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On Sunday, the 2026 road worlds begin. Can you believe it? It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Canada is sending some very strong squads too, and as you surely know, we even have a defending champion in the elite women\u2019s race, Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill.<\/p>\n
The Sherbrooke native has actually ridden the road race before, but only as a youngster in the Jeux du Qu\u00e9bec.<\/p>\n
There actually was a women\u2019s 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\u2019s Genevi\u00e8ve Jeanson<\/a> won the race four times, and \u00a0Canadian-U.S. dual citizen Ashlin Barry\u2019s mother, Dede, also won it<\/a> (on a Canadian bike<\/a>, no less.) Barry will be racing the worlds as well with USA Cycling, and is a strong favourite in the U23 time trial.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s sister Ava had a great ride at the Chrono de Gatineau<\/a> 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\u2019s been riding well all year in France.<\/p>\n But first up are the elites on Sunday. Canada has two men \u2014 Nick Zukowsky and Michael Leonard \u2014 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.<\/p>\nThe elite TT: 4 Canucks lining up<\/h2>\n
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