. Does Pidcock know that Onley is in the break?
Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) putting in a massive acceleration (Image credit: Getty Images)
Big acceleration by Roglič, and he drops Van Aert and Charmig on Camilien-Houde.
The Slovenian put in a big effort to try to bridge up to the lead trio. He finally connects just as they crest the climb.
With no race radios, Evenepoel does not know that Van Aert was dropped, so it delays any more he may make.
Three riders in the break – Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley – have 16 seconds to Van Aert, Charmig and Roglič with five laps to go.
The second chase group, quite disorganised, are at 57 seconds.
The peloton led by Michał Kwiatkowski (Poland), such as it is, is 1:10 from the lead trio.
More reshuffling in the aggressive and dynamic race.
Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley are working well together and have 14 seconds on Van Aert, Roglič and Charmig.
Evenepoel, Seixas, Del Toro, Healy, McNulty, Ayuso, Adam Yates, Michael Matthews are in a 14-rider chase group, 27 seconds from the trio with 70km to go.
The chase group with Seixas, Del Toro and Evenepoel also includes Ciccone, Ayuso, McNulty, Healy and Johannessen. But they are not working well together, but the gap is coming down.
More riders make it to the chase.
Van der Poel puts in a massive attack with 74km to go with the chase group getting too close. Simmons and Onley go deep to get onto the Dutch rider’s wheel.
Del Toro comes to the front to try to try and close down this dangerous move. On his wheel are Evenepoel, Seixas, Healy and more, and his acceleration caused a split is opening up after 10 riders. Carnage on Camilien-Houde.
An isolated Seixas takes a pull.
Pidcock still has not made it to the front of the pack.
Lap 7 of 12
The strong break of six – Van der Poel, Van Aert, Simmons, Roglič, Charmig and Onley – have 41 seconds with six laps to go, or 80km to go.
Mexico did a short pull, but it’s France at the front once again with Sivakov. Seixas has already lost Amirail and Paret-Peintre.
With Van Aert in the break, Evenepoel has to sit in the field, and wait for somewhere else to attack so he can follow.
Pidcock, with ha teammate is coming back in the team cars after a bike change.
Roglič and Charmig make it across to the break with 85km to go. USA’s Quinn Simmons also joins the move.
France is going to have to chase this move down, as Paret-Peintre calls it a day for France.
French team close the move down and Van Aert goes on the attack. Van der Poel and Onley jump on.
The peloton is under pressure, single-filed as they chase down the trio.
Wout van Aert (Belgian) led a chase group with Primož Roglič (Slovenia) and Brandon McNulty (USA) on his wheel. And they connect with 88km to go.
Very dangerous breakaway of 15 riders.
Ben Healy (Ireland), Oscar Onley (Great Britain(, Christian Scaroni and Giulio Pellizzari (Italy), Andreas Kron (Denmark), Alex Baudin (France) and Maxim an Gils (Belgian) came across to Charmig.
Van der Poel also bridges up with 91km to go. Santiago Buitrago (Colombia), Andreas Leknessund who was in the early break along with teammate Jorgen Nordhagen also made it into the move.
USA takes the front of the peloton down to 79 riders as Del Toro is tail-gunning it with 7 laps to go.
Ciccone and Evenepoel are moving up in the peloton with France back at the front on Camilien-Houde. Group of six riders starting to pull away.
Italy’s Alberto Bettiol has been trying to get something started, he’s made a few attacks, but Anthon Charmig (Denmark) is the one who gets a small gap after countering once Bettiol is caught.
Behind Nairo Quintana is dropped, waves to the camera and says goodbye in his final world championship.
100km to go
Big attack from Slovenia’s Gal Glivar on the Polytechnique climb. He looks under his elbow, and gets a few seconds.
Sivakov swings away and Bettiol comes to the front and reels him in.
We have entered the next phase of the race. The early break was caught; speed is high, whittling down the peloton, as attacks continue.
Attacks continue at the front, shelling more riders off the back.
France’s Pavel Sivakov takes a turn at the front.
Jordan Jegat counters when his teammate Paret-Peintre is brought back by the Netherlands on Camilien-Houde.
Bettiol comes to the front. the first time we see an Italian rider come to the fore.
Enric Mas (Spain), Ben OConnor and Michael Storer (Australia) are all distanced.
Lap 5 of 12
The time for the four riders left in the break is almost over. They have a 10-second lead as they cross the finish line with 8 laps to go.
Valentin Paret-Peintre attacks from the peloton and catches the break.
Right after crossing the finish line, Tim van Dijke (Netherlands) crashed in the feedzone and got a new bike.
Boivin dropped out of the break and then calls it a day. But first, he takes the time to high-five the fans on the side of the road.
The list of riders abandoning the race continues to grow – it includes Luka Mezgec, Jan Tratnik, and Matej Mohorič of Slovenia, Victor Langellotti (Monaco), Nico Denz (Germany), Mathijs Paasschens (Netherlands) and Raúl García Pierna (Spain).
Let’s hear what Ulises Alfredo Castillo told Cyclingnews Managing Editor Laura Weislo in the mixed zone.
The Mexican rider did a lot of work in the beginning, in the Montérégie section of the course, keeping an eye on the gap for his team leader Isaac del Toro.
“It was nothing crazy, it was just rolling with the other countries. We were a little bit nervous at the beginning that something big or a lot of the big countries want to be on the breakaway. But the good thing that everybody wait for the circuit. So once we get out on the circuit, was like a hard pace, so for us, was the work done.”
“Well, Isaac [del Toro] he has a good mentality of a winner. I think he’s on his best shape, and he’s waiting for the best.”
The gap is now under the one-minute mark, at 55 seconds, with 9 laps to go.
Still Amirail at the front, though a Mexican rider did do a couple of pulls.
Nys finally gets his bike change – his cyclo-cross skills shined as to how fast that was done.
France’s Bruno Amirail sets a fast pace for two laps of the circuit, making the race hard for team leader Paul Seixas.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Cyclingnews Managing Editor Laura Weislo caught up with Belgium’s Alec Segaert in the mixed zone at the finish line, after he pulled out of the race.
“It was actually quite okay to control in the beginning. We were with a few teams to do so with the Mexicans, Dutch, and British people as well. So was quite okay, even though the break was a were 16 guys, but then once we entered the circuit, the French team took over and pushed already quite hard. Sadly for me, I didn’t have the legs today because I really wanted to survive a bit longer. But they want to make it a hard race, and we’ll see what it what it will bring.”
“I still think we have the cards to win this. Even Wout and Remco, they know how to race these races, and they will play their cards in the final. I don’t know how they will do, but I’m sure they have a plan.”
“I didn’t even take bottles because I wanted to release it as light as possible, and I only did one last sentence. No secret messages.”
Report from Cyclingnews on the ground in Montréal.
Both times across the line, Del Toro has been burning matches to move up during the start/finish straight, with a bit of a tailwind.
lap 3 of 12
With Amirail at the front for close to 30km so far, the gap is now down to 2:34 to the seven rider break, as Boivin chased back onto the lead group.
Valentin Paret-Peintre is sittong on Amirail’s wheel, with Seixas a bit further back.
Let’s hear from Amir Ansari racing with the Refugee Cycling Team, who made his way into the early break.
“I feel a bit sick before the time trial, so I didn’t have a lot of chance, and the course is very hard. So I decided to be in the breakaway, and then we’ll see what happens, how long I can manage. So more than after a race, so I’m happy with it.”
“I know today I feel it that the bunch will going to push soon as soon as possible. And when I was, we had like 8:45 something before they come into the course to the lab in the local lap. So I see the times going down very fast, like two minutes in the one lap, and the next time was faster.
“[The atmosphere] was crazy. Like I just that’s why I just continued to enjoy the moment.”
Mechanicals for Matej Mohorič and Thibau Nys.
Mohorič gets a bike change, while Nys raises his hand, calling for this team car for a wheel change.
Mechanical for Ben Oliver of New Zealand, tire came off his front wheel. He’s by the side of the road, hand up, waiting for his team car.
Make that 6 riders left in the break: Girmay and his teammate Mulubrhan, Leknessund, Engelhardt, Meehan and Liepins.
They have 3:36 on the peloton with Amirail still setting the pace.
Break is also shedding riders. Finkšt, Boivin, Antonenko, Stolić, Jurado, Mayer, Vaidian, Miltiadis, Hopkins, Ansari are all off the back. Leaving 7 off the front.
The peloton was down to 133 riders after one time around the circuit. 184 riders started in Brossard.
Gap has been reduced by over 2:40 on the 13.4km-lap as the break starts lap 2 of 12, and see 147.4km to go.
Swiss also put in a rider in the rotation, setting a hard place in the peloton.
Peloton crossing the finish line to start lap 1 of 12 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Puncture for birthday boy Hugh Houle, who stops by the Shimano neutral car, but doesn’t stop and takes on the descent behind the Shimano car.
Del Toro is losing teammates, as four of his compatriots are dropped on the climb. The Mexican team lined up with six riders.
Under Amirail’s impetus, the gap is now 5:22
The French team definitely has a plan to launch Seixas; the question is, when will the French teenager do on the attack?
More riders distanced at they climb Camilien-Houde – the same scenario of attrition that was on display in all the road races.
Amirail leads the peloton across the finish line to start the circuit. His team with team leader Seixas, as well as Switzerland are lined up behind him.
Romania’s Văidian is falling off the pace from the break on Camilien-Houde.
(Image credit: UCI)
Lap 1 of 12
The 16-rider break crosses the finish line for the first time to start the circuit, after over two hours of racing. They have a gap of around six minutes on the peloton with France’s Bruno Amirail setting a hard pace.
Isaac del Toro and other contenders were also seend to be moving up.
Could the weather add an extra challenge?
It is windy and cool (17 Celsius), with gray clouds moving from the east in Montréal and a 50% chance of showers in the next hour.
Cyclingnews North American editor Jackie Tyson took this photo of the finish line from 200 metres to go.
(Image credit: Future/Jackie Tyson)
French team comes to the front, and shave off one minute on the gap as riders are starting to be dropped off the back.
The 16-rider break are cheered on as they head towards the start of the circuit in Montréal
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The men are heading towards the 13.4km circuit, which features four key climbs. The first comes soon after the finish line with the Voie Camilien-Houde, a 1.67km ascent averaging 7.4% and reaching a maximum gradient of 10%.
Next is Chemin de la Polytechnique, 790 metres at 6%, including a punishing 200-metre section at 11%. The riders then face Avenue Pagnuelo, a 534-metre climb averaging 7%, topping out around the 9km mark.
The final challenge is a 600-metre drag at 4% up Avenue du Parc to the finish.
It is the same circuit that the women faced yesterday. The elite men will tackle the circuit 12 times.
(Image credit: UCI)
Pace went up to 50 km/hr, as riders in the peloton are jostling for position, using the whole wide road to get into the bridge.
Attack on the right-hand side from Fredd Matute (Honduras) who tried to get across to the break at the beginning of the race, but never made it.
Let’s hear what Michael Matthews had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Australian has won both the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Québec.
“Worlds always throws a different spin on things, but no I think it’s gonna be quite a different race today than what we normally have in Montreal GP but yeah, we’re ready, we have a strong team, so let’s see what we can do.
“If you look at the teams, I mean it’s gonna be super fast. I think everyone’s expecting a really hard race but for me, I just need to try and survive as long as I can and hopefully all my stars align today.”
Riders have made their way back to Brossard, after a long loop in Montérégie region and will head towards Montréal.
Belgian rider at the front of the peloton, as the gap is 8:07 with 181km to go.
Let’s hear what Isaac del Toro had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Mexican rider won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, raced on the same city circuit.
“Same kind of chaotic situation [as the women’s race], for sure. No one needs to sleep in this kind of circuit, but it’ll be hectic until the end and you will never know who will win until the line. For sure, the move will be on the climb and someone will keep trying, but everybody needs to be smart and to give his 100%.”
“I am kind of the guy who wants to have a hard day on the bike and excited and looking forward.”
I know I said that there wouldn’t be more history but it’s of the racing kind:
Mount Royal returned to the centre stage of global cycling this week when Montréal hosted the UCI Road World Championships. It had been 52 years since Montréal made history as the first Road Worlds outside Europe and two years later notched another milestone as the first Canadian city to host summer competitions for the Olympic Games.
1974 road world champion Genevieve Gambillon of France stands next to now-retired pro Julian Alaphilippe at a ceremony two years ago to celebrate the UCI Road Worlds’ return to Montréal (Image credit: Getty Images)
The gap keeps on growing, up to 7:55 with 191km to go.
The peloton is single-file, behind a Dutch rider setting the pace.
Spain’s Enric Mas and Belgium’s Wout van Aert are each making their way back into the pack with a teammate. The flat rural roads provide a good opportunity for a nature break before they hit Montreal and it’s urban roads.
Let’s hear what Mathieu van der Poel had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. A former road World Champion from Glasgow in 2023, the Dutch rider showed his form with a 174km solo win in Luxembourg.
“That’s what everybody is trying to do and also me but I think quite a good preparation and we will see how it goes today.”
“It’s gonna be a very hard race, if you see the races in Montreal, it’s always like this, so I think the strong riders will be in the front of the race.”
“I already know how it feels to wear [the rainbow jersey] so I would be very happy to wear it again, so we will go for it.”
200km to go
The 16-rider break has 7:20 on the peloton with 200km to go.
While the wind is blowing, it’s not quite hard enough to cause havoc. Riders are about 19 kilometres from crossing over the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge where the wind may blow harder, but the bridge is only a few kilometres.
Let’s hear what Ben Healy had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Irishman finished seventh in Zurich 2024 and then third in Kigali last year.
“I’m here in good form, and it’s a good course that suits me, so why not?”
“That’s the thing about this race, it’s so open, you know, I think there’s obviously a couple of favourites like Remco and Matthew, but, other than that, I think there’s a lot of people that can win this.”
Gap hits the 7-minute mark with 208km to go as the Eritrean team car heads towards the break.
Let’s see what some of the pre-race favourites had to say in the days leading to this race – French star Paul Seixas, who claimed the bronze medal in the TT earlier this week.
Working well together, the 16 riders in the break now have 6:34 with 222km to go.
There is no sense of urgency in the peloton, still rolling very steady on the flat roads of the Montérégie region. It should get more active when the riders reach Montreal, and head towards the circuit with an early fight for position.
Let’s see what some of the pre-race favourites had to say in the days leading to this race – Great Britain co-leader Tom Pidcock, who spent time in Colorado to get ready,
The gap is now over 5 minutes. with 231 km to go. Great Britain add a rider to the rotation with Mexico, Belgium and the Netherlands at the front of the peloton.
It is surprising to see the full Mexican team at the front, and use up their riders so early.
Let’s see what some of the pre-race favourites had to say in the days leading to this race.
Fabulous early morning crowd cheering the riders on Mont St-Hilaire.
Let’s hear what Biniam Girmay told the organisers at the start this morning.
“I already did four times this course, so it’s slightly a bit less laps [than GP Montreal] but in the end of the day, I think it’s going to be hard. So today I’m here to support my teammate. “
“I think for us is the best chance maybe we can have is to anticipate in the early move with the other two guys we have. So just make sure everything they have for the race, like positioning and to support them with nutrition and everything. So yeah, I will do best possible I can to help those two guys.”
The 16-rider break has 3:14 on the peloton with Mexico, working for Isaac del Toro, at the front keeping an eye on things with 244km to go.
Break
The move includes Andreas Leknessund (Norway), Felix Engelhardt (Germany), Slovenia’s Tilen Finkšt wearing #1 bib, Jamie Meehan (Ireland), Guillaume Boivin (Canada), Emile Liepins (Latvia), Heorhii Antonenko (Ukraine), Mihajlo Stolić (Serbia), Christofer Jurado (Panama), Alexandre Mayer (Mauritius), Iustin-Ioan Vaidian (Romania), Andreas Miltiadis (Cyprus), Kaden Hopkins (Bermuda), Amir Ansari (Refugee Cycling Team) and Girmay and his Eritrean teammate Henok Mulubrhan.
The 16 riders are working well together and now have a gap of 2:41 with 253km to go.
A little history, as we gather the names of the riders in the break, and the peloton speeds by Fort Chambly.
Fort Chambly National Historic Site is the only fort in the greater Montreal area. The first wooden fort in this location was built as a defence post in the wars between the French and the Iroquois in New France in the second half of the 17th century.
The current structure was built between 1709-1711, Serving the French military until 1760, it was later used as a British Garrison.
Captured by American forces on October 20, 1775, during the American Invasion of Canada of 1775–76, it was held until the spring of 1776 when it was evacuated and burned.
After falling into disrepair, a citizen of Chambly personally repaired and restored the site in 1881. Between 1965 and 1985 extensive archaeological digs were carried out, and today a fully reconstructed version of the final phase of Fort Chambly (1718–1720) can be visited by the public. It provides beautiful views of the Richelieu River, trails, a bike path and green spaces.
Fredd Matute (Honduras) jumps to bridge up to the break.
Meanwhile, multiple riders drop back to talk to their managers in the team cars. With no radios, it is the only way on the course right now to know who is in the break and talk strategy.
16 riders, including Girmay, manage to get a small gap with 264km to go. They are working very hard to try and stay away as the winds are stronger than expected.
They built up a 21-second lead in two kilometres.
Biniam Girmay (Eritrea), wearing his trade team NSN Cycling gilet, is part of the attacking riders.
The flurry of attacks continues at the front with no one managing to escape while pre-race favourites Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) and Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) remain calm, tucked safely in the middle of the peloton.
Immediate attacks from the front of the peloton, led by a Pogačar-less Slovenian team.
Flag drop – 273.7km to go
And we’re racing!
The huge peloton, of 184 riders, is off for the – unusual in a world championship – 4km neutral section before the flag drop.
Starting on the South Shore, in Brossard, the men head south for a loop through seven other municipalities in the Montérégie region such as Carignan, Chambly, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Richelieu, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu before returning to Brossard and heading to Montréal.
The peloton will then ride the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge towards the Mount Royal circuit, which the men will do 12 times. The now-iconic circuit features several major challenges: the Voie Camillien-Houde, the Chemin de la Polytechnique, and the tough false flat rising along Avenue du Parc to the line.
It is the same circuit that all the road races faced. The elite men will race the circuit 12 times.
The first passing across the finish line will be with 160.8km to go.
Map of the elite men road race at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal (Image credit: UCI)
It’s a cool morning in Brossard for the start, with cloudy skies and temperatures around 14°C. There’s a 10% chance of rain, with winds of 18 km/h across the Greater Montreal region.
10 minutes to the start of the race, where the men will face 3802 metres of elevation gain over the 273.7km course highlighted by the closing Mount Royal circuit.
Profile of the elite men road race at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal (Image credit: UCI)
The last two days of racing have seen 2-up sprints and solo breaks decide the winner. Yesterday’s elite women’s race delivered a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat finale. How will today’s winner be decided?
UCI Road World Championships: Demi Vollering outsprints Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to first world title in women’s elite road race after gripping final lap duel
Dutch rider claims first world title in Montreal from sprint á deux after coming up short from solo attack
Who will succeed Pogačar in 2026? So many options in the wide-open race.
Yesterday, on his final day as elite men’s road race World Champion, Tadej Pogačar returned to riding outdoors, 28 days after breaking his collarbone and neck in a crash at the Vuelta a España.
Hi. Bonjour. Welcome to our live report on Cyclingnews for the elite men’s road race, the final event of the 2026 UCI World Road Championships in Montréal, Canada. What a great week of racing we’ve had so far.
