The UCI Road World Championships begin in Montréal on Sunday, 20 September, with the Women Elite individual time trial.

The championships run from 20 to 27 September and comprise 13 events — individual time trials, road races and the mixed team time trial — with about 1,000 riders across Elite, Under-23 and Junior categories for women and men.

Women Elite and Men Elite share the same time-trial course: 39.2 kilometres and 220 metres of elevation gain around the city.

The route passes through Old Montréal, along the St Lawrence River, through the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit and Parc Jean-Drapeau, then returns towards the centre via the Concorde Bridge.

Time trialling rewards pacing, aerodynamic position and the ability to hold speed through technical sections. Individual starts mean riders cannot rely on a peloton.

For the first time in four years, the Elite women and men race the same time-trial distance. Organisers have chosen a longer course than the 34.2 kilometres used in Wollongong in 2022.

Montréal previously hosted the road world championships in 1974, the first edition staged outside Europe. All 13 events in 2026 are scheduled to finish on Avenue du Parc.

Start times, the final start list and any changes should be followed through UCI and Montréal 2026 communications. This article does not name favourites.

Image: Granada / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Women Elite time trial, 2018 UCI Worlds in Innsbruck. Archive photograph, not from Montréal 2026. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: 200 days to go: a look at the courses | Montréal 2026; 200 days to go: a look at the courses | UCI.