Introduction
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships will take place in Montréal, Canada, from September 20 to 27, 2026. This will be the 99th edition of the championships.
The championships will feature 13 medal events across the Elite, Under-23, and Junior categories for men and women, together with the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial. Around 1,000 riders from roughly 75 countries are expected to take part.
Although the championships run across eight calendar days, racing takes place on seven days. There is no race scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.
Montréal is hosting the UCI Road World Championships for the second time. The city previously hosted the championships in 1974, when Belgium's Eddy Merckx and France's Geneviève Gambillon won the Elite men's and women's road races.
The 2026 edition brings the World Championships back to the same city 52 years later, with Mount Royal again playing an important role in the road-race courses.
- Championship at a Glance
- Full 2026 Competition Programme
- 2025 Kigali World Championships: All 13 Champions
- Mixed Relay Team Time Trial
- 2025 Kigali Mixed Relay
- Mount Royal Circuit
- Elite Men's Field
- Elite Women's Field
- National Teams and Riders
- History
- 2026 Championship Courses
- Seven-Day Racing Schedule
- FAQ
- Related Articles
2026 UCI Road World Championships at a Glance
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | 2026 UCI Road World Championships |
| Sport | Road Cycling |
| Dates | September 20 to 27, 2026 |
| Host city | Montréal, Canada |
| Number of events | 13 |
| Racing days | 7 |
| Categories | Elite, Under-23, and Junior |
| Men and women | Yes. |
| Mixed event | Mixed Relay Team Time Trial |
| Expected athletes | Around 1,000 |
| Participating countries | Around 75 |
| Elite road race start | Brossard |
| Main Montréal circuit | Mount Royal |
| Elite road-race finish | Avenue du Parc |
Montréal and the 2026 Championships
The UCI Road World Championships award the famous rainbow jersey to the winner of each discipline.
Unlike a normal professional cycling race, riders compete for their national teams rather than their commercial trade teams. A rider normally races for a professional team during the season, but at the World Championships represents their country.
The 2026 championships are particularly significant for Montréal because they return to the city 52 years after the historic 1974 edition.
The event also comes shortly after the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. The Montréal World Championship road race course uses terrain familiar from the city's WorldTour cycling events. Readers following the wider road season can also compare this championship with the 2026 Vuelta a España.
The 2025 Kigali World Championships: All 13 Champions
The 2025 UCI Road World Championships were held in Kigali, Rwanda. The event included the same broad structure of elite, under-23, and junior competition together with the mixed relay team time trial. Looking at all of the 2025 champions gives a much clearer picture of the previous edition than looking only at the relay.
2025 World Championship Winners
| Category | Event | 2025 World Champion | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Men | Individual Time Trial | Remco Evenepoel | Belgium |
| Elite Women | Individual Time Trial | Marlen Reusser | Switzerland |
| Under-23 Men | Individual Time Trial | Jakob Söderqvist | Sweden |
| Under-23 Women | Individual Time Trial | Zoe Bäckstedt | Great Britain |
| Junior Men | Individual Time Trial | Michiel Mouris | Netherlands |
| Junior Women | Individual Time Trial | Megan Arens | Netherlands |
| Mixed | Team Time Trial | Australia | Australia |
| Elite Men | Road Race | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia |
| Elite Women | Road Race | Magdeleine Vallières Mill | Canada |
| Under-23 Men | Road Race | Lorenzo Finn | Italy |
| Under-23 Women | Road Race | Célia Gery | France |
| Junior Men | Road Race | Henry Hudson | Great Britain |
| Junior Women | Road Race | Paula Ostiz | Spain |
The 2025 results are especially relevant to Montréal because several of those champions return to the 2026 story in different ways. Evenepoel arrives as the defending Elite men's time-trial champion. Vallières Mill returns to defend the women's elite road race title on home roads. Australia arrives as defending mixed relay champion, while Pogačar's absence means the men's elite road race title will have a new winner in 2026.
The Under-23 and Junior champions are also part of the wider story of the championships. These categories provide a record of the riders moving through the international development pathway, while the Elite races show the current senior world champions.
The Full 2026 Competition Program
The 13 events are divided into seven individual time trials, one mixed team relay, and five road races.
The program begins with the Elite individual time trials on September 20 and ends with the Men's Elite road race on September 27.
Sunday, September 20
Women Elite Individual Time Trial
Start: 9:00 a.m. Distance: 39.2 km; Elevation gain: 220 m
The Women's Elite Individual Time Trial opens the 2026 World Championships.
Each rider races alone against the clock. There is no opportunity for teammates to provide drafting assistance, making pacing, aerodynamic position, bike handling, and sustained power particularly important.
The 39.2 km course crosses parts of Montréal and includes sections around the Saint Lawrence River, Île-des-Soeurs, and the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve area.
Men's Elite Individual Time Trial
Start: 12:45 p.m. Distance: 39.2 km Elevation gain: 220 m
The Men's Elite Individual Time Trial follows the women's race on the same day.
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel arrives as one of the most important riders in the time trial. He has won the last three Men's Elite World Championship time trials and will be attempting to extend that run in Montréal.
The absence of Tadej Pogačar from the 2026 championships also changes the men's elite competition. Pogačar crashed during the 2026 Vuelta a España and suffered a fractured collarbone that required surgery, ending his season before the World Championships. Crashes at the Vuelta a España have altered championship storylines before, as covered in our recap of the 2022 Vuelta a España.
Monday, September 21
Women Under-23 Individual Time Trial
Start: 9:00 a.m. Distance: 20.3 km; Elevation gain: 145 m
The Women's Under-23 time trial gives younger riders their own World Championship title.
The course is shorter than the Elite time trial but still includes climbing and technical sections.
Men's Under-23 Individual Time Trial
Start: 12:00 p.m. Distance: 31.3 km Elevation gain: 197 m
The men's under-23 time trial is longer than the women's U23 event.
The category is important because many riders competing here are developing toward elite-level international racing.
Tuesday, September 22
Three World Championship events are scheduled for Tuesday.
Mixed Relay Team Time Trial
Start: 8:30 a.m. Distance: 40.6 km; Elevation gain: 290 m
The Mixed Relay Team Time Trial is a national-team event involving six riders: three men and three women from the Elite and Under-23 categories. It is different from the individual time trials because the rainbow jerseys are awarded to the winning national team rather than to one rider.
The three men start together and complete the first part of the course. The three women then take over and complete the remaining part. The team's finishing time is taken when the second woman crosses the finish line. Riders therefore have to balance speed with team coordination, because a very fast opening group cannot win if the remaining riders cannot maintain the required pace.
The Mixed Relay was introduced to the UCI Road World Championships program in 2019, replacing the former trade-team time trial. It has since become a regular part of the championships and gives national teams another opportunity to compete for a rainbow jersey.
The 2025 Kigali Mixed Relay
The 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, provide the most recent World Championship reference for the Mixed Relay before Montréal. Australia successfully defended the title it had won in 2024. The Australian team of Brodie Chapman, Michael Matthews, Lucas Plapp, Amanda Spratt, Jay Vine, and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden recorded 54:30.47.
France finished second, 5.24 seconds behind Australia, while Switzerland took third, 10 seconds behind the winners. The result made Australia the two-time defending Mixed Relay champion going into the 2026 championships.
Kigali used a 20.9 km lap with 370 meters of elevation gain. The men completed the opening lap before the women took over. The 2025 result is useful context for Montréal because the same national teams and riders may not all return, but Australia enters the 2026 championship with the most recent title in the event.
Men's Junior Individual Time Trial
Start: 12:15 p.m. Distance: 20.3 km Elevation gain: 145 m
The Junior Men's Individual Time Trial provides an early opportunity to identify riders who could become important names in professional cycling in future years.
Women's Junior Individual Time Trial
Start: 3:15 p.m. Distance: 10.7 km Elevation gain: 91 m
The Women's Junior Individual Time Trial completes the time-trial program.
The shorter course puts a premium on fast pacing, positioning, and the ability to produce high power over a relatively short distance.
Wednesday, September 23
No World Championship Race
There is no race scheduled on September 23.
The program resumes on Thursday with the road races.
This is why the championships cover eight calendar days but have seven days of racing.
Thursday, September 24
Women's Under-23 Road Race
Start: 9:00 a.m. Distance: 134 km; Elevation gain: 2,690 m
The Women's U23 road race begins the road-race part of the championship.
The 134 km course contains substantial climbing, with approximately 2,690 metres of elevation gain.
The race is therefore not simply a flat sprinting contest. Riders must manage repeated climbs while also conserving enough energy for the final part of the race.
Men's Junior Road Race
Start: 1:30 p.m. Distance: 134 km Elevation gain: 2,690 m
The Junior Men's Road Race uses the same distance and elevation figure as the Women's U23 race.
The Junior World Championships are an important development event because many of the riders competing here will move into Under-23 and professional racing in subsequent seasons.
Friday, September 25
Men's Under-23 Road Race
Start: 9:00 a.m. Distance: 174.2 km; Elevation gain: 3,497 m
The Men's U23 road race is one of the toughest development-category events of the championship.
At 174.2 km, with almost 3,500 metres of climbing, the race will test endurance as well as climbing ability.
Women's Junior Road Race
Start: 2:15 p.m. Distance: 80.4 km Elevation gain: 1,614 m
The Women's Junior Road Race is shorter than the other road races but contains substantial climbing.
The relatively short distance can make the race aggressive because riders have less time to recover after attacks.
Saturday, September 26
Women's Elite Road Race
Start: 9:00 a.m. Distance: 180.4 km; Elevation gain: 2,570 m
The Women's Elite road race is the first of the two senior World Championship road races.
The race begins in Brossard, south of Montréal, before moving toward the city and the Mount Royal final circuit.
The final section includes repeated climbs and technical city roads. The finishing section is on Avenue du Parc.
Canada will have a special interest in this race because Magdeleine Vallières Mill is the defending World Champion.
She won the 2025 Women's Elite road race in Kigali and became Canada's first Elite women's road race world champion.
The Canadian Challenge
Vallières Mill will race on home roads with a national team that includes experienced riders and strong Canadian specialists.
Canada's announced Elite women's group includes Magdeleine Vallières Mill, Olivia Baril, Alison Jackson, Clara Emond, Maggie Coles-Lyster, Sarah Van Dam, and Nadia Gontova.
Gontova is also selected for the individual time trial.
Sunday, September 27
Men Elite Road Race
Start: 9:00 a.m. Distance: 273.7 km; Elevation gain: 3,803 m
The Men's Elite road race is the final event of the 2026 World Championships.
It is also the longest race of the championship.
The race begins in Brossard and travels through municipalities in the Montérégie region before reaching Montréal.
The route then enters the Mount Royal circuit.
The final Montréal circuit is approximately 13.4 km and includes significant climbing.
The combination of 273.7 km of racing and approximately 3,803 meters of elevation gain makes this a major endurance test.
The Mount Royal Circuit
Mount Royal is central to the identity of the 2026 championships.
The final circuit is based partly on the course used for the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.
The course includes the climb of Voie Camillien-Houde and the Chemin de la Polytechnique section.
The final kilometers are therefore not designed simply for a conventional flat sprint.
Riders who reach the final laps with enough energy can use the climbs to create gaps, while teams must decide when to control attacks and when to send riders forward.
The Elite Men's Field
The men's race has attracted many of the biggest names in professional cycling.
However, one major name will be missing.
Tadej Pogačar
Pogačar remains No. 1 in the UCI individual men's world ranking, but he will not compete in Montréal.
He crashed heavily during the 2026 Vuelta a España and suffered a fractured collarbone along with other injuries. He underwent surgery, and UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed he would not race again for the rest of 2026, ruling him out of Montréal and the European Championships as well.
He won the World Championship road race in 2024 and 2025 and would have arrived as the defending champion.
His absence means the 2026 men's rainbow jersey will go to a different rider.
Remco Evenepoel
Belgium's Remco Evenepoel is one of the most important riders in the championship.
He is a former World Road Race Champion, winning the Elite Men's Road Race in 2022.
He is also the defending World Time Trial Champion and is targeting another time-trial title.
Evenepoel is ranked No. 2 in the current UCI men's individual ranking.
Isaac del Toro
Mexico's Isaac del Toro is another major name in Montréal.
He moved to No. 3 in the latest UCI men's world ranking after the Canadian WorldTour races.
Del Toro then won the 2026 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, which uses much of the same terrain as the World Championship road race.
That result provides a particularly relevant recent reference point for his form.
Paul Seixas
France's Paul Seixas has rapidly moved up the international rankings.
He is currently fourth in the UCI men's individual ranking.
Seixas finished second behind Del Toro at the 2026 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.
Tom Pidcock
Great Britain's Tom Pidcock enters Montréal after winning the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championship. His wider cycling background can be followed in our 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Series Calendar and Guide.
He is also one of the leading road cyclists in the British team.
A road World Championship victory would allow him to hold world titles in both mountain bike and road racing in the same year.
Pidcock is currently sixth in the UCI men's ranking.
Wout van Aert
Belgium's Wout van Aert is another important rider for the men's road race.
Belgium has selected an eight-rider Elite men's road race team led by Evenepoel and Van Aert.
Mathieu van der Poel
The Netherlands will rely heavily on Mathieu van der Poel.
His ability to handle repeated climbs, technical sections, and hard one-day racing makes him one of the most experienced riders in the field.
Other Important Men's Riders
Other riders appearing in the current international discussion include
- Mads Pedersen, Denmark
- Richard Carapaz, Ecuador
- Felix Gall, Austria
- Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark
- Juan Ayuso, Spain
- Michael Matthews, Australia
- Ben O'Connor, Australia
- Santiago Buitrago, Colombia
- Ben Healy, Ireland
- Quinn Simmons, United States
- Brandon McNulty, United States
- Derek Gee-West, Canada
- Michael Woods, Canada
The final start list remains the definitive source because national selections can change before the race.
Current UCI Men's World Ranking
The UCI individual ranking is based on points accumulated over the ranking period. It is not the same thing as a World Championship prediction.
The September 15 ranking was
| Rank | Rider | Country | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
| 2 | Remco Evenepoel | Belgium | Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe |
| 3 | Isaac del Toro | Mexico | UAE Team Emirates-XRG |
| 4 | Paul Seixas | France | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 5 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Visma |
| 6 | Tom Pidcock | Great Britain | Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team |
| 7 | Jasper Philipsen | Belgium | Alpecin-Premier Tech |
| 8 | Wout van Aert | Belgium | Team Visma |
| 9 | Felix Gall | Austria | Decathlon CMA CGM Team |
| 10 | Richard Carapaz | Ecuador | EF Education-EasyPost |
Pogačar's ranking position remains relevant as a season-long ranking statistic even though he will not start in Montréal.
The Elite Women's Field
The women's championship has a different story.
The defending champion is racing on home roads, while several of the highest-ranked riders in the world are also preparing for Montréal.
Demi Vollering
Demi Vollering leads the current women's UCI individual ranking.
The Netherlands has selected Vollering for the Elite road race together with Mischa Bredewold, Riejanne Markus, Lieke Nooijen, Puck Pieterse, Karlijn Swinkels, and Femke de Vries.
Vollering and Nooijen are also selected for the individual time trial.
Lotte Kopecky
Belgium's Lotte Kopecky is another major name in the women's field.
She has experience in both one-day racing and time trials and is selected for both the Elite road race and individual time trial.
Elisa Longo Borghini
Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini is among the leading riders in the current UCI women's ranking.
Her experience in long, difficult one-day races makes her relevant to a course containing repeated climbs.
Lorena Wiebes
Lorena Wiebes is one of the leading riders in the women's UCI ranking.
Her sprinting ability is well established, but the Montréal course contains enough climbing that the race may be decided by a reduced group rather than a large bunch.
Kasia Niewiadoma
Poland's Kasia Niewiadoma is another high-ranked rider with strong climbing credentials.
The repeated Mount Royal climbs make riders with climbing strength particularly relevant to the course.
Magdeleine Vallières Mill
The Canadian is the defending Elite Women's Road Race world champion.
She won the 2025 title in Kigali and now has the opportunity to defend the rainbow jersey in front of a Canadian crowd.
Current UCI Women's World Ranking
The latest available ranking around September 15 places the leading women as follows:
| Rank | Rider | Country | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demi Vollering | Netherlands | FDJ United-SUEZ |
| 2 | Paula Blasi | Spain | UAE Team L'IMAD |
| 3 | Lorena Wiebes | Netherlands | Team SD Worx-Protime |
| 4 | Kasia Niewiadoma | Poland | Canyon//SRAM |
| 5 | Anna van der Breggen | Netherlands | Team SD Worx-Protime |
| 6 | Elisa Longo Borghini | Italy | UAE Team L'IMAD |
| 7 | Elisa Balsamo | Italy | Lidl-Trek |
| 8 | Lotte Kopecky | Belgium | Team SD Worx-Protime |
| 9 | Antonia Niedermaier | Germany | Canyon//SRAM |
| 10 | Marlen Reusser | Switzerland | Movistar Team |
World ranking positions can change as the season progresses, so these figures should be treated as the ranking available immediately before the championships rather than a permanent ranking.
National Teams and Riders
A crucial point about the World Championships is that the teams in the race are national teams, not the riders' normal professional trade teams.
For example, Remco Evenepoel normally rides for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. At the World Championships, he represents Belgium.
Similarly, Tom Pidcock races for Great Britain, while Isaac del Toro represents Mexico.
Belgium
Belgium has selected a strong elite men's team.
The eight riders are
- Remco Evenepoel
- Wout van Aert
- Tiesj Benoot
- Quinten Hermans
- Thibau Nys
- Alec Segaert
- Maxim Van Gils
- Gianni Vermeersch
Evenepoel and Van Aert are the two major leaders.
Belgium also has riders selected in the other categories, including Lotte Kopecky in the women's elite individual time trial and road race.
Great Britain
Great Britain has announced a 36-rider squad covering elite, U23, and junior competitions.
The Elite men's group includes:
- Oscar Onley
- Tom Pidcock
- Finlay Pickering
- Adam Yates
- Fred Wright
- Mark Donovan
- James Shaw
- Callum Thornley
- Ethan Hayter
Callum Thornley and Ethan Hayter are selected for the Elite Men's Time Trial.
The Elite women's team includes:
- Anna Henderson
- Anna Morris
- Flora Perkins
- Lauren Dickson
- Pfeiffer Georgi
- Zoe Bäckstedt
Great Britain also has riders selected in the U23 and junior categories.
Netherlands
The Dutch Elite women's road race team includes:
- Demi Vollering
- Mischa Bredewold
- Riejanne Markus
- Lieke Nooijen
- Puck Pieterse
- Karlijn Swinkels
- Femke de Vries
Vollering and Nooijen are selected for the individual time trial.
Canada
Canada has a particularly important role as a host nation.
The Elite men's road race team includes:
- Derek Gee-West
- Hugo Houle
- Michael Leonard
- Michael Woods
- Nickolas Zukowsky
- Pier-André Côté
Derek Gee-West and Michael Leonard are also selected for the individual time trial.
Canada's elite women's road race group includes:
- Magdeleine Vallières Mill
- Olivia Baril
- Alison Jackson
- Clara Emond
- Maggie Coles-Lyster
- Sarah Van Dam
- Nadia Gontova
Nadia Gontova is also selected for the individual time trial.
United States
The United States will send a large national team covering the different categories.
Among the elite riders attracting attention are Brandon McNulty, Quinn Simmons, Matteo Jorgenson, Sean Quinn, and other riders selected by USA Cycling.
McNulty is also among the riders with experience in both the individual time trial and road race.
Other Major Cycling Nations
Other countries expected to have significant elite representation include:
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Denmark
- Australia
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Ireland
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Mexico
- Slovenia
The exact number of riders each country can enter varies according to UCI qualification and ranking rules.
Why the Professional Team Rankings Are Not the Main World Championship Measure
The UCI Road World Championships do not operate like a normal WorldTour race.
There is no UAE Team Emirates-XRG team competing against Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe as trade teams.
Instead:
Slovenia vs. Belgium vs. France vs. Mexico vs. Great Britain vs. Canada and other national teams
is the relevant structure.
A rider's professional team remains useful information because it indicates their normal season-long team affiliation, but the rainbow jersey belongs to the rider's national representation.
History of the UCI Road World Championships
The history of the UCI Road World Championships stretches back more than a century.
The origins of the modern road World Championships can be traced to the UCI Congress in 1920, when the Italian Federation proposed a road cycling World Championship.
The first edition took place in Copenhagen in 1921 and was open to amateur men.
Professional riders were admitted to the World Championships in 1927.
Italy's Alfredo Binda became the first professional men's World Champion.
The Women's World Championship road race was introduced in 1958.
Luxembourg's Elsy Jacobs won that first women's title.
Over the decades, the championship program expanded to include different age categories and time-trial events.
The Under-23 Women's World Championship program is a much more recent development, while the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial was added in 2019.
Montréal 1974: The Historic First Visit
The 1974 World Championships in Montréal occupy a special place in cycling history.
They were the first full UCI Road World Championships to be held outside Europe.
The event took place around Mount Royal.
The Elite men's race covered 262.5 km over 21 laps of a 12.5 km circuit.
Belgium's Eddy Merckx won the men's title.
France's Geneviève Gambillon won the women's title the following day.
The 1974 men's race was extremely demanding. Only 18 of the 70 starters reached the finish.
Merckx completed the race in 6 hours, 52 minutes, and 22 seconds.
His victory was also the final part of an extraordinary 1974 season in which he won the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship road races.
Only Stephen Roche in 1987 and Tadej Pogačar in 2024 have since matched that combination of victories.
Canada Has Hosted the Championships Before
The 2026 edition is the third time Canada has hosted the UCI Road World Championships.
The previous Canadian editions were
1974: Montréal
The first World Championships were held outside Europe.
2003: Hamilton, Ontario
Canada hosted the championships again almost three decades later.
2026: Montréal
The event returns to Montréal 52 years after the historic 1974 edition.
Montréal's Long Cycling Connection
The city has remained closely connected with international road cycling. Earlier international road race coverage on LankaSport includes the Tour of Britain 2013 and the Arctic Race of Norway.
Since 2010, Montréal has hosted the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, one of the UCI WorldTour's major one-day races.
The World Championship course draws on terrain associated with the Montréal WorldTour race.
This means many of the riders arriving for the 2026 championships already know the characteristics of the city's climbs and finishing roads.
The 2026 Championship Courses
The Elite road races begin at Quartier DIX30 in Brossard.
The men's race then passes through several municipalities in the Montérégie region before returning toward Montréal.
The men's route passes through:
- Brossard
- Carignan
- Chambly
- Mont-Saint-Hilaire
- Richelieu
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste
- Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
- Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu
The women use a shorter opening section before joining the Montréal area.
The final races then concentrate on the Montréal circuit and Mount Royal.
The finish for all 13 events is located around Avenue du Parc, making that area one of the main focal points for spectators.
What Makes the Men's Race Different From the Women's Race?
The men's race is considerably longer.
| Race | Distance | Elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Women Elite | 180.4 km | 2,570 m |
| Men Elite | 273.7 km | 3,803 m |
The difference means the men's championship requires considerably more endurance.
Both races, however, share the important Mount Royal finishing section.
The Development Categories
The World Championships are not only about the Elite riders.
The Junior and Under-23 races provide a direct view of riders who may become major professional names in future years.
The 2026 program includes:
Junior Men
- Individual Time Trial
- Road Race
Junior Women
- Individual Time Trial
- Road Race
Under-23 Men
- Individual Time Trial
- Road Race
Under-23 Women
- Individual Time Trial
- Road Race
The categories allow the World Championships to cover different stages of a cyclist's development.
How to Watch the 2026 UCI Road World Championships
Broadcast rights differ between countries.
Currently published information lists broadcasters including FloBikes in the United States and Canada, TNT Sports in the United Kingdom, Stan Sport in Australia, and different national broadcasters across Europe.
For viewers in other countries, the available broadcaster can vary according to territory.
Checking the official Montréal 2026 and UCI information close to race day is the safest way to confirm local coverage.
Complete Seven-Day Racing Schedule
| Date | Events |
|---|---|
| September 20 | Women Elite ITT; Men Elite ITT |
| September 21 | Women U23 ITT; Men U23 ITT |
| September 22 | Mixed Relay TTT; Men Junior ITT; Women Junior ITT |
| September 23 | No race |
| September 24 | Women's U23 Road Race; Men's Junior Road Race |
| September 25 | Men's U23 Road Race; Women's Junior Road Race |
| September 26 | Women's Elite Road Race |
| September 27 | Men's Elite Road Race |
This gives 13 World Championship events across seven racing days within an eight-day championship period.
What to Follow During the Championships
Several storylines will be particularly important throughout the week.
The men's title without Pogačar
Pogačar's absence, caused by the fractured collarbone he suffered in his Vuelta a España crash, means the men's Elite road race will have a new champion.
Evenepoel's time-trial defense
Evenepoel arrives as the defending World Champion in the individual time trial.
Pidcock's possible double
Pidcock has already won the 2026 mountain-bike cross-country World Championship. His road campaign adds another major chapter to his season.
Del Toro's Montréal form
Del Toro won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal shortly before the World Championships on terrain closely connected with the World Championship course.
Vallières Mill's home defense
The defending women's road-race champion will race in front of a Canadian home crowd.
The next generation
The Junior and Under-23 events provide a chance to follow riders who could become leading names in Elite cycling in the coming seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2026 UCI Road World Championships?
The championships take place from September 20 to 27, 2026, in Montréal, Canada.
Are the championships held for seven or eight days?
The event covers eight calendar days, but races take place on seven days. There is no race on September 23.
How many events are there?
There are 13 events.
Which categories compete?
The championships include Elite, Under-23, and Junior men and women, plus the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial.
Where does the Elite Road race start?
The Elite men's and women's road races start at Quartier DIX30 in Brossard.
Where do the races finish?
The races finish in the Montréal area around Avenue du Parc.
How long is the Men's Elite road race?
The official program lists the Men's Elite road race at 273.7 km with approximately 3,803 meters of elevation gain.
How long is the Women's Elite road race?
The Women's Elite road race is scheduled for 180.4 km with approximately 2,570 meters of elevation gain.
Who is the defending Men's Elite Road champion?
Tadej Pogačar won the 2025 Elite men's road race in Kigali. He will not defend the title in Montréal.
Who is the defending Women's Elite Road Champion?
Canada's Magdeleine Vallières Mill won the 2025 Women's Elite road race.
When were the World Championships first held?
The first UCI Road World Championship was held in Copenhagen in 1921 for amateur men. Professional men's racing was introduced in 1927, and the women's road race was introduced in 1958.
When did Montréal first host the World Championships?
Montréal first hosted the UCI Road World Championships in 1974.
Who won in Montréal in 1974?
Belgium's Eddy Merckx won the Men's Elite road race, while France's Geneviève Gambillon won the Women's Elite road race.
How many countries are expected to participate?
The organizers expect roughly 75 countries and around 1,000 athletes.
Related Articles
- 2026 Vuelta a España
- 2022 Vuelta a España
- 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Series Calendar and Guide
- The Tour of Britain 2013
- The Arctic Race of Norway
Final Note
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships combine 13 individual and team events across elite, under-23, and junior categories.
The championship also connects two different eras of cycling history.
The 1974 Montréal World Championships introduced the full road World Championships to a location outside Europe for the first time. The 2026 edition returns to the same city 52 years later, with Mount Royal again forming a major part of the competition.
The first rainbow jerseys of the 2026 championships will be awarded in the time trials on September 20. The final rainbow jersey will be decided in the Men's Elite road race on September 27.