The 2026 UCI World Championships Men's Elite Road Race covers 273 kilometres from Brossard to Montreal, finishing on the demanding urban circuit centred on the Côte de Camillien-Houde. The profile is hilly throughout with a flat run-in to the line, rewarding riders who can climb repeatedly at race pace before contesting a reduced-group sprint or launching a late solo move. This is the pinnacle one-day event of the season, drawing every nation's best and promising an explosive, unpredictable finale.
★★★★
Top Favorite
Remco Evenepoel is in career-defining form heading into this World Championship. Four wins in similar-profile races recently — including the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa, and a Tour de France ITT stage — plus the World Championships ITT title secured just days ago paint the picture of a rider peaking at exactly the right moment. He is the strongest hills specialist in this field and the near-universal favourite.
Red Bull - BORA
Red Bull - BORA
Remco Evenepoel is the standout favorite: he won the World Championships ME - ITT earlier this week, took stage 1 of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on this very circuit, and also won the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa and a Tour de France ITT stage in recent weeks, amassing four wins and six top-3 finishes in similar-profile races. He leads this field in hills ability and time trial strength, and his recent form on hilly one-day races is simply unmatched.
★★★
Strong Contenders
Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock are the most plausible rivals to Evenepoel. Van der Poel has been producing punch-filled wins on hilly terrain throughout the summer and is the only rider in this field who can match Evenepoel's raw power over technical, repeated climbs. Pidcock is perhaps the best pure climber in the group and has the race intelligence to position himself perfectly for the final circuits, making him dangerous if the pace strips the field down to a handful.
Alpecin-Premier Tech
Alpecin-Premier Tech
Mathieu van der Poel arrives with three wins in similar-profile races recently, including stage 9 of the Tour de France and two stages at the Tour de Luxembourg, and boasts elite hills ability alongside the best cobbles rating in this select group. His versatility and punching power make him a genuine threat on Montreal's demanding finale.
Pinarello-Q36.5
Pinarello-Q36.5
Tom Pidcock collected one win — stage 1 of the GP Industria & Artigianato — alongside three top-3 and seven top-10 finishes in similar-profile races recently, demonstrating consistent high-level form on hilly terrain. He ranks among the very best hill specialists in this field and has the climbing ability to follow any acceleration on the Côte de Camillien-Houde.
★★
Dark Horses
Wout van Aert, Isaac del Toro, and Giulio Ciccone represent the next tier of genuine podium threats. Van Aert's four wins at the Vuelta a España and Tour of Denmark confirm he is in the form of his life, and his tactical acumen could see him outmanoeuvre rivals in a sprint. Del Toro winning the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on this identical parcours is a massive signal that must be respected. Ciccone's consistent top-3 form in hilly races rounds out a trio that could all feature heavily in the finale.
Lidl-Trek
Lidl-Trek
Giulio Ciccone has been one of the most consistent performers in similar-profile races without winning, racking up three top-3 and six top-10 finishes recently on hilly terrain. His climbing and hills ratings are among the best in this field, and he could benefit from strong Lidl-Trek team numbers in Canada.
UAE Emirates
UAE Emirates
Isaac del Toro is a compelling dark horse: he won stage 1 of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal — the sister race on the same circuit — and stage 2 of the Tour de France, adding two more top-3 and seven top-10 results in similar conditions recently. He is one of the strongest young hilly-race specialists in this field and has proven he can perform specifically in Montreal.
Visma - Lease a Bike
Visma - Lease a Bike
Wout van Aert is in exceptional form, having won stage 15 and stage 13 of the Vuelta a España, stage 3 and stage 1 of the Tour of Denmark — four wins and four top-3 finishes in similar-profile races recently. He combines strong hills ability with elite sprint and cobbles attributes, making him dangerous if any group arrives together, and his versatility means he can shape the race tactically for Visma.
★
Ones to Watch
Juan Ayuso, Thibau Nys, João Almeida, and Giulio Pellizzari are the riders most likely to spring a surprise. Ayuso and Almeida benefit from UAE Emirates' overwhelming numerical strength and both have the physical profile for this demanding finale. Nys has been quietly accumulating top-3 results in similar races. Pellizzari's back-to-back wins at the Giro della Toscana and Deutschland Tour make him the most in-form dark horse, capable of going clear in a well-timed move on the final ascent.
Red Bull - BORA
Red Bull - BORA
Giulio Pellizzari won stage 1 of the Giro della Toscana and stage 4 of the Deutschland Tour in recent weeks, signalling sharp current form on hilly one-day courses. He is one of the younger wildcards worth watching, capable of jumping clear in a breakaway or featuring in a select late group.
UAE Emirates
UAE Emirates
João Almeida brings some of the highest climbing and hills ratings in the entire field, and UAE Emirates arrive with a dominant squad that could control the race for Isaac del Toro or unleash Almeida himself in the final circuits. He is an intriguing outsider with the physical profile to survive any brutal accelerations.
Lidl-Trek
Lidl-Trek
Juan Ayuso possesses excellent all-round abilities for this profile — strong climbing and hills attributes — and is part of a deep Lidl-Trek squad that can animate the race. He has the talent to feature in the finale if given the opportunity by team dynamics.
Lidl-Trek
Lidl-Trek
Thibau Nys recorded two top-3 and two top-10 finishes in similar-profile races recently, showing he is beginning to translate his versatility into results on hilly one-day terrain. His hills ability is among the better scores in this field and Lidl-Trek's strength in numbers could set him up for a late move.
Verdict
Remco Evenepoel is the clear top favorite, having won on this circuit earlier in the Canadian week and backed by dominant recent form in virtually every similar-profile race; Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock are his most credible rivals, with Isaac del Toro — fresh from winning the Montréal sister race — also capable of upsetting the established order.