Changes in USA's World Championships team - Riley Sheehan set for a last-minute World Championships call-up to replace sick Neilson Powless
CyclingFriday, 18 September 2026 at 09:00
Riley Sheehan might get sick of planes at the end of the current racing block. That is because, according to journalist Daniel Benson, the 26-year-old American is going to replace the sick Neilson Powless in United States national team for the 2026 World Championships in Montréal.
Sheehan's enjoying a good summer. After a strong spring which culminated in a victory at Circuit de Wallonie and two podiums at the Tour de Wallonie, Sheehan took a short break.
Coming back after a month without racing, Sheehan immediately top-5'd a stage at Tour of Denmark. And two weeks later, he already got to raise his hands at the Czech Tour. Then came the trip to North America, where Sheehan immediately impressed with a fourth place at Philadelphia Cycling Classic.
Two weeks later, it was time for the big races; the Canadian classics. Sheehan already rode a strong race in Québec where he came 25th, but his stand-out performance came in Montréal where he crossed the finish line 14th, just shy of the main group of favourites.
🚨 Exclusive: Riley Sheehan will replace Neilson Powless (sick) in the men's USA team for the UCI Road World Championships 🇺🇸 🌈
— Dnlbenson (@dnlbenson) September 17, 2026
A perfect run-up to the World Championships except... Sheehan wasn't selected. And so he immediately travelled back to Europe to be able to compete already in Wednesday's Grand Prix de Wallonie. Sheehan is also set to race the Flandrien 0.0 Classic (19/09) and CRO Race (22/09-27/09), but those plans might change.
That is because the previously-nominated Neilson Powless apparently fell sick, and the US coach needs a replacement. The man in-form - Sheehan - is a logical choice, except he needs to cross the Atlantic for a second time in a week.
Even more poor luck for Powless
As far as Powless is concerned, the drop-out is yet another setback to the American's already ruined season. Powless kicked off his season early at the Tour de la Provence, but a knee injury postponed his next start until July at the Tour of Austria where he immediately claimed a stage win.
Read also
Despite only 19 race days in his legs, the American coach was willing to bet on the experienced Powless, however now it's becoming clear he'll have to do without the 2021 World Championships top-5 finisher in Montréal.
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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