Tadej Pogacar is unquestionably the best rider in the world right now, but he will not be defending his rainbow jersey in Montreal. A heavy crash at the Vuelta a Espana has ruled him out, opening the door for a wide-open battle on the demanding circuit.
The Course
After the African Worlds, the circus moves to North America — specifically Montréal and surroundings. The local circuit used for the road races is 95 % identical to the GP Montréal, with a few small adjustments.
Key facts
Date: Sunday, 27 September 2026
Distance: 273.7 km
Start: Brossard
Finish: Montréal
Elevation: ~3,800 m
The race begins with a largely flat 100 km loop from Brossard. Expect an early break of lesser-known names while the favourites warm up. Then the riders hit the local circuit: 12 laps of 13.4 km (instead of the usual 16 for the GP Montréal). The circuit has been slightly modified for logistical reasons — the U-turn near the finish has been removed and the finish line shifted one lane — but the climbing remains the same.
The decisive climb is the Côte Camillien-Houde (1.8 km at 8 %) in Parc du Mont-Royal, which favours pure climbers over classics specialists. After a short technical descent come the Côte de Polytechnique (780 m at 6 %, with a 200 m stretch at 11 %) and the Pagnuelo (535 m at 7.5 %). The final 600 m on Avenue du Parc rise at an average of 4 %, making an uphill sprint possible. Total distance of nearly 274 km and almost 3,800 metres of climbing make this a race of attrition.
The Favourites
Remco Evenepoel is the most complete rider present and has a very strong Belgian squad around him. He already won the Worlds in 2022 and finished second last year. Although he was only fifth at the recent GP Montréal and was clearly beaten by Del Toro and Seixas on the climbs, he downplayed those results: “In two weeks it will be 60 km longer. It’s a completely different race with much more fatigue.” Evenepoel thrives on the big occasions and has just taken a historic fourth consecutive time-trial world title. Belgium’s strength in depth is a major advantage.
Wout van Aert gives Belgium a genuine second leader. National coach Serge Pauwels has a luxury problem and will need clear tactics: Van Aert can force the issue early or sit on the wheels and neutralise moves for Evenepoel.
Isaac Del Toro is probably Evenepoel’s biggest threat. The 22-year-old Mexican lacks a strong national team but has already shown killer instinct and perfect timing (he won the GP Montréal). He will have to mark the strongest blocks and strike at the right moment. Del Toro himself is unfazed: “Even without one of the strongest national teams I can still be competitive and create situations.”
Paul Seixas turned 20 this week and already looks like a genuine contender. He was second at GP Montréal and has a strong French team around him (Sivakov, Paret-Peintre, Baudin, Armirail). Coach Thomas Voeckler is known for inventive tactics. Seixas believes the course suits him perfectly.
Mathieu van der Poel is aiming for a second elite road title after Glasgow 2023. The course is tougher than ideal for a classics specialist, yet he finished third on the even harder Zürich circuit in 2024 (more climbing). A lack of support could hurt him, but a flying Van der Poel has repeatedly shown he can cut through any combination.
Tom Pidcock arrives in excellent form and has a course that suits him. Britain also has Adam Yates as a second card. “A Worlds is pretty simple — you race on instinct and the legs do the talking,” Pidcock said.