"Typical of Hayter to deliver a top performance out of nowhere" - Might a surprise winner at the World Championships be British?
CyclingFriday, 18 September 2026 at 13:45
Might the 2026 World Championships deliver a surprise? The time trial events kick things off this Sunday, with Remco Evenepoel as the main favourite for the men's elite race. But Great Britain might spoil the fun, if all the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, former teammate of Evenepoel has been asked about the Belgian's rivals for this Sunday's race. Sure enough there are plenty, whilst the long 39-kilometer long route and technical urban features might throw in some surprises.
Evenepoel is the main favourite, but who else is there to keep an eye on. "In principle, Ganna is the only one capable of giving Remco a real run for his money," Lampaert, the winner of the opening time trial at the 2022 Tour de France, stated.
"Remco remains the top favorite, but we certainly shouldn't be surprised if Ganna manages to spoil the party. It’s a fairly flat time trial, so the course favors Ganna more than Remco."
The fact that so much of the race is spent within central Montréal, and in an urban metropolis unlike most European ones, might be an unexpected factor to take into consideration.
"It’s also quite technical, with sections featuring many corners; while Remco has improved significantly in cornering, Ganna is a true specialist in that area. Ganna demonstrated his form at the Tour of Britain. But again: Remco remains the overwhelming favorite."
Can Ganna's cornering skills put him above Remco Evenepoel in Montréal?
Can Ethan Hayter be the ultimate wildcard?
Lampaert did not ignore Stefan Küng, winner of the recent Vuelta a España time trial, but above all a rider with an advantage that his main rivals may not have. That is because Küng only has 35 race days this year (against Evenepoel's 49 and Ganna's 64), hailing from an injury this spring.
"As a result, he’s a bit fresher now than other riders, and that can make a difference at the end of the season," Lampaert argues. "He won the time trial at the Vuelta, so he’ll be heading to the World Championships start line with a lot of confidence. The course really suits him too, so I’m convinced he’ll be a contender."
But the true wildcard for the race is Lampaert's own teammate Ethan Hayter. the British national champion was second to Tadej Pogacar at the Vuelt'a opening time trial, but above all it is the Briton's ability to perform brilliantly on specific days that makes him a danger.
"He won the British time trial championship this year by a minute and a half—and that was a time trial of nearly forty kilometers," Lampaert points out. "It’s also typical of Hayter to deliver a top performance out of nowhere".
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"He has days where he absolutely crushes the competition, but also days where things just don't click. He’s finished fourth at the World Championship time trial before and has been reasonably consistent in time trials this year, so he could achieve a great result in Montréal."
Will Hayter be delivering such performance this Sunday? In the men's elite team, he is the one rider solely focusing on the time trial; whilst Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe's Callum Thornley will be joining him and then taking part in the road race as well.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Rafionain-Glas17-09-2026
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