World Championships wildcards? - The riders nobody is talking about but maybe should consider a rainbow jersey contender
CyclingSunday, 27 September 2026 at 11:28
The 2026 World Championships elite men's road race is upon us, pulling down the curtain on a busy week in Montreal as Tadej Pogacar's rainbow jersey successor is set to be crowned on a punchy but versatile course in Canada.
Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and Isaac del Toro are the stars of the show. There are multiple contenders to the thrown behind that include Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert, Ben Healy, Quinn Simmons, Brandon McNulty and more.
But in a race without the all-conquering Slovenian, it takes on a new face as the favourites and contenders mix it up for the world title. But what if they don't get to have their day at all?
With so many contenders and nations caught up in fighting each other and eyeballing the big names, there may be a chance for a rider nobody was considering as a threat for the rainbow jersey to upset the odds and take a remarkable victory. We've taken a look at some outside the box wildcards that could attack early and find success in Montreal.
Tobias Johannessen
Tobias Johannessen
An obvious centender, but one that's perhaps overlooked. The Uno-X Mobility rider leads Norway at the race and could be a rider allowed to go in a long-range attacking move.
With a habit of sneaking into the right breakaway moves, a strong climber who rides with general classification contenders and a versatile arsenal to also hold on with the best on rolling terrain, Johannessen is a dangerous rider to let up the road in Montreal.
Davide Piganzoli
Perhaps Italy's secret weapon, the Visma rider has been in strong form in recent weeks. After two Grand Tours of battling in the general classification groups as Jonas Vingegaard's domestique, he has seemingly come into his own.
He won the Tour of Luxembourg last week and looked in terrific form as he closed down general classification attacks and launched his own long-range raid on the third stage. With Italy boasting a team brimming with potential contenders, an aggressive Piganzoli threat could see him escape in an attack while the rest look at Giulio Ciccone, Lorenzo Finn or Christain Scaroni.
Guillermo Thomas Silva
The Uruguayan rider has been a revelation in 2026 with XDS Astana, taking a stage at the Giro d'Italia and wearing the pink jersey. He also took the GC win at the Arctic Race of Norway in summer.
Despite coming from a lower-ranking nation than the traditional favourites, the favourites should think twice before allowing a Uruguayan jersey too far ahead - the 24-year-old will be deceptively hard to reel in.
Jhonatan Narvaez
Jhonatan Narvaez
Similar to Johannessen, Narvaez should already be considered a real threat. While initially billed to form a dangerous duo with Richard Carapaz, his absence means that the UAE rider will be the sole Ecuadorian rider in the race.
With multiple Grand Tour victories, attributes perfectly suited to the circuit's main climb and a classics pedigree, Narvaez is a rider many can expect to at least impact the race in some way.
Jai Hindley
Many forget that the Australian rider finished on the Giro d'Italia podium this year. Despite a quieter Tour de France, Hindley is a rider well-suited to the Montreal circuit.
He finished 10th place in the 2024 GP de Montreal and has been in the top twenty in the past two World Championships. With a strong Australia selection featuring multiple climbers, Hindley could be their best card to play.
Florian Lipowitz
Making his definitve return to the top level, Florian Lipowitz has been outside the spotlight since his Tour de France crash that saw him break his collarbone during the time trial. Headlining a Germany selection, could he be deemed a rider not worth initially chasing by the rest?
An in-form Lipowitz would not be an easy rider to contain should he find himself as part of an attacking move, and after two months under the radar, could manage to be allowed some rope to prove just that on Sunday.
Read also
Other outsiders to watch
Many riders could make the headlines as part of attacking moves. Afonso Eulalio finished in the top ten at GP de Montreal, Matthias Vacek is a strong powerhouse rider who could use the rolling terrain of the course to hold off the chasers if in a breakaway.
Jan Christen's explosive punch is something to watch out for amongst the early attackers while Felix Gall's Vuelta a Espana climbing legs, and lack of a technical descent make him a rider to watch.
Ahead of one of the most open World Championships in recent years, there's over a dozen riders hoping to upset the lead favourites by Sunday evening and win the rainbow jersey.
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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- Del Toro is one of my favourites, but when he won in Montreal he was supported by his trade team-mates, who had to calm his self-doubt. Don't know how he'll fare on his own.Hills3327-09-2026
- Lowkey this would actually be really cool @Rafionain-Glasanonymouscyclist27-09-2026
- So you put Remco in the last place...I think he should be higher up the scale. His daddy is already saying: "Remco will win. Pogačar should almost be happy he's injured, because Remco would win in any case."PogiSloFans27-09-2026
- OMG, how many records can be set in only one WC road race: Remco (double gold) or Del Toro (the only Mexican in history) or Seixas (the youngest ever) or... ??? All because of one cyclist, that didn't make it to the WC. The same cyclist that wins Montreal every year. The G.O.A.T. is injured... and some cyclists became lucky... they all got an early Christmas present from Pogi-Santa. The only one to admit that is Wout Van Aert... Remco would never admit it. You all know what Remco's daddy will say if Remco wins?: "Remco would have won the race, even if Tadej Pogačar was there."PogiSloFans27-09-2026
- My preferences in order based on my likeable scale. MVP.. he's a killer IDT Pidcock Paul S. WVE..seems to be good guy RemcoSantiago27-09-2026
- Oh really, Jonas was blasted by a former Danish cyclist? He deserves to be blasted.... Pogi's injuries were bigger and happened later than those of Jonas, but we can already see Pogi training on the road with a smile on his face. Where is Jonas??? I guess he's in his "rabbit hole"... with Trine digging it deeper and deeper. Please, never again compare Pogi to Jonas... NEVER !!! If all cyclists were like Jonas, no one would watch cycling. Having no heart, no passion, and no interest, describes Jonas in a state of emotional numbness, detachment, and an inability to care about or enjoy his bike racing. The passion cyclists like Pogi, Remco, MVdP, Van Aert, Pidcock, Del Toro, Seixas... etc. etc. have, is nowhere to be seen in Jonas. He races two to three races a year and that's it. Give me a break.PogiSloFans27-09-2026
- This time around Pogi's injuries were bigger and happened later than those of Jonas, but we can already see Pogi training on the road with a smile on his face. Where is Jonas??? I guess he's in his "rabbit hole"... with Trine digging it deeper and deeper. Please, never again compare Pogi to Jonas... NEVER !!! If all cyclists were like Jonas, no one would watch cycling. Having no heart, no passion, and no interest, describes Jonas in a state of emotional numbness, detachment, and an inability to care about or enjoy his bike and racing it. The passion cyclists like Pogi, Remco, MVdP, Van Aert, Pidcock, Del Toro, Seixas... etc. etc. have, is nowhere to be seen with Jonas. He races two to three races a year and that's it. Give me a break.PogiSloFans27-09-2026
- Non-pros are eligible to ride, it's the Worlds. Last place in the time trial was over 24 minutes slower than Evenepoel, averaging 33.8 km/h, and any serious-ish amateur in Britain can beat that
Rafionain-Glas27-09-2026 - The thing is that del Toro is nowhere as dominant as SaganRafionain-Glas27-09-2026
- And why would Kasia want all 4 together? If that was her goal, she could have helped ELB with the chase.Mistermaumau27-09-2026
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