On Sunday, the 2026 road worlds begin. Can you believe it? It’s finally here. The best riders in the world are coming here to compete for rainbow jerseys and medals. Juniors, under-23 and elites will be spending the week in Montreal competing in time trials, a mixed relay and road races.
Canada is sending some very strong squads too, and as you surely know, we even have a defending champion in the elite women’s race, Magdeleine Vallières Mill.
2026 road worlds and a strong Canadian presence
The Sherbrooke native has actually ridden the road race before, but only as a youngster in the Jeux du Québec.
There actually was a women’s World Cup for more than 10 years on that course, from 1998 to 2009, but MVM would have been seven years old in the last edition. Lachine’s Geneviève Jeanson won the race four times, and Canadian-U.S. dual citizen Ashlin Barry’s mother, Dede, also won it (on a Canadian bike, no less.) Barry will be racing the worlds as well with USA Cycling, and is a strong favourite in the U23 time trial.
The Canadian women also have some big hopes with their U23 team, with Isabella Holmgren in the road race, along with Sidney Swierenga, who recently took her first elite stage race win. Bella’s sister Ava had a great ride at the Chrono de Gatineau too, so look for her to go for a big result in the TT. Jonas Walton had a great ride in the time trial in Rwanda, finishing sixth. He’s been riding well all year in France.
The elite TT: 4 Canucks lining up
But first up are the elites on Sunday. Canada has two men — Nick Zukowsky and Michael Leonard — riding, along with two women, national champ Nadia Gontova and Olivia Baril. Marlen Reusser is the defending champion, and she also recently showed she is on form, taking a brilliant win in the TT at Gatineau.
2026 elite world ITT champs preview: Evenepoel goes for 4, Reusser to repeat?
Remco Evenepoel is also looking to make history, becoming the first elite male to win four rainbow jerseys in the TT in a row. He’s been in Canada for a while now. He was seen doing some efforts on the F1 course and then went to Bromont for more prep.
Evenepoel’s thoughts about the time trial
He hasn’t ridden the TT course yet — recon is limited to Saturday given the busy roads only being closed for short time. However, riders will get a few hours to try it out, although he wishes he had more time.
“It’s annoying that we only get two hours, especially with such a big round of 40 kilometres. So it will be a bit of a puzzle to maybe cut off a corner, to see a little more of a part,” Remco said to Sporza. “Fortunately, it’s the same for everyone. That’s the advantage. Since it’s so flat, maybe they should have made a slightly longer distance out of it, I think.” (The men and women both race the same distance.)
When asked how long it will take, the double Olympic champ thinks he can do it in 42 or 43 minutes, which, BTW, is bloody fast — anywhere from roughly 55.7 km/h to 57 km/h. Canadian Cycling Magazine has loaded up the chopper and is en route, so be sure to check back for lots of content both on the site and our social media. You can also tune into the race live on CBC Gem. LFG!
Fast facts: Elite ITT course — Montreal 2026
- Distance: 39.9 km
- Elevation gain: 195 m
- Men and women: Both elite ITTs use the same 39.9-km route
- Start: Brossard, in Montérégie
- Riders head into Montreal via the Samuel De Champlain Bridge
- The course winds through Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and Parc Jean-Drapeau
- Riders then cross the Concorde Bridge
- Finish: Avenue du Parc
- The finish line is the same one used for all 13 world championship events
- Unlike the road races, the ITT does not use the Mont Royal climbing circuit; the route finishes on Avenue du Parc after the Jean-Drapeau/Concorde Bridge section
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 20