World Championships wildcards? - The riders nobody is talking about but maybe should consider a rainbow jersey contender
Cycling
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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- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
- Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to one and I respect yours! Nothing wrong with being a one week and GT guy if that’s his vibemij07-11-2026
- LOL...it's a predetermined finish ! N one is 'clashing' at these exhibition crits!frieders307-11-2026
- Surely the UCI and the race organisers have a responsibility to ensure the best medical care is available to riders when incidents like this happen. All very well pushing for global expansion but not so good if riders lives are put at risk because medical support is not up to scratch.Andy12306-11-2026
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