The UCI Road World Championships are set to return to Montreal, Canada, from September 20 to 27, 2026, marking the event’s first appearance in the city since 1974. This significant occasion also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, making it a monumental year for Canadian cycling and the city. Approximately 1,000 elite athletes from over 75 countries are expected to compete across 13 events, including road races, individual time trials, and a team time trial mixed relay.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that this marks the third time Canada has hosted the UCI Road World Championships, with previous editions held in Montreal in 1974 and Hamilton in 2003. The 1974 event was particularly historic as it was the first time the championships were held outside of Europe. The organizing promoter of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec et de Montréal, with support from Cycling Canada, is overseeing the event. The Canadian federal government has announced a significant investment of CA$13 million to support the hosting of the championships, aiming to make it the largest sporting event in Montreal since the 1976 Summer Olympics.
The championships will commence on Sunday, September 20, with the elite women’s individual time trial, followed by the elite men’s time trial later the same day. The initial days of the week will feature under-23 and junior time trials, as well as the mixed relay, before the focus shifts entirely to the road races. The elite women’s road race is scheduled for Saturday, September 26, covering a distance of 180.4 kilometers with an estimated 2,570 meters of climbing. The elite men will conclude the championships on Sunday, September 27, with a demanding 273.7-kilometer race featuring approximately 3,803 meters of elevation gain.
Both elite road races will begin outside Montreal in the Brossard district of Montérégie, crossing the Samuel de Champlain Bridge to enter Montreal. The routes will then incorporate repeated laps of a 13.4-kilometer circuit around Mount Royal in downtown Montreal. This circuit includes challenging climbs such as Voie Camillien-Houde and sections of the Côte de la Polytechnique with gradients exceeding 11%, culminating in a rising finish on Avenue du Parc. The elite women will complete eight laps of this circuit, while the elite men will undertake twelve laps. This circuit is familiar to the riders, having been tested during the Grand Prix Montréal held just a week prior to the championships.
The individual time trial routes also traverse central Montreal, with shorter races omitting certain sections of the full course. The elite time trials follow a 39.2-kilometer route that winds through the city, along the Saint Lawrence River, crossing the Samuel De Champlain Bridge, passing by the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and returning via the Concorde Bridge. The elite time trials are set to be particularly competitive, with riders like Remco Evenepoel expected to vie for the win. While Tadej Pogačar, the 2024 and 2025 road race winner, will not be participating due to his season ending after a crash, other strong contenders are anticipated to emerge.
The event is expected to draw significant global viewership, with an estimated over 200 million viewers worldwide. The return of the championships to Montreal holds particular significance, recalling the legacy of Eddy Merckx’s 1974 world title and the 1976 Olympic road race held in the city. This year’s event aims to capture that same spirit and excitement, celebrating the rich history of cycling in Montreal and Canada.
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