A late attack that held
Brandon McNulty became the first American man in 33 years to win the elite road race at the World Road Cycling Championships, attacking from an eight-man leading group with 20 miles left of the 170-mile course in Montreal and holding on to win by 13 seconds over Australian Michael Matthews. Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel took bronze, also 13 seconds back, on Sunday. McNulty, a 28-year-old from Phoenix, will wear the rainbow jersey in races around the world over the next year.[S1][S2]
McNulty launched his move going into the final 30km and was 50 seconds clear going into the last lap. His lead grew to more than one minute with about 10 miles left, then was brought down to about 10 seconds before he upped it back to 34 seconds with four miles to go. He visibly began to tire on the final climb and his lead was cut to just 10 seconds, but the chasing pack were unable to reel him in. He crossed the line 13 seconds clear of the chasing pack, completing the gruelling 273.4km course in six hours and 17 minutes.[S1][S2]
A field of favourites, and a matter of timing
Even without injured riding legend Tadej Pogacar, Montreal 2026 was still full of favourites who were expected to dictate the shape of this monumentally long race. Van der Poel, Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Paul Seixas and Pidcock were all there, all animating and pushing to breakaway from one another under gradually yellowing Canadian maples. But timing, not power or race craft, proved crucial. Such was the distance all attacked far too early, and it was McNulty - a time triallist and domestique to Pogacar by trade - who took off and emptied himself. The unassuming and, at times, seemingly timid American is a very popular winner of what was unquestionably one of the best races of a long season.[S1]
Britain's Tom Pidcock finished seventh, with Ireland's Ben Healy 10th and Remco Evenepoel of Belgium in 12th place. Evenepoel, who finished 12th on Sunday, was bidding to become the first male cyclist to sweep world titles in the road race and the time trial in the same year. He previously won world titles in the road race in 2022, plus in the time trial in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He was also runner-up in the road race in 2025, when Pogacar denied Evenepoel's sweep bid. Slovenia's Pogacar missed these worlds after sustaining season-ending injuries in a Vuelta a Espana crash on Aug. 29.[S1][S2]
McNulty's season and American cycling history
McNulty is best known as one of five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar's top teammates on UAE Team Emirates XRG. His best Grand Tour finish was ninth in the 2025 Giro d'Italia, his most recent Grand Tour finish. He dropped out of the 2026 Tour de France during stage 18 due to illness. He was previously fourth in the time trial at worlds last Sunday, 12 seconds from becoming the first U.S. male medalist in that event in 14 years. He had the top U.S. men's road cycling finishes at the last two Olympics - fifth in the time trial in Paris and sixth in the road race in Tokyo.[S2]
McNulty became the third U.S. man to win the road race at worlds after Greg LeMond (1983, '89) and Lance Armstrong (1993), who was the last American man to win a medal of any color in the event. The last American winner of the race was Lance Armstrong in 1993. The last American man to win an Olympic road cycling medal was Levi Leipheimer in 2008 (time trial bronze). An American man has won an Olympic road race medal twice -- Alexi Grewal's gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and Carl Schutte's bronze in 1912.[S1][S2]
Vollering takes women's title
In Saturday's women's road race, Demi Vollering of the Netherlands earned her first world title, adding to her Tour de France and Giro d'Italia victories in 2026. After 4 hours, 45 minutes on the roads, Vollering outsprinted Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, who is married to U.S. Olympian Taylor Phinney. The top American was 2024 Olympic road race gold medalist Kristen Faulkner in 21st.[S2]
