“There are at least fifteen riders who can win”: Bernard Hinault sees wide-open World Championships after Pogacar’s absence
CyclingMonday, 07 September 2026 at 10:01
Tadej Pogacar’s season-ending injury has transformed the World Championships from a race with a clear favourite into one of the most unpredictable events on the 2026 calendar. The Slovenian will not be in Montréal to defend the rainbow jersey he won in Kigali last year, leaving the door open for a new world champion.
Pogacar suffered a serious crash during the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España on August 29. After undergoing surgery on his fractured collarbone, the five-time Tour de France winner confirmed that he would not race again in 2026.
His absence also rules him out of the World Championships, which will take place in Montréal from September 20 to 27, as well as the final major races of his season.
The 27-year-old has been almost impossible to beat whenever he has lined up this season. Without Pogacar, several riders suddenly having a realistic opportunity to claim the biggest one-day title in cycling. Former world champion Bernard Hinault believes the field is now far too open to identify only a handful of favourites.
Pogacar won the World Championships 2025 in Rwanda
A long list of potential world champions
Hinault believes as many as 15 riders could realistically leave Montréal with the rainbow jersey. Rather than replacing Pogacar with one obvious favourite, the French legend expects a much more uncertain battle.
“There are at least fifteen riders who can win! Paul Seixas can do it, Del Toro as well. Lorenzo Finn can win, as can Remco [Evenepoel]. There are a whole lot of them!” Hinault said in words gathered by RMC Sport.
Paul Seixas is one of the young riders who could benefit most from the absence of Pogacar. The Frenchman has already attracted considerable attention this season and will now enter the World Championships without having to find a way past the dominant rider who won the title in Rwanda twelve months ago.
Evenepoel, meanwhile, brings considerably more experience to the equation. The Belgian has already won world titles and Olympic gold, while Isaac Del Toro has established himself as another rider capable of fighting for gold.
The uncertainty could also have a major tactical impact. With no Pogacar to force the other nations to react to his attacks, teams may be more willing to race aggressively from further out. Smaller groups could form earlier, while riders who might previously have been considered outsiders could find themselves with a genuine chance of winning.
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Hinault warns against overlooking Carapaz
Hinault also believes the older generation should not be written off. Among the experienced riders, he specifically singled out Richard Carapaz as someone capable of turning an unpredictable championship into an opportunity.
“And the old generation is still there. But there is one rider you must not forget, and that is Richard Carapaz. He is the warrior who attacks. He takes some big hits but he is always there. He has been Olympic champion, so he is capable of having a great championship,” Hinault said.
For Pogacar, however, the World Championships are no longer part of the equation. After an extraordinary season was brought to an abrupt end by his Vuelta crash, recovery will be the absolute priority, as the team has already announced.
Hinault believes that is exactly what the Slovenian needs: “The best thing is to rest and refocus on next year,” he concluded.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- Janja Garnbret a year ago about Pogačar: "Tadej is considered the best cyclist in the world because of his rare combination of unmatched physical endurance, explosive power, and an all-around racing style that lets him win almost any type of event. He also has exceptional tactical intelligence and racecraft. A few months ago he said to me: In my view, cycling intelligence is simple... keep control, play smart, avoid overthinking, and ensure you have the best legs on the day."PogiSloFans07-09-2026
- Seixas, instead of doing the tdf and riding round, should've done this and he'd have won it
leedorney07-09-2026 - Haven’t seen many crowds lately and sorry but temperatures are certainly above average with 45.7 yesterday. Every degree starts to count above 36, 37 and each is a lot worse than the previous one. Security and health should definitely trump fans, especially for a free event. Should consider moving to a different part of the world if you live for cycling coming to your doorstep.Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- Didn’t want but did and the opposite in the Vuelta, someone might have to start reviewing strategies.Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- Hopefully with these kind of experiences, more people will start to think a bit deeper about all the exploited that have to work all day almost day in worse heat with no-one to feed or hydrate them. The deaths in the name of being on time for hosting mega sport events didn’t register on people’s consciousness very long, if at all. Is it a coincidence there’s quite a few connections between some of the sponsors in cycling and those events. Makes you wonder how much they’d be willing to pay to start a summer cycling league for has been cyclists, or is that only interesting with football?Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- There is no right or wrong. Different strokes. He at least knows it because he allows eaxh to answer for themselves, is that what cycling wants? Obviously quite a few do because that’s how it is. Now, I’m not saying he doesn’t have a point but if you’re going to go down a path like that then how far are you willing to go? Will you also reconsider the financial inequalities and other problems precarious teams have to deal with, or the pressures they are under to survive, something none of the top tier teams really have to think about when planning a season?Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- The number of participants is limited anyway. Before asking others to join the big races he should also be explaining who they should then be replacing who are taking part.Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- An absolutely perfectly played out win by van Aert. The rest couldn’t attack him in any successful way and he was just that much stronger. It’s nice to see him back after that terrible 2024 crash. As fun as ever to watchRidesHills06-09-2026
- Janja has amazing mental strength.Hills3306-09-2026
- Greater depth to a race means that surprises (from the breakaway) are more possible. The favourites have to react more, so even if one of them still wins, the nature of the race could be different and more exciting
Rafionain-Glas06-09-2026
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