Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Monday, September 28, 2026
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious. - Yogi Berra
Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, 2019: A Year of New Faces is available in both Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Current racing:
- Sept 27 - Oct 4: Le Tour de Langkawi
Upcoming racing:
- Oct 3: Giro dell'Emilia
- Oct 3: Sparkassen Münsterland Giro
- Oct 4: Coppa Agostoni
Latest completed racing:
- September 20 - 27: World Road Championships
- September 16 - 20: Tour de Luxembourg
- September 19: Flandrian 0.0 Classic
- September 18: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- September 15 - 18: Giro d'Abruzzo
- September 16: GP de Wallonie
- August 22 - Sept 13: Vuelta a España
- September 13: GP de Montréal
- September 13: GP de Fourmies
- September 13: Trofeo Matteotti
- September 12: Memorial Marco Pantani
- September 11: GP de Québec
- September 10: Coppa Sabatini
Content continues below the ads
We posted the report from the International Olympic Committee with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Michael Matthews' Team Jayco-AlUla:
Michael Matthews produced one of the rides of his career to take the silver medal in a thrilling World Championship Road Race in Montreal.
The 36-year-old sprinted to second place from a select chase group containing the best in the pro peloton to claim his fifth ‘Worlds’ top-five finish and the fourth road race medal of his career.
The world championships podium, from left: Michael Matthews (2nd), Brandon McNulty (1st), & Mathieu van der Poel (3rd). Sirotti photo
The Australian was never far from the action throughout the gruelling 273km race, using all of his experience to follow, mark and counter the endless attacks. As the pre-race favourites each made their bid for glory lap after lap, Matthews hung on to remain in the hunt for the medals.
Team Jayco AlUla teammate Mauro Schmid also put himself in the fight for the podium places with a typical and daring late attack in the closing kilometres. The Swiss rider had earlier been dropped, but made a stunning recovery to bridge back to his rivals before making his move.
Despite the best efforts from the 2026 Tour de France stage winner, there was no catching eventual winner Brandon McNulty. But behind, Matthews used all his race craft to launch a long-range sprint for the silver medal, holding off Mathieu van der Poel and the best of the rest to finish off a huge performance.
The result is Matthews’ sixth top-10 finish in the men’s elite road race and adds another medal to go alongside his U23 triumph in 2010 and his gold and bronze medals in the mixed relay team time trial event.
Content continues below the ads
Michael Matthews:
“It’s not only the way I raced the race today, after what I’ve been through the last two years with the embolism in my lungs thinking my career was done, to breaking both my arms at start of this year and thinking my career was done. Now bouncing back to being second in the world’s road race, I’m just speechless honestly.
"I said to my wife and the start today, ‘let’s just leave it all out there and be proud of the ride’ and at the end of the day make sure I finish with nothing left and that’s exactly what happened today.
"When I crossed the finish line I put my head in my hands, almost in disbelief at what just happened. Honestly, it’s just credit to my family, to the team, to all the support crew around me that didn’t stop believing that this could happen right now. I just I owe everything to them.”
Content continues below the ads
And here's the World's report from winner Brandon McNulty's UAE Team Emirates-XRG:
Apologies, the team didn't post this until Monday after the race.
With a remarkable display on the streets of Montréal, Canada, Brandon McNulty won the UCI World Championships Road Race on Sunday evening. The result sees McNulty succeed his teammate Tadej Pogačar as the reigning world champion and holder of the rainbow jersey.
Taking his victory on behalf of the United States of America, McNulty ensures that UAE Team Emirates-XRG will have the world champion within its ranks for an astonishing third season in succession.
Brandon McNulty finishes alone to become the champion of the world. Sirotti photo
With Pogačar, winner of the last two editions. absent through injury, McNulty stepped up to the mark and claimed the biggest win of his career to date.
Perhaps second only to the Tour de France in terms of prestige, the World Championships is the race that all hold dear, and the American picked up his victory in truly exceptional fashion.
The 28-year-old made his move with 33km of the 273.4km race remaining, having already established himself within an elite leading group. From its midst, the American sprang, alone and audacious. No rival immediately followed McNulty’s wheel, and within a flash, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG representative had stolen a march on the field.
Within less than 10km, McNulty had a minute’s advantage. Behind the American, the best in the world were hoping to chase him down. Paul Siexas (France), Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) and Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) were among the chasers, but come the end of the race in Mount Royal, the best in the world showed his strength.
Try as they might through the final 25km of racing, the chasing group could not make a definitive dent on McNulty’s lead. From a minute, the gap seeped at one point to around 13 seconds, as the American came well and truly into view.
Showing incredible determination, though, the 28-year-old continued to press on regardless. As those behind started to look at one another, McNulty kicked again. From 13 seconds, the gap went back out towards the half-minute mark. It was McNulty’s career day in Canada.
Into the final kilometre, the road ramped up towards the line and the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider surged once more. Pain was etched across the American’s face, but still, McNulty knew that his reward would be the rainbow jersey.
As he crossed the line, 13 seconds ahead of his nearest rivals, the sense of pain turned into a look of disbelief. In his seventh professional season with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, McNulty has achieved the crowning moment of his career to date.
Succeeding his teammate and friend Pogačar in the rainbow jersey, McNulty is now the reigning world road race champion. It is an honour that the American will hold for the next year, and it is an honour that came so richly deserved on Sunday evening.
McNulty: “I’m at a loss for words. The last time up the climb I was just dying and trying to keep pushing the pedals.
“We said for a few weeks in the team that it’s possible to go for a big result and that we have a super strong squad. We marked everything, we had guys ahead in the moves and just rode really well. I’m super grateful for that and how they helped me.
“I knew something was possible, but joking with my wife, I said it would take a miracle, and today miracles happened.”