The 2026 UCI Road World Championships, held in Montréal, Canada, from 20 to 27 September, came to an end on Sunday as the USA’s Brandon McNulty won the rainbow jersey in an exhilarating Men Elite road race.
The American all-rounder found his opening to take the lead with 33 kilometres to go. The suspense was alive until the final straight, where McNulty claimed victory 13 seconds ahead of Australia’s Michael Matthews with the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel in third.
“I’m really at a loss for words,” McNulty said moments after completing his solo. “Even in the last 300 metres, I really didn’t believe it. I was so tired. The last climb on Mont-Royal, I was just dying, but I kept pushing… I made some jokes to my wife this morning. I knew something could happen today, but it would take miracles. And miracles happened.”
Seixas’s teammates open the race
The 184 riders representing 61 nations began their effort with a loop of around 100 kilometres before taking on 12 laps on the Mont-Royal circuit (13.4 km) for a total distance of 273.4 kilometres and an elevation gain of 3,803 metres, primarily due to the repeated ascents of the Voie Camillien-Houde (1.67km at 7.4% with a maximum gradient of 10%).
An early breakaway set off containing 16 riders, including familiar faces such as Canada’s Guillaume Boivin, Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay, Norway’s Andreas Leknessund… Their lead grew to eight minutes before France increased the pace as the peloton returned to the final circuit, with the ambition to forge attrition and favour Paul Seixas. Bruno Armirail closed the gap over the five first laps. Then the race exploded with some of the biggest names moving early.
After a series of attacks, Mathieu van der Poel found the opening to break away with the USA’s Quinn Simmons and Great Britain’s Oscar Onley. Slovenia’s Primož Roglič managed to join them 65 kilometres from the line. Behind them, Mexico’s Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas were very active in reduced groups that constantly changed compositions due to relentless moves.
McNulty: “We rode crazy well”
A 12-man group got back together for the last 35 kilometres. At the same time, Brandon McNulty rapidly set off on his own, opening a gap of a minute ahead of the final two laps. The USA all-rounder began the final lap with a lead of 53 seconds to a 10-man group led by recently-crowned individual time trial UCI World Champion, Remco Evenepoel (BEL). Onto the final 10 kilometres, past the Voie Camillien-Houde, the gap had shrunk to 10 seconds.
However, a seasoned TT specialist, McNulty had perfectly managed his effort and his chasers never reeled him in despite their all-out efforts to the finish. His 33km solo to victory echoes the feat achieved in the Men Under 23 road race by his compatriot Ashlin Barry, the other USA gold medallist in the 2026 UCI Road World Championships.
“We said for weeks now that we had a super-strong team and that it was possible,” McNulty said. “We rode crazy well. We marked everything, had guys ahead… I’m seriously at a loss for words.”