Brandon McNulty won the elite men’s road race at the UCI road world championships

A Brutal Course and Early Breakaways

The championship race tested riders across a demanding circuit featuring 3,803 meters of total elevation gain. Following a long initial loop that brought the peloton from the start in Brossard into Montreal, riders faced 12 punishing laps of the Parc Jeanne-Mance circuit. The route included three distinct climbs per lap, most notably the Colline de la Polytechnique, which measured 1.6 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.5 percent with steep pitches reaching 10 percent.

Early in the race, a 16-rider breakaway established a lead that grew to more than eight minutes. As the race entered the finishing circuit, heavy pacing from the main contenders steadily eroded the gap. The final escapees were reabsorbed by the bunch with 110 kilometers remaining as the relentless climbing wore down the field.

The Turning Point and Decisive Attacks

The race broke apart with roughly 95 kilometers to go when Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert forced a split off the front. Their acceleration triggered a flurry of counter-attacks, drawing a chase group that included Oscar Onley, Quinn Simmons, and Primož Roglič. Behind them, a secondary group formed with Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro, and Juan Ayuso, while riders like Remco Evenepoel and Colombia’s Santiago Buitrago fought to stay in contention.

As the kilometers ticked down, the constant attrition eliminated several favorites. Similarly, Spain’s Enric Mas slipped back early in the afternoon after failing to find his top form.

McNulty’s Solo Victory in Montreal

With roughly 30 kilometers remaining, McNulty launched a high-risk solo attack. Although his move initially appeared ambitious against a motivated chase group, the American maintained his advantage as his pursuers marked each other. Heading into the final 10 kilometers, McNulty pushed clear alone to cross the finish line unmolested.

Behind the new world champion, Australia’s Michael Matthews and the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel crossed 13 seconds later in a group sprint, taking silver and bronze respectively. Quinn Simmons secured fourth place with the same time, followed closely by a tight group containing Del Toro, Mads Pedersen, Tom Pidcock, and Matteo Jorgenson.

Standings and Notable Finishes

The race’s extreme difficulty took a heavy toll on the peloton, with more riders retiring than successfully finishing the distance. Among the Colombian contingent, Santiago Buitrago served as the team’s primary finisher, crossing the line in 27th place, 4 minutes and 41 seconds behind McNulty. Teammates Nairo Quintana, Harold Tejada, Sergio Higuita, and Brandon Paredes all withdrew during the course of the race.

Spain also suffered heavy losses on the punishing circuit; outside of Juan Ayuso—who finished 13th at 2 minutes and 8 seconds—only Pablo Arrieta (43rd) and Joan Bou Camprubí (46th) completed the full distance.