World Championships Montréal women's elite road race 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions - Demi Vollering the main favourite, but will chaos reign again?
CyclingThursday, 24 September 2026 at 16:10
On the 26th of September, the Montréal World Championships will feature the women's elite road race. Magdeleine Vallières surprised to win in 2025 and now races at home, against several strong contenders such as Demi Vollering, Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Kim Le Court. We preview the race and analyze the profile below.
The event had its first edition in 1958, won by Luxembourger Elsy Jacobs. Over the decades, there have been a few missing editions, whilst in the 1980's one of the sport's legends Jeannie Longo came to light. A winner in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1995, the Frenchwoman became the unmatched record holder of the rainbow jersey until this day.
20 years ago this year, Marianne Vos took her first title, whilst she continues to race to this day. The Dutchwoman was also the world champion in 2012 and 2013; followed by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Lizzie Deignan. The Dutch continued to win plenty world titles, with Chantal van den Broek-Blaak winning in 2017; Anna van der Breggen in 2018 and 2020; and Annemiek van Vleuten winning in both 2019 and 2022.
But the Dutch streak has been broken in recent years, with Lotte Kopecky taking over with two victories at the 2023 and 2024 races. In 2025, a tactical race in Kigali saw a surprise victory for Magdeleine Vallières.
Magdeleine VallIéres won the 2025 World Championships in Kigali
Preview 2026 women's elite road race world championships
A packed race with so many top riders, but only one winner. The truth is there is a certain hierarchy, but about a dozen riders who can realistically take the rainbow jersey. Last year, a tactical battled ensured in Kigali despite the brutal course, which saw Magdeleine Vallières take the rainbow jersey ahead of Niamh Fisher-Black and Mavi García. All three are at the start once again in a course that favours them, but above all we understand that the race's script can be turned around very quickly.
Also because without race radios and with individual ambitions at play, some teams will not follow the usual tactics we often see. The Netherlands arguably have the biggest favourite in Demi Vollering, who has the climbing power and explosivity to make the difference herself, whilst also packing a strong sprint. But with Puck Pieterse and Riejanne Markus both around her, the Dutch actually have at the very least three potential winners.
The same can be said of other national teams. Vollering's Tour de France Femmes rival Katarzyna Niewiadoma could take revenge on her rival and is backed up by Dominika Wlodarczyk; whilst Vollering's teammates are part of several rival teams: France with Célia Gery, Cédrine Kerbaol and Juliette Berthet; Great Britain with Lauren Dickson and Zoe Bäckstedt; and Germany with Franziska Koch, Antonia Niedermaier and Liane Lippert.
A whole section could be devoted to even more puncheurs that can take the win here, although some have skipped the race due to its difficulty. But a rider like Kim Le Court has every attribute to replace her current rainbow jersey (as national champion of Mauritius) to the world champion's one. Lotte Kopecky was a former winner on two occasions and whilst she hasn't been on her best form as of late, the SD Worx rider's victory at Milano-Sanremo earlier this year is evidence she is still well able to win at the top level.
At the Tour de France Femmes we also had Marlen Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini and Paula Blasi in the spotlight, three incredibly dangerous riders who can in fact win in Montréal based on their climbing ability.
Prediction women's elite World Championships road race 2026:
*** Demi Vollering, Kim Le Court
** Elisa Longo Borghini, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Franziska Koch, Marlen Reusser
* Magdeleine Vallières, Cédrine Kerbaol, Célia Gery, Riejanne Markus, Puck Pieterse, Lotte Kopecky, Paula Blasi, Antonia Niedermaier, Liane Lippert, Niamh Fisher-Black, Dominika Wlodarczyk
Pick: Demi Vollering
How: Solo win with an attack on the main climb.
Profile: Brossard - Montréal
Brossard - Montréal, 181 kilometers
With 181 kilometers on the menu, it will be one of the longest races in the women's calendar, and without a doubt one of the toughest. Such climbs have a larger impact on the women's field, due to the larger amount of time required to ascent them, making it best suited to the climbers.
The riders depart from Brossard and head to central Montréal only after around 70 kilometers of racing. Then, they tackle 8 laps of the circuit that is already familiar to cycling fans, but not the women's peloton - as the GP de Montréal only takes the men's peloton to Canada.
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.
Read also
List of winners women's elite road race world championships
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2025 | Magdeleine Vallieres | Niamh Fisher-Black | Mavi García |
| 2024 | Lotte Kopecky | Chloé Dygert | Elisa Longo Borghini |
| 2023 | Lotte Kopecky | Demi Vollering | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig |
| 2022 | Annemiek van Vleuten | Lotte Kopecky | Silvia Persico |
| 2021 | Elisa Balsamo | Marianne Vos | Kasia Niewiadoma |
| 2020 | Anna van der Breggen | Annemiek van Vleuten | Elisa Longo Borghini |
| 2019 | Annemiek van Vleuten | Anna van der Breggen | Amanda Spratt |
| 2018 | Anna van der Breggen | Amanda Spratt | Tatiana Guderzo |
| 2017 | Chantal van den Broek-Blaak | Katrin Garfoot | Amalie Dideriksen |
| 2016 | Amalie Dideriksen | Kirsten Wild | Lotta Henttala |
| 2015 | Elizabeth Deignan | Anna van der Breggen | Megan Guarnier |
| 2014 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot | Lisa Brennauer | Emma Johansson |
| 2013 | Marianne Vos | Emma Johansson | Rossella Ratto |
| 2012 | Marianne Vos | Rachel Neylan | Elisa Longo Borghini |
| 2011 | Giorgia Bronzini | Marianne Vos | Ina-Yoko Teutenberg |
| 2010 | Giorgia Bronzini | Marianne Vos | Emma Johansson |
| 2009 | Tatiana Guderzo | Marianne Vos | Noemi Cantele |
| 2008 | Nicole Cooke | Marianne Vos | Judith Arndt |
| 2007 | Marta Bastianelli | Marianne Vos | Giorgia Bronzini |
| 2006 | Marianne Vos | Trixi Worrack | Nicole Cooke |
| 2005 | Regina Schleicher | Nicole Cooke | Oenone Wood |
| 2004 | Judith Arndt | Tatiana Guderzo | Anita Valen |
| 2003 | Susanne Ljungskog | Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel | Nicole Cooke |
| 2002 | Susanne Ljungskog | Nicole Brändli | Joane Somarriba |
| 2001 | Rasa Polikevičiūtė | Edita Pučinskaitė | Jeannie Longo |
| 2000 | Zinaida Stahurskaya | Chantal Beltman | Madeleine Lindberg |
| 1999 | Edita Pučinskaitė | Anna Millward | Diana Žiliūtė |
| 1998 | Diana Žiliūtė | Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel | Hanka Kupfernagel |
| 1997 | Alessandra Cappellotto | Elisabeth Tadich | Catherine Marsal |
| 1996 | Barbara Heeb | Rasa Polikevičiūtė | Linda Jackson |
| 1995 | Jeannie Longo | Catherine Marsal | Edita Pučinskaitė |
| 1994 | Monica Valen | Patsy Maegerman | Jeanne Golay |
| 1993 | Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel | Jeannie Longo | Laura Charameda |
| 1992 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel | Inga Thompson | Alison Sydor |
| 1990 | Catherine Marsal | Ruthie Matthes | Luisa Seghezzi |
| 1989 | Jeannie Longo | Catherine Marsal | Maria Canins |
| 1988 | — | — | — |
| 1987 | Jeannie Longo | Heleen Hage | Connie Meijer |
| 1986 | Jeannie Longo | Janelle Parks | Alla Jakovleva |
| 1985 | Jeannie Longo | Maria Canins | Sandra Schumacher |
| 1984 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | Marianne Berglund | Rebecca Twigg | Maria Canins |
| 1982 | Mandy Jones | Maria Canins | Gerda Sierens |
| 1981 | Ute Enzenauer | Jeannie Longo | Connie Carpenter-Phinney |
| 1980 | Beth Heiden | Tuulikki Jahre | Mandy Jones |
| 1979 | Petra de Bruin | Jenny de Smet | Beate Habetz |
| 1978 | Beate Habetz | Keetie Hage | Emanuella Lorenzon |
| 1977 | Josiane Bost | Connie Carpenter-Phinney | Minie Brinkhoff-Nieuwenhuis |
| 1976 | Keetie Hage | Luigina Bissoli | Yvonne Reynders |
| 1975 | Tineke Fopma | Geneviève Gambillon | Keetie Hage |
| 1974 | Geneviève Gambillon | Baiba Evina Tsaune-Morzik | Keetie Hage |
| 1973 | Nicole Van den Broeck | Keetie Hage | Valentina Rebrovskaia |
| 1972 | Geneviève Gambillon | Lubov Zadorojnaya | Anna Konkina |
| 1971 | Anna Konkina | Morena Tartagni | Keetie Hage |
| 1970 | Anna Konkina | Morena Tartagni | Raisa Obodovskaya |
| 1969 | Audrey McElmury | Bernadette Swinnerton | Nina Trofimova |
| 1968 | Keetie Hage | Baiba Evina Tsaune-Morzik | Morena Tartagni |
| 1967 | Beryl Burton | Lubov Zadorojnaya | Anna Konkina |
| 1966 | Yvonne Reynders | Keetie Hage | Aino Puronen |
| 1965 | Elisabeth Kleinhans-Eicholz | Yvonne Reynders | Aino Puronen |
| 1964 | Emīlija Sonka | Galina Yudina | Rosa Sels |
| 1963 | Yvonne Reynders | Rosa Sels | Aino Puronen |
| 1962 | Marie-Rose Gaillard | Yvonne Reynders | Marie-Thérèse Naessens |
| 1961 | Yvonne Reynders | Beryl Burton | Elsy Jacobs |
| 1960 | Beryl Burton | Rosa Sels | Elisabeth Kleinhans-Eicholz |
| 1959 | Yvonne Reynders | Aino Puronen | Vera Gorbatcheva |
| 1958 | Elsy Jacobs | Tamara Novikova | Mariya Lukshina |
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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- this is going to be such a great race - so many top riders fighting to battle it out, and it is wide open.mij24-09-2026
- In 2024 Tadej said: I actually like Remco, he speaks his mind which in many situations is OK and good, but sometimes it would be good to say nothing. It depends on the situation. I have a good time with him, we laugh and joke around a bit."PogiSloFans24-09-2026
- I think MVDP and Tadej like him a lot too. not sure about europeans, small e intentional as everything in europe is smaller than the USA.mij24-09-2026
- Especially when they see that redneck maga cyclist, wrapped in an ugly american flag, with long hair and a mustache. Boo maga boooooooo ...PogiSloFans24-09-2026
- "My pick for the win is Isaac Del Toro" Hey Santiego, I would be thrilled if Del Toro won. I hope your words become gold... because Del Toro is the "student" of "professor" Pogi. :)) If Wout V. Aert wins, I will also be happy. He's a great cyclist and a good person, more good hearted and kind compared to Remco, but Remco is also a BIG favorite.PogiSloFans24-09-2026
- I like Pidcock. He's one of the few riders that can give Pogi a good battle: Strade Bianche, MSR and other occasions. At MSR, this year, he went with Pogi to the finish line... yikes, he almost beat him.PogiSloFans24-09-2026
- OMG, how many records can be set in only one WC road race: Remco or Del Toro or Seixas or... ??? All because of one cyclist, that didn't make it to the WC. The same course in Montreal where he wins every year. The G.O.A.T. is injured... and some cyclists became lucky... they all got an early Christmas present from Pogi-Santa.PogiSloFans24-09-2026
- Yeah... he's mostly liked by the americans (small letter a)... because his personality is like the maga Trump voters... big mouths.PogiSloFans24-09-2026
- What's the deal with how thick the rainbow stripes are on a former winner's kit? Seems like some of the former World Champs keep their stripes pretty slim, but then Remco has big fat ones (which lowkey irritates me) - is there actually a UCI rule, or is it just rider's discretion?wrsty24-09-2026
- I like Pidcock but he's not a leader. He's a great racer but will never be better than he occasional sage winner or classic guy on the road under the right situation. Ineos wanted him to lead the their team and win stage races, he couldn't take the pressure, which is fine, not everyone can.awp24-09-2026
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