Australia and Canada aim for the medals in Montréal - But which riders can do it?
CyclingFriday, 25 September 2026 at 06:00
The main favourites for the 2026 World Championships road race are clear. Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, Mathieu van der Poel or Tom Pidcock are in the spotlight. However the race promises an action-packed thriller where outsiders could thrive.
On September 27, the elite men will take on the 273.4-kilometer course which features more than 3,500 altitude meters. It's a challenging circuit, but not one that would be unfamiliar to the professionals who have undertaken it already two weeks ago during the Grand Prix de Montréal.
This race was decided between favourites Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas, but one other surprising name appeared in the top-20; the "retired" Michael Woods.
Michael Woods returns to the spotlight
The 39-year-old Canadian joined the world of cycling at a later age of 30 after a career as track runner. In 2018, Woods podiumed on of the hardest World Championships editions in Leogang. Woods also finished 5th at the Tokyo Olympics, but bid farewell to professional cycling at the end of last season.
But rather than sitting on his sofa, Woods kept active - primarily in the world of gravel racing - and when he returned to road racing at the Canadian Championships in June with a 7th place, it was clear that he did not lose much of his elegance, nor power over the past six months.
To the national coaches, it was a clear signal that the 39-year-old still deserved a spot on their nomination of Quebec and Montréal Grand Prix. And after his 18th place in Montréal, there was no reason to include the "retired" Woods also for the World Championships, taking place on the same circuit. After all, the next best Canadian rider finished 49th...
Michael Woods in 2024
However Woods is not a big attacker - which anticipation would appear to be the best card to play for riders who are not among top-20 favourites. Rather, he's likely going to join the attritional battle on the repeating Mount Royal, aiming to outlast his younger opponents.
For Canada, the heaviest blow came already before the race even started. Their leader Derek Gee-West suffered a heavy fall at the GP de Montréal, and ultimately was forced to withdraw from all World Championship events.
Woods therefore steps in as a plausible alternative.
He'll be backed up by all-rounders Hugo Houle, Nickolas Zukowsky, Pier-André Côte - all of them likely to feature in some breakaway activity - and young promise Michael Leonard.
Australia set to embody the offensive strategy
Contrary to Canada, Australia holds several pawns with ambitions to enter the top-10. Even though the representation from Down Under lacks its perhaps best cards with Jay Vine and Luke Plapp, their options are still rather intriguing.
Perhaps the best choice for leader would be Michael Matthews. The 35-year-old has always excelled in brutal one-day races, and has won the Montréal Grand Prix in 2018. Since then, he's usually performed better in the Québec race, but still remains a rider nobody wants to come up against at the end of a 6-hour race.
Michael Matthews at the 2026 Tour de Suisse
But the biggest question mark will be whether Matthews can even reach the point where he'd sprint for a top result.
Quite a bit more likely is the scenario that an early attack could go a long way alongside a favourites' move. That would normally be the place for Plapp to take charge. In his absence, this task will likely see Ben O'Connor or Michael Storer take up this role.
Storer in particular has been having a very strong season thus far. The 29-year-old finished 7th overall at Giro d'Italia, and most recently claimed a 4th position at the Memorial Marco Pantani. And through all these races, he never abandoned his fearless attackive style - something he could put to good use in Montréal.
Furthermore, Jai Hindley might come up as an interesting wild card. The Australian is predominantly known as a general classification rider, but the 2022 Giro d'Italia winner can hold his own also in long one-day races.
Hindley was 16th at Liege-Bastogne-Liege earlier this year, or 16th at last year's World Championships in Kigali. That the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe climber is in-shape is supported by his 6th place two weeks ago at the Memorial Marco Pantani, where he finished in the first group behind late breakaway.
Add to that, the 30-year-old comes off a successful season. He podiumed the Giro for the third time in his career, and later played a role in Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France second place.
Jai Hindley on the final podium of the 2026 Giro d'Italia in Rome
As a rider who can play a role in many different race scenarios, rivals will need to keep a close eye out on Hindley during the Montréal World Championships.
The Australian nomination is rounded off by Jack Haig and Luke Tuckwell. The more experienced of the duo appears to be a bit past his best years (when he podiumed the 2022 Vuelta a Espana), but still has the level to become a valuable satellite rider for an attacking compatriot. For Hindley's trade-team mate Tuckwell, the Worlds debut will be a steep learning experience.
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In general, the Australian team therefore lacks a big favourite, but it's clear that they can play a crucial role during the Sunday's race. With a mix of fearless attackers, experienced leaders and resilient sprinter, they have all the tools to upset many teams who draw more attention prior to the World Championships' main event.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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