Trade team jerseys have been swapped for national team colours this week in Montreal, Canada. Here is a gallery of shots from the Wednesday of the 2026 world championships.
With the time trials of the 2026 UCI road world championships in Montreal now over, the focus shifts to the road races on the second part of the schedule. Here is a collection of images from ‘Training Day’ at the worlds…
– Photography by Stefano Sirotti
Before the start of the road races at the world championships Belgium led the medal tally with a total of four: one gold (Remco Evenepoel, elite men’s time trial), two silver (Yana Decruyenaere and Vic De Smet in the junior time trials), and one bronze (Luca Vierstraete in the under-23 women’s time trial). Italy is currently second with the Mixed Team Relay gold, plus silver for Filippo Ganna in the TT, and silver for Nicolas Milessi in the under-23 men’s TT.
The Netherlands has one gold (Ryan Gal, under-23 TT) and one silver (Nienke Vinke, under-23 TT). While riders from Australia, Spain, Switzerland and Poland have claimed rainbow jerseys in the opening days.
Schedule for road races
Thursday 24 September: Under-23 women (starting at 9.00am in Montreal); Junior men (1.30pm)
Friday 25 September: Under-23 men (9.00am); Junior women (2.45pm)
Saturday 26 September: Elite women (9.00am)
Sunday 27 September: Elite men (9.00am)
Training day gallery
Australia
Ben O’Connor and Michael Matthews, team-mates at Jayco-AlUla… for the last couple of years, and two Australians who have won medals in the world championship elite road race: Matthews – 2nd in 2015, 3rd in 2017, and 3rd in 2022; O’Connor – 2nd in 2024.Jack Haig and Jai Hindley (in centre of the Australian bunch in Montreal), two Australians who have finished on the podium of a Grand Tour: Haig – 3rd in the Vuelta in 2021; Hindley – 1st in the Giro in 2022, 2nd in the Giro 2020, 3rd in the Giro 2026.
Belgium
Wout van Aert, second behind Julian Alaphilippe when the worlds were in Italy in 2020, and second again in 2023 when his long-time rival Mathieu van der Poel claimed the title in Scotland finishing 1:37 ahead of the Belgian superstar.
Lotte Kopecky, world champion in 2023 and 2024, and silver medallist when the worlds were in Wollongong in 2022.
Kasper Asgreen of Denmark and Remco Evenepoel, the road race world champion from Wollongong (2022) and four-time elite men’s TT gold medallist.
Canada
Spain
Enric Mas, winner of the Vuelta a España earlier this month.Mas and the Spanish armada… with the national coach, winner of the 2018 world championship road race Alejandro Valverde tucked in behind Enric Mas.
Germany
Florian Lipowitz and Nico Denz, team-mates at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and racing as part of the six-man German team on Sunday.
Italy
Mexico
Isaac Del Toro-Romero, winner of the Montreal GP last weekend, 2nd in last year’s Giro d’Italia, 3rd in this year’s Tour de France… and one of the favourites for the rainbow jersey in 2026.
The Netherlands
Bauke Mollema… in orange again for what will be his 13th world championship since he made his debut in the elite category in 2011.
Slovenia
Primoz Roglic has won Olympic gold (TT in Tokyo) but never an elite world championship title. His best place in the road race to date (from seven starts) is sixth in 2020. Slovenia will be missing the two-time and defending champion, Tadej Pogacar, but there is still the potential for victory in 2026.
