"Once Pogacar crashed out, we realised that we could actually have a shot" - USA rider reflects on 'beautiful' McNulty World Championships victory
Cycling
Brandon McNulty's World Championships victory has been described as 'beautiful' by his teammate in Montreal Larry Warbasse. Labelled as one of the biggest moments in US cycling history, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider took a remarkable win in September after an advantageous move from the group of favourites.
McNulty's move was no isolated attack, with the US boasting a strong line-up and an ever-growing short list of high level riders. In the lead-up to McNulty's attack, Quinn Simmons was on the attack while Matteo Jorgenson marked counter-moves to neutralise the chase behind.
In the end, McNulty crossed the line solo and took his first rainbow jersey, succeeding teammate Tadej Pogacar in the iconic jersey. His teammate Warbasse found out while still on the course behind the front of the race.
“I found out just as I was hitting that university climb,” Warbasse told Domestique.
“There were guys telling me that Brandon had won. For me, that was super exciting, and I was riding with his trade teammate Ivo Oliveira, so for both of us, it was pretty cool.”
For Warbasse, the race is one of the highlights of his career from a team perspective. The 36-year-old thinks that the result reflects the progress and strength of American cycling.
Brandon McNulty, world champion in Montréal.
Warbasse labels win 'gigantic'
“It’s definitely one of the biggest highlights. I probably never imagined I’d get to be a part of a team that would win the men’s elite road race title, so that was huge.
“I think also just for the US, it’s gigantic because I would say we had kind of a down period in terms of performance for the elite men for a long time. But we had one of the strongest teams in the race and Brandon was able to pull it off with a really beautiful victory.”
Pogacar's absence from the championships was a game-changer for the Americans. Although all other teams were buoyed by the favourite's omission from the start list, it certainly suited USA's strength in numbers.
“I mean, I think we thought we had a really good shot at the podium, and then once Pogacar crashed out, we realised that we could actually have a shot at more. I think it was really in the weeks before that we realised that maybe we could actually win this thing.
“It was crazy. We maybe missed a big star name like Remco or Van der Poel, but we knew that collectively we probably had one of the strongest teams.”
Read also
Simmons and Jorgenson also in top ten
With Simmons and Jorgenson in the top ten, it was the perfect race for USA. Warbasse finished 57th after working for the team earlier in the race, using his experience well in his fourth elite men's road race in a row.
“Neilson [Powless] was fifth a few years ago, so we’ve been pretty close. But in the end, I think the group of American riders has just gotten stronger and stronger. I think this year, we probably could have fielded a team of 12 super strong guys.
"And in Montreal, the biggest thing was probably having three guys in the top ten strongest in the race, because that really allows you to play in the final. I think for us that was probably the biggest difference maker.”
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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