Road World Championships 2026 elite men’s road race LIVE – Brandon McNulty is solo break with 25km to go

Schmid goes on the move, accelerating from the back of the chase group. A last-ditch attempt to catch McNulty.

Pidcock goes too, and Jorgenson once again gets on the Pidcock train.

McNulty is at top of the climb with 7km to go. He holds 32 seconds to the chase.

Van der Poel goes again. Jorgenson goes straight onto his wheel with Ciccone and Pedersen.

Pidcock closed it down to 10 seconds but never connected with the American, and then the chase slowed down as Evenepoel caught back on.

McNulty, who finished 4th in the TT, goes into aero position on the flatter roads and grows the gap to 29 seconds before the Polytechnique climb.

Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) put in massive accelerations to try and close the gap

Van der Poel tried to close the gap but couldn’t do it.

Seixas then Del Toro go to the front as Evenepoel is dropped.

Bell lap – 13.4km to go

McNulty has 53 seconds on the chase group, as Evenepoel is caught just before they go through the finish line for the penultimate time.

Pedersen and Simmons made their way to the chase group at the bottom of Camilien-Houde.

Van der Poel accelerates with Mauro Schmid on his wheel. Schmid came across with Evenepoel, but he is brought back.

Huge acceleration from Evenepoel from the back of the group. Jorgenson briefly gave chase but then swung off, leaving the others to close it down. Pidcock gives chase.

It is now Ciccone’s turn to attack, as Evenepoel surges from the second chase group and catches on.

Healy attacks and Pidcock reacts. Jorgenson is following every move, blocking and waiting in case McNulty is caught.

Van der Poel, Matthews, and Healy catch back onto the chase group, as the gap to McNulty is now 36 seconds.

Pidcock attacks again! But can’t get anyone else to continue at the high speed. Everyone is cooked.

Huge crowds cheer on USA’s Brandon McNulty who attacked with 32km to go

Pidcock’s effort only shaved off a few seconds from the lead but it did shell riders off the back of the chase group.

Van der Poel and Buitrago are distanced. Del Toro is also a few metres back.

2 laps to go

McNulty is all in, taking a corner hot but managed to stay upright.

The American has a 1:08 lead to the chase group, with really no organisation, as more riders catch on to the back. The Evenepoel is 1:29 back.

McNulty gets a gap on Polytechnique as Roglič catches back on to the group.

The American has 35 seconds on the group of favourites. Del Toro looks over his shoulder as some of the riders are free-wheeling, looking at each other to chase.

And we have a reset at the front. Simmons and Healy look to be in difficulty as Roglič is dropped.

Del Toro closed the gap, effortlessly and a new front group is created with Del Toro, Ayuso, Ciccone, Seixas, McNulty, Jorgenson and more.

Del Toro has a chat with trade teammate McNulty at the back of the chase group.

Del Toro accelerates again with Pidcock behind him, as the gap is now down to 9 seconds, and the connection is made.

Healy accelerates as Onley falls off the pace, The Irishman closes down and catches the lead trio with 38km to go, making it four in the break. Van der Poel looks at him, and keeps on going.

Behind, Van Aert cracks and is done for the day. Yates is also dropped from the chase group, with Del Toro pushing the pace. Evenepoel is also dropped.

With three laps to go, the gap has tightened up

Van der Poel, Simmons and Roglič have 10 seconds to Healy and Onley.

Evenepoel attacks and gets a quick reaction from Seixas and Pidcock.

Del Toro counters, and gets a small gap, and Seixas is forced to close it down.

45km to go

Evenpoel jumps solo from the third chase group, and Van Aert drops back to bring him to the Seixas-Del Toro group.

Van der Poel, Roglič and Simmons have 41 seconds on a chase group.

The chase group includes Del Toro, Ayuso, Matthews, Pidcock, Seixas and Jorgenson and McNulty who are blocking for teammate Simmons in the break.

Evenepoel was about to make contact on the climb but then sat up. Roglič was momentarily dropped from leaders down to three with Van der Poel and Simmons.

Lap 9 of 12

Break of 4 with Van der Poel, Roglič, Onley and Simmons have 19 seconds on Healy who jumped from the chase.

Ciccone now attacking out of the Seixas group as the USA riders are blocking the chase somewhat.

With 56 km to go, Van der Poel, Roglič, Onley and Simmons have a gap of 28 seconds,

Chase 1 includes Seixas, Del Toro Pidcock, Ayuso, Jorgenson, McNulty and more.

Healy and Pidcock, with the USA duo of Jorgenson and McNulty, catch the Van Aert group.

Del Toro attacks with Seixas on his wheel; he flies across and makes it across.

Pidcock connects with Healy and they give chase, both working together. Does Pidcock know that Onley is in the break?

Big acceleration by Roglič, and he drops Van Aert and Charmig on Camilien-Houde.

The Slovenian put in a big effort to try to bridge up to the lead trio. He finally connects just as they crest the climb.

Three riders in the break – Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley – have 16 seconds to Van Aert, Charmig and Roglič with five laps to go.

The second chase group, quite disorganised, are at 57 seconds.

More reshuffling in the aggressive and dynamic race.

Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley are working well together and have 14 seconds on Van Aert, Roglič and Charmig.

The chase group with Seixas, Del Toro and Evenepoel also includes Ciccone, Ayuso, McNulty, Healy and Johannessen. But they are not working well together, but the gap is coming down.

More riders make it to the chase.

Del Toro comes to the front to try to try and close down this dangerous move. On his wheel are Evenepoel, Seixas, Healy and more, and his acceleration caused a split is opening up after 10 riders. Carnage on Camilien-Houde.

An isolated Seixas takes a pull.

Lap 7 of 12

The strong break of six – Van der Poel, Van Aert, Simmons, Roglič, Charmig and Onley – have 41 seconds with six laps to go, or 80km to go.

Mexico did a short pull, but it’s France at the front once again with Sivakov. Seixas has already lost Amirail and Paret-Peintre.

Roglič and Charmig make it across to the break with 85km to go. USA’s Quinn Simmons also joins the move.

France is going to have to chase this move down, as Paret-Peintre calls it a day for France.

French team close the move down and Van Aert goes on the attack. Van der Poel and Onley jump on.

The peloton is under pressure, single-filed as they chase down the trio.

Wout van Aert (Belgian) led a chase group with Primož Roglič (Slovenia) and Brandon McNulty (USA) on his wheel. And they connect with 88km to go.

Very dangerous breakaway of 15 riders.

Ben Healy (Ireland), Oscar Onley (Great Britain(, Christian Scaroni and Giulio Pellizzari (Italy), Andreas Kron (Denmark), Alex Baudin (France) and Maxim an Gils (Belgian) came across to Charmig.

Van der Poel also bridges up with 91km to go. Santiago Buitrago (Colombia), Andreas Leknessund who was in the early break along with teammate Jorgen Nordhagen also made it into the move.

USA takes the front of the peloton down to 79 riders as Del Toro is tail-gunning it with 7 laps to go.

Ciccone and Evenepoel are moving up in the peloton with France back at the front on Camilien-Houde. Group of six riders starting to pull away.

Italy’s Alberto Bettiol has been trying to get something started, he’s made a few attacks, but Anthon Charmig (Denmark) is the one who gets a small gap after countering once Bettiol is caught.

Behind Nairo Quintana is dropped, waves to the camera and says goodbye in his final world championship.

100km to go

Big attack from Slovenia’s Gal Glivar on the Polytechnique climb. He looks under his elbow, and gets a few seconds.

Sivakov swings away and Bettiol comes to the front and reels him in.

Attacks continue at the front, shelling more riders off the back.

France’s Pavel Sivakov takes a turn at the front.

Jordan Jegat counters when his teammate Paret-Peintre is brought back by the Netherlands on Camilien-Houde.

Bettiol comes to the front. the first time we see an Italian rider come to the fore.

Lap 5 of 12

The time for the four riders left in the break is almost over. They have a 10-second lead as they cross the finish line with 8 laps to go.

Valentin Paret-Peintre attacks from the peloton and catches the break.

Boivin dropped out of the break and then calls it a day. But first, he takes the time to high-five the fans on the side of the road.

Boivin as a late call-up after Derek Gee-West had to pull out of contention following his crash at Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

The list of riders abandoning the race continues to grow – it includes Luka Mezgec, Jan Tratnik, and Matej Mohorič of Slovenia, Victor Langellotti (Monaco), Nico Denz (Germany), Mathijs Paasschens (Netherlands) and Raúl García Pierna (Spain).

Let’s hear what Ulises Alfredo Castillo told Cyclingnews Managing Editor Laura Weislo in the mixed zone.

The Mexican rider did a lot of work in the beginning, in the Montérégie section of the course, keeping an eye on the gap for his team leader Isaac del Toro.

The gap is now under the one-minute mark, at 55 seconds, with 9 laps to go.

Still Amirail at the front, though a Mexican rider did do a couple of pulls.

France’s Bruno Amirail sets a fast pace for two laps of the circuit, making the race hard for team leader Paul Seixas.

Cyclingnews Managing Editor Laura Weislo caught up with Belgium’s Alec Segaert in the mixed zone at the finish line, after he pulled out of the race.

“It was actually quite okay to control in the beginning. We were with a few teams to do so with the Mexicans, Dutch, and British people as well. So was quite okay, even though the break was a were 16 guys, but then once we entered the circuit, the French team took over and pushed already quite hard. Sadly for me, I didn’t have the legs today because I really wanted to survive a bit longer. But they want to make it a hard race, and we’ll see what it what it will bring.”

Report from Cyclingnews on the ground in Montréal.

Both times across the line, Del Toro has been burning matches to move up during the start/finish straight, with a bit of a tailwind.

lap 3 of 12

With Amirail at the front for close to 30km so far, the gap is now down to 2:34 to the seven rider break, as Boivin chased back onto the lead group.

Valentin Paret-Peintre is sittong on Amirail’s wheel, with Seixas a bit further back.

Mechanicals for Matej Mohorič and Thibau Nys.

Mohorič gets a bike change, while Nys raises his hand, calling for this team car for a wheel change.

Mechanical for Ben Oliver of New Zealand, tire came off his front wheel. He’s by the side of the road, hand up, waiting for his team car.

Make that 6 riders left in the break: Girmay and his teammate Mulubrhan, Leknessund, Engelhardt, Meehan and Liepins.

They have 3:36 on the peloton with Amirail still setting the pace.

Break is also shedding riders. Finkšt, Boivin, Antonenko, Stolić, Jurado, Mayer, Vaidian, Miltiadis, Hopkins, Ansari are all off the back. Leaving 7 off the front.

The peloton was down to 133 riders after one time around the circuit. 184 riders started in Brossard.

Gap has been reduced by over 2:40 on the 13.4km-lap as the break starts lap 2 of 12, and see 147.4km to go.

Swiss also put in a rider in the rotation, setting a hard place in the peloton.

Puncture for birthday boy Hugh Houle, who stops by the Shimano neutral car, but doesn’t stop and takes on the descent behind the Shimano car.

Del Toro is losing teammates, as four of his compatriots are dropped on the climb. The Mexican team lined up with six riders.

Under Amirail’s impetus, the gap is now 5:22

The French team definitely has a plan to launch Seixas; the question is, when will the French teenager do on the attack?

Amirail leads the peloton across the finish line to start the circuit. His team with team leader Seixas, as well as Switzerland are lined up behind him.

Romania’s Văidian is falling off the pace from the break on Camilien-Houde.

Lap 1 of 12

The 16-rider break crosses the finish line for the first time to start the circuit, after over two hours of racing. They have a gap of around six minutes on the peloton with France’s Bruno Amirail setting a hard pace.

Isaac del Toro and other contenders were also seend to be moving up.

Could the weather add an extra challenge?

It is windy and cool (17 Celsius), with gray clouds moving from the east in Montréal and a 50% chance of showers in the next hour.

Cyclingnews North American editor Jackie Tyson took this photo of the finish line from 200 metres to go.

French team comes to the front, and shave off one minute on the gap as riders are starting to be dropped off the back.

The 16-rider break are cheered on as they head towards the start of the circuit in Montréal

The men are heading towards the 13.4km circuit, which features four key climbs. The first comes soon after the finish line with the Voie Camilien-Houde, a 1.67km ascent averaging 7.4% and reaching a maximum gradient of 10%.

Next is Chemin de la Polytechnique, 790 metres at 6%, including a punishing 200-metre section at 11%. The riders then face Avenue Pagnuelo, a 534-metre climb averaging 7%, topping out around the 9km mark.

Pace went up to 50 km/hr, as riders in the peloton are jostling for position, using the whole wide road to get into the bridge.

Attack on the right-hand side from Fredd Matute (Honduras) who tried to get across to the break at the beginning of the race, but never made it.

Let’s hear what Michael Matthews had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Australian has won both the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Québec.

“Worlds always throws a different spin on things, but no I think it’s gonna be quite a different race today than what we normally have in Montreal GP but yeah, we’re ready, we have a strong team, so let’s see what we can do.

Riders have made their way back to Brossard, after a long loop in Montérégie region and will head towards Montréal.

Belgian rider at the front of the peloton, as the gap is 8:07 with 181km to go.

Let’s hear what Isaac del Toro had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Mexican rider won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, raced on the same city circuit.

“Same kind of chaotic situation [as the women’s race], for sure. No one needs to sleep in this kind of circuit, but it’ll be hectic until the end and you will never know who will win until the line. For sure, the move will be on the climb and someone will keep trying, but everybody needs to be smart and to give his 100%.”

I know I said that there wouldn’t be more history but it’s of the racing kind:

Mount Royal returned to the centre stage of global cycling this week when Montréal hosted the UCI Road World Championships. It had been 52 years since Montréal made history as the first Road Worlds outside Europe and two years later notched another milestone as the first Canadian city to host summer competitions for the Olympic Games.

‘Truly an exceptional memory’ – Eddy Merckx and Genevieve Gambillon look back on 1974 World Championships wins as Montreal’s Mount Royal climb returns to centre stage