World Cycling Championships 2026: Route Road Race – men
Published: 15 September 2026
Race type: tough hilly race
Favourites: climbers, puncheurs
Weather: rainy and windy
The riders clip into their pedals in Brossard and, after a flat loop of more than 100 kilometres, reach the finishing circuit in Montreal. Just before joining the circuit, they get a warm-up climb of 2.9 kilometres at 4.1%.
Much of the peloton will be familiar with the circuit, as it is the same course used for the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, held every September. Tadej Pogacar won the race in 2022 and 2024, while last year he handed victory to his team-mate Brandon McNulty. The Slovenian was therefore the overwhelming favourite to claim another world title, but he will miss the race after crashing in the Vuelta.
This year, Isaac del Toro was the strongest rider in the GP Montréal. The Mexican comfortably outsprinted Paul Seixas on the uphill home straight.
The Montreal circuit is 13.4 kilometres long and features 269 metres of elevation gain per lap. There are no long climbs; instead, it is an endless onslaught of short, intense bursts of climbing. The uphill action begins soon after the riders pass the finish on Avenue du Parc. After two left-hand turns, they reach the Voie Camillien-Houde. The 1.67-kilometre climb at 7.4% winds its way through Parc du Mont Royal and, after the descent and three hairpin bends, the riders reach Chemin de Polytechnique. This is a 780-metre climb averaging 6%, including a 200-metre section at 11%.
After a descent featuring a few sharp corners, the riders reach the long, straight Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit. Three corners later, the road kicks up again on Avenue Pagnuelo: 534 metres at 7.5%. Once over the top, there is a flat 500-metre section before the riders descend for 2.5 kilometres towards the final straight, which rises at 4%.
While the circuit featured sixteen times in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, the riders will tackle it twelve times at the World Championships. That makes the road race at th Worlds less demanding, although the riders first have to negotiate a long, flat loop before reaching the circuit.
Last year, the World Championship road race in Kigali, Rwanda, featured almost 5,500 metres of elevation gain over a 267.5-kilometre course. Tadej Pogacar produced ons of his extraordinary one-man shows. He attacked on a climb more than 100 kilometres from the finish. A few riders managed to stay on his wheel, but shortly afterwards, on the short and steep Mur de Kigali, only Isaac del Toro remained with him. That was only temporary, however. Pogacar dropped the Mexican — his team-mate at UAE Emirates in everyday racing — with 67 kilometres to go and soloed to his second consecutive world title.
Remco Evenepoel crossed the line 1 minute and a half later to take silver, while Ben Healy claimed bronze.
Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 2026 Worlds road race.
The World Championship road race starts at 9:00 and is expected to finish at 15:40 — both are local times (EDT).
Weather forecast:
The World Championship road race looks set to be held in wet conditions. Strong winds of around 25 km/h are expected, with gusts reaching one and a half times that speed (38 km/h). Temperatures will hover around 19°C.
We will update this forecast in the days leading up to the start. For the latest weather conditions along the course, check the interactive weather map in the slideshow below.
2026 UCI Road World Championships, Montreal - road race men: routes, profielen, video's
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