World Cycling Championships 2026: McNulty wins sensational road race

fotobureau Cor VosAs early as 90 kilometres from the finish, Mathieu van der Poel sets the World Championship road race alight. He animates the race alongside Primoz Roglic, Oscar Onley and Ben Healy, but when they are caught with roughly 30 kilometres to go, Brandon McNulty attacks and solos to gold. Michael Matthews takes silver, with Van der Poel claiming bronze. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2026 UCI Worlds road race

1. Brandon McNulty (usa) 6:17:04
2. Michael Matthews (aus) + 0:13
3. Mathieu van der Poel (nld) s.t.
4. Quinn Simmons (usa) s.t.
5. Isaac del Toro (Mex) + 0:14
6. Mads Pedersen (den) s.t.
7. Tom Pidcock (gbr) s.t.
8. Matteo Jorgenson (usa) s.t.
9. Giulio Ciccone (ita) s.t.
10. Ben Healy (irl) s.t.

Race report
Andreas Leknessund and Biniam Girmay form the breakaway alongside fourteen companions, building a maximum lead of more than 8 minutes.

As the final breakaway riders are caught with just over 106 kilometres to go, Valentin Paret-Peintre attacks. He fails to get away, and then Jordan Jegat gives it a go. Also to no avail.

Several attackers take turns trying their luck, but no one manages to get clear until Anthon Charmig opens up a gap. On the following ascent of the Voie Camillien-Houde, he is joined by a group containing Alex Baudin, Maxim Van Gils, Oscar Onley, Ben Healy, Andreas Kron, Giulio Pellizzari, Christian Scaroni, Santiago Buitrago, Jørgen Nordhagen, Marcel Camprubí and Mathieu van der Poel. Wout van Aert, Brandon McNulty and Primož Roglic also make their way to the front after the summit. There are just under 90 kilometres to go at this point.

When they are caught, Van Aert attacks again. Van der Poel and Onley ride across to him. Charmig and Roglic also make the junction, after which Quinn Simmons makes it six at the front.

At the next passage of the finish line, with six laps to go, they have a 40-second lead. A group containing Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Giulio Ciccone, Isaac del Toro, Davide Piganzoli, Juan Ayuso, Adam Yates, Matteo Jorgenson, Ben Healy, Brandon McNulty, Tobias Halland Johannessen, Michael Matthews, Mikkel Honoré, Christian Scaroni and Stefan Küng launches the chase and closes to within 15 seconds, prompting Van der Poel to put in a big acceleration on Chemin de la Polytechnique. Only Onley and Simmons can follow.

The three cross the finish line 20 seconds ahead of the three chasers, with the Seixas-Del Toro-Evenepoel group 1 minute behind. Roglic then rides across to Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley on the Voie Camillien-Houde.

With 60 kilometres to go, Tom Pidcock, Brandon McNulty, Matteo Jorgenson and Ben Healy join Van Aert and Charmig at the front. Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, Michael Matthews and Mikkel Honoré join in a little later, while Van Aert loses contact.

Healy gets clear and, with four laps to go, the Irishman crosses the finish line 19 seconds behind Van der Poel and co. The other chasers come through half a minute further back.

On the Voie Camillien-Houde, Van der Poel accelerates once again. Simmons follow his move, while Roglic takes a little longer but eventually regains contact. Onley drops back to Healy, while Remco Evenepoel rides across to the third group over the course of the following lap.

On the next ascent of the Voie Camillien-Houde, Healy drops Onley and joins the leaders. With just under 35 kilometres to go, Seixas, Ciccone, Pidcock, Jorgenson, McNulty, Matthews, Del Toro and Buitrago also make contact.

McNulty makes his move a few kilometres later and he crosses the line 1 minute ahead of the chasers. No one in the chasing group is willing to take up the chase.

That situation changes on the penultimate ascent of the Voie Camillien-Houde. Van der Poel and Healy cannot match the pace set by Seixas, Ciccone, Pidcock, Jorgenson and Matthews, who close to within 37 seconds of the American. After the summit, Van der Poel, Healy and Del Toro regain contact with the chasers.

The pace drops, allowing Evenepoel, Schmid and Küng to hook up with the chasers. As the pace drops again, Evenepoel, Schmid and Küng also rejoin the group. The Belgian then attacks, but just before the final lap begins, he sees the others come back alongside him. The gap to McNulty is then down to 50 seconds.

On the final ascent of the Voie Camillien-Houde, Pidcock and Ciccone launch the chase after McNulty. At the summit, Seixas, Van der Poel, Jorgenson, Matthews and Del Toro rejoin them. They close to within 8 seconds of the lone leader, but then the gap widens again.

Just before the Chemin de Polytechnique, Evenepoel, Pedersen, Simmons and Schmid rejoin the chasers. On the climb, Van der Poel accelerates, with Jorgenson and Ciccone immediately following his move. The others make contact again later.

With just over 5 kilometres to go, Mauro Schmid slips away. On Avenue Pagnuelo, Pidcock bridges across to the Swiss rider, with Jorgenson on his wheel.

When they are caught just before the flamme rouge, Healy takes over the attack and Matthews goes with him. As McNulty heads towards the finish celebrating, they turn onto the finishing straight. Matthews opens his sprint from a long way out, while Van der Poel comes charging through from behind, but lacks the power to catch the Australian. Matthews takes silver, while the Dutchman rounds off a strong race with the bronze medal.

Other interesting reads: route and start list 2026 UCI Worlds road race.