Angry Pidcock and Matthews claim del Toro helped UAE teammate McNulty claim gold - “If fewer teams had ridden together across national borders"
CyclingTuesday, 29 September 2026 at 10:48
As Brandon McNulty rode to victory in Sunday's dramatic World Championships finale, there was some anger behind in the chase as both Tom Pidcock and Michael Matthews implied that his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac del Toro helped McNulty.
The American attacked with 35 kilometers to go in Montreal, pouncing on both fatigue after an hour of frantic riding and an apparent lull in the pace as many of the race's contenders re-grouped. He quickly grew out a gap in what proved to be the race winning move and his golden ticket to the rainbow jersey.
Behind, most of the pre-race favourites found themselves in chase after over five hours of intense racing. Del Toro had been one of the main protaginists among the favourites as he repeatedly drove the pace, but Pidcock and Matthews have implied that his riding after McNulty's attack led them to question his tactics.
In an interview after the race, Pidcock alleged that del Toro rode in the interest of McNulty, his teammate at UAE, and didn't positively impact the chase - which came within ten seconds of the American over the circuit's final ascent of the main climb before a stalemate took gold away from them.
“It was hard to make the difference. To get the gap with the wind the way it was, with the USA team and with Matteo, he was super strong once Brandon attacked. And obviously Isaac is on the same team as well,” Pidcock told Cycling Pro Net.
Brandon McNulty was crowned world champion in Montreal
Pidcock claims del Toro assisted McNulty
“It was always going to be difficult to make a difference there after six hours."
He added in an interview with Cyclingnews: “Del Toro was obviously working for McNulty in the end there".
Pidcock was among the most attacking riders in the final two hours of racing, repeatedly driving the pace or closing gaps to attackers in one of his best performances on the world stage.
Michael Matthews shared a similar opinion. Although not explicitedly naming del Toro, the Australian implied that national borders were crossed when it came to teamwork in the finale.
Matthews questions tactics
“There was a little bit of teamwork between certain riders,” Matthews told Sporza.
“They were riding a little bit together. If fewer teams had ridden together across national borders, then we would have caught him. It is what it is.”
Matthews' presence in the group of favourites for the finale drew headlines as the versatile sprinter showed remarkable form to compete with the climbers and puncheurs on the tricky circuit.
He out-sprinted Matthew van der Poel and Mads Pedersen in the final run to the line to secure a silver medal, his best result since also taking second place eleven years ago at the 2015 World Championships.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Cry harder, boys!bobo29-09-2026
- Stop crying, ride fasterCrashjames29-09-2026
- Fair point from Rasmussen. At the TDF, sure, he's riding for Pogi, no question. But now that Brandon's in the rainbow jersey, he's earned the right to go for his own wins when the race suits him. He's more than just a bottle carrier at this point.Pedalmasher29-09-2026
- You want some of their oil money?? Then you do what they say. That is exactly what Brandon signed on to for the next four years.mobk29-09-2026
- This is the power of UAE, best in history surely witohut a doubt. Their domestiques are better than other teams captain and beat em in montreal and now WC its crazy. UAE is a crazy teammiguel29-09-2026
- Sure, it's frustrating. The men’s race drove me crazy, I couldn’t sit still, and I won’t pretend that I didn’t scream at the screen once or twice. But this is hardly a new phenomenon, nor does it only happen at the Worlds. We saw it back in Leuven in 2021 when questions lingered over how hard Belgium actually chased Alaphilippe. Conversely, you see the flip side when riders step outside their team for friendship and their shared nation, like G helping Cav in the final stage of the 23’ Giro. It’s almost impossible for the UCI to prevent it. We live in an era where cycling is dictated by super teams like UAE and Visma, and cyclists don’t want to burn bridges with team mates they have to work with for the rest of the year. It is what it is.anonymouscyclist29-09-2026
- A number of commentators said MVDP and WVA needed to get ahead of the climbers. I think that was backwards, they needed to drop him. Even after burning so many matches MVDP was able to crush all the climbers in the sprint, and if he hadn't used himself up he would have beaten Matthews, too.velodan29-09-2026
- Last year del Toro raced like a full Pogi domestique. This year harder to tell. Certainly others could have worked harder too to catch Brandon.mobk29-09-2026
- OK, I agree, Lance Armstrong was a jerk and the biggest doper in the history of any sports. But his Livestrong Foundation raised about $500 million for cancer-related programs and services during Lance Armstrong's career. That money came from many sources, individual donors, corporate partners, merchandise, events, and other fundraising. Armstrong personally donated approximately $7 million to the foundation. Livestrong described the Armstrong family as its largest donor. Lance did not receive a salary as chairman of the foundation. PS: How many of you Armstrong haters donated for cancer? Every year, on World Cancer Day, February 4th, my wife and I donate 200€ for cancer patients.PogiSloFans29-09-2026
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Rafionain-Glas29-09-2026
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