World Championships Montréal men's elite road race 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions

Cycling
Wednesday, 16 September 2026 at 13:52
The contenders for the World Championships
On the 27th of September, the Montréal World Championships will come to a close with the men's elite road race, featuring the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert, Tom Pidcock, Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas as favourites. We preview the race and analyze the profile below.
The race was first held in 1927 with Italian legend Alfredo Binda taking the first ever rainbow jersey - the first of three. Rik van Steenbergen, Fausto Coppi, Rik van Looy, Tom Simpson, Eddy Merckx, Freddy Maertens, Francesco Moser... The historical palmarès of the worlds is unmatched by almost any other race.
The current record stands at three victories, a feat achieved by five separare riders: Alfredo Binda, Rik van Steenbergen, Eddy Merckx, Óscar Freire and Peter Sagan. In the 1980's we've seen the likes of Bernard Hinault, Greg Lemond and Stephen Roche win the title.
In the 1990's Lance Asmtrong and Johan Museeuw were amongst those who marked a new generation... In the 21st century sprinters such as Mario Cipolilini, Thor Hushovd and Mark Cavendish have all won world titles.
In the classics specialists field, countless stars: Tom Boonen, Paolo Bettini, Philippe Gilbert, Mads Pedersen, Julian Alaphilippe and Mathieu van der Poel just to name a few.
But even amongst the climbers there have been very notable names to win the race such as Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde and more recently Tadej Pogacar, the winner of the 2024 and 2025 world championships.
Tadej Pogacar wins the 2025 World Championships
Tadej Pogacar won the 2025 world championships, but he will not race in Montréal

Preview 2026 men's elite road race world championships

The absence of Tadej Pogacar has changed the outlook of the race fully, opening it up to about a dozen riders who can realistically take the win and the rainbow jersey.
Several have chosen the path of the Canadian classics following an altitude camp, such as Remco Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas. Over from the Vuelta a España, other climbers such as Enric Mas, Felix Gall, Primoz Roglic, Oscar Onley and Richard Carapaz will all be present as well.
Wout Van Aert was present at the Vuelta and will be an interesting outsider. The classics specialists include Quinn Simmons and Ben Healy who were present in Canada featuring amongst the best.
Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel both raced the mountain bike world championships and come in with vastly different preparations; with the latter being the last rider to race in Europe (this week's Tour de Luxembourg) to then realistically battle for the rainbow jersey.
An in-depth preview featuring all the main contenders will follow...

Profile: Brossard-Montréal

Profile of the 2026 men's elite road race world championships
Brossard - Montréal, 273 kilometers
The race will be 273 kilometers long, starting off in Brossard and featuring 100 kilometers of flat terrain before arriving to the familiar circuit in Montreal.
The race will feature 12 laps of the circuit, unlike the 16 of the Canadian one-day race. However, they arrive to the first lap with 100 kilometers on their legs already, with the endurance factor likely to play a large role towards the end of the race.
The Voie Camillien-Houde (more commonly known as Mount Royal) is 1.6 kilometers long at 7.7% and is the main feature of thee circuit. It ends with 11 kilometers to go, and is the location where the climbers can make the most difference.
The run-in to the line is rugged, with two small hilltops in the middle. The Côte de Polytechnique coming after, summiting with 6 kilometers to go, it is 800 meters long at 4% average gradient but goes up to 10%. And with 3 kilometers will be the Côte Pagnuelo with 500 meters at 7.5%.
The run-up to the line itself is on an uphill drag, 500 meters long at 5%. This means that even if the race comes down to a sprint, it will by no means be a normal one, with the fatigue and the uphill gradients meaning that climbing legs will be key to take the win.

List of winners men's elite road race world championships 

Year1st2nd3rd
2025Tadej PogačarRemco EvenepoelBen Healy
2024Tadej PogačarBen O'ConnorMathieu van der Poel
2023Mathieu van der PoelWout van AertTadej Pogačar
2022Remco EvenepoelChristophe LaporteMichael Matthews
2021Julian AlaphilippeDylan van BaarleMichael Valgren
2020Julian AlaphilippeWout van AertMarc Hirschi
2019Mads PedersenMatteo TrentinStefan Küng
2018Alejandro ValverdeRomain BardetMichael Woods
2017Peter SaganAlexander KristoffMichael Matthews
2016Peter SaganMark CavendishTom Boonen
2015Peter SaganMichael MatthewsRamūnas Navardauskas
2014Michał KwiatkowskiSimon GerransAlejandro Valverde
2013Rui CostaJoaquim RodríguezAlejandro Valverde
2012Philippe GilbertEdvald Boasson HagenAlejandro Valverde
2011Mark CavendishMatthew GossAndré Greipel
2010Thor HushovdMatti BreschelAllan Davis
2009Cadel EvansAlexandr KolobnevJoaquim Rodríguez
2008Alessandro BallanDamiano CunegoMatti Breschel
2007Paolo BettiniAlexandr KolobnevStefan Schumacher
2006Paolo BettiniErik ZabelAlejandro Valverde
2005Tom BoonenAlejandro ValverdeAnthony Geslin
2004Óscar FreireErik ZabelLuca Paolini
2003Igor AstarloaAlejandro ValverdePeter Van Petegem
2002Mario CipolliniRobbie McEwenErik Zabel
2001Óscar FreirePaolo BettiniAndrej Hauptman
2000Romāns VainšteinsZbigniew SpruchÓscar Freire
1999Óscar FreireMarkus ZbergJean-Cyril Robin
1998Oscar CamenzindPeter Van PetegemMichele Bartoli
1997Laurent BrochardBo HamburgerLéon van Bon
1996Johan MuseeuwMauro GianettiMichele Bartoli
1995Abraham OlanoMiguel InduráinMarco Pantani
1994Luc LeblancClaudio ChiappucciRichard Virenque
1993Lance ArmstrongMiguel InduráinOlaf Ludwig
1992Gianni BugnoLaurent JalabertDmitri Konyshev
1991Gianni BugnoSteven RooksMiguel Induráin
1990Rudy DhaenensDirk De WolfGianni Bugno
1989Greg LeMondDmitri KonyshevSean Kelly
1988Maurizio FondriestMartial GayantJuan Fernández
1987Stephen RocheMoreno ArgentinJuan Fernández
1986Moreno ArgentinCharly MottetGiuseppe Saronni
1985Joop ZoetemelkGreg LeMondMoreno Argentin
1984Claude CriquielionClaudio CortiSteve Bauer
1983Greg LeMondAdrie van der PoelStephen Roche
1982Giuseppe SaronniGreg LeMondSean Kelly
1981Freddy MaertensGiuseppe SaronniBernard Hinault
1980Bernard HinaultGianbattista BaronchelliJuan Fernández
1979Jan RaasDietrich ThurauJean-René Bernaudeau
1978Gerrie KnetemannFrancesco MoserJørgen Marcussen
1977Francesco MoserDietrich ThurauFranco Bitossi
1976Freddy MaertensFrancesco MoserTino Conti
1975Hennie KuiperRoger De VlaeminckJean-Pierre Danguillaume
1974Eddy MerckxRaymond PoulidorMariano Martínez
1973Felice GimondiFreddy MaertensLuis Ocaña
1972Marino BassoFranco BitossiCyrille Guimard
1971Eddy MerckxFelice GimondiCyrille Guimard
1970Jean-Pierre MonseréLeif MortensenFelice Gimondi
1969Harm OttenbrosJulien StevensMichele Dancelli
1968Vittorio AdorniHerman van SpringelMichele Dancelli
1967Eddy MerckxJan JanssenRamón Sáez
1966Rudi AltigJacques AnquetilRaymond Poulidor
1965Tom SimpsonRudi AltigRoger Swerts
1964Jan JanssenVittorio AdorniRaymond Poulidor
1963Benoni BeheytRik van LooyJo de Haan
1962Jean StablinskiSeamus ElliottJos Hoevenaers
1961Rik van LooyNino DefilippisRaymond Poulidor
1960Rik van LooyAndré DarrigadePino Cerami
1959André DarrigadeMichele GismondiNoël Foré
1958Ercole BaldiniLouison BobetAndré Darrigade
1957Rik van SteenbergenLouison BobetAndré Darrigade
1956Rik van SteenbergenRik van LooyGerrit Schulte
1955Stan OckersJean-Pierre SchmitzGermain Derycke
1954Louison BobetFritz SchärCharly Gaul
1953Fausto CoppiGermain DeryckeStan Ockers
1952Heinz MüllerGottfried WeilenmannLudwig Hörmann
1951Ferdinand KüblerFiorenzo MagniAntonio Bevilacqua
1950Briek SchotteTheo MiddelkampFerdinand Kübler
1949Rik van SteenbergenFerdinand KüblerFausto Coppi
1948Briek SchotteApo LazaridèsLucien Teisseire
1947Theo MiddelkampAlbert SercuSjefke Janssen
1946Hans KnechtMarcel KintRik van Steenbergen
1938Marcel KintPaul EgliLeo Amberg
1937Eloi MeulenbergEmil KijewskiPaul Egli
1936Antonin MagneAldo BiniTheo Middelkamp
1935Jean AertsLuciano MonteroGustaaf Danneels
1934Karel KaersLearco GuerraGustaaf Danneels
1933Georges SpeicherAntonin MagneMarinus Valentijn
1932Alfredo BindaRemo BertoniNicolas Frantz
1931Learco GuerraFerdinand Le DrogoAlbert Büchi
1930Alfredo BindaLearco GuerraGeorges Ronsse
1929Georges RonsseNicolas FrantzAlfredo Binda
1928Georges RonsseHerbert NebeBruno Wolke
1927Alfredo BindaCostante GirardengoDomenico Piemontesi
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