"Maybe Tadej will have to ride for me" - Pogacar to turn domestique as UAE teammate Brandon McNulty takes his rainbow jersey
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG have a welcome headache on their hands as the Montreal World Championships saw them keep hold of the rainbow jersey. They had one of the favourites among their ranks in Isaac del Toro, but after an exhilerating race, Brandon McNulty kept the prestigious title close to home.
Tadej Pogacar had won the previous two world titles before injury ended his chances of three in a row, and while Mexican champion del Toro seemed their best shot at filling the void, American Brandon McNulty stepped up to the plate.
The USA rider attacked the favourites with 32 kilometres to go, just minutes after many of the contenders had caught up with Mathieu van der Poel - who had been wreaking havoc at the front of affairs. The opportunistic move turned out to be a winning ticket for McNulty, who joined the squad in 2020.
A vital Tour de France domestique to Pogacar, McNulty now could demand additional opportunities at the squad as world champion. While under no illusions that the Slovenian will remain the leader of the team, McNulty couldn't help but joke that Pogacar may prove to be his domestique on some days in the future.
"Maybe Tadej will have to ride for me a few days," McNulty joked after the race, Cycling Weekly reported.
Brandon McNulty after the 2026 Montreal World Championships
Pogacar congratulates McNulty
The former world champion took to social media soon after to congratulate McNulty following the remarkable 32 kilometre solo attack.
“The King of Montreal. Proud of you, Brandon,” Pogacar posted on Instagram after watching McNulty complete a stunning solo victory in Sunday's elite men's road race.
There was more history behind the message than a simple teammate congratulations, with the pair having already shared one of the most memorable moments of their partnership on the same Montreal circuit just 12 months earlier.
At the 2025 GP Montreal, Pogacar had attacked clear before waiting for McNulty, allowing the pair to ride the closing kilometres together before the American crossed the line first.
Read also
McNulty lost for words after win
The American was lost for words in his post-race interview in the immediate aftermath. XXX
"I'm really at a loss," McNulty admitted in his immediate post-race television interview. "Until the last 300 metres I really didn't believe it. I was so tired. The last time up Mont-Royal I was just dying. I kept pushing and... I don't know."
"We said for weeks that we have a super strong team and anything's possible," McNulty said. "We rode crazy well; marked everything; had guys ahead. I'm seriously at a loss for words."
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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- To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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