Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas target Montreal world road race

Evenepoel already stamped his authority on the opening phase of the championships by capturing the individual time trial gold medal on Sunday, September 20. Now, the 26-year-old Belgian star wants more. Winning Sunday’s road race would cement an unprecedented single-year world championship sweep, adding to the rainbow jersey he earned in Australia back in 2022.

“Devenir double champion du monde est un objectif dans ma carrière,” Evenepoel said, explaining his motivation. “J’ai réussi à le faire aux Jeux olympiques de Paris, mais un Championnat du monde est encore différent, parce qu’on peut ensuite rouler avec ces deux maillots.”

France Puts Its Hopes on Paul Seixas

As the French national team looks for a successor to Julian Alaphilippe—who recently retired—the squad has turned its focus to 20-year-old prodigy Paul Seixas. Serving as the undisputed leader for the French contingent, Seixas earned a bronze medal in the time trial and enters the endurance test carrying high expectations.

“Il y a une évidence aujourd’hui, Paul Seixas est au-dessus de la mêlée en France sur des parcours durs,” national selector Thomas Voeckler said regarding the young climber’s status within the squad. “Tous les autres coureurs le savent et sont honorés de travailler pour lui.”

Seixas himself acknowledged the pressure and his own ambitions ahead of the start. “L’objectif c’est de gagner dimanche,” Seixas stated. “Avec la forme que j’ai en ce moment, ce serait une déception de faire autre chose.”

Standing in his way is Mexican rising star Isaac Del Toro. Just two weeks prior to the worlds, Del Toro out-sprinted Seixas to win the Grand Prix of Montreal following a fiercely contested duel. At 22 years old, Del Toro finished third in the recent Tour de France standings, just one spot ahead of Seixas, marking both riders as standard-bearers for the sport’s next generation.

Loaded Field of Heavyweights in Ambush

While Evenepoel, Seixas, and Del Toro command pre-race attention, the peloton features multiple tactical threats capable of breaking away on Montreal’s steep circuits. Mathieu van der Poel arrives in peak condition after executing a 175-kilometer solo breakaway to win the fifth and final stage of the Tour du Luxembourg just a week prior.

“J’avais des jambes incroyables aujourd’hui,” Van der Poel noted after his Luxembourg triumph. The Dutch star secured his previous road world title in Glasgow in 2023, where he defeated Wout Van Aert and Tadej Pogačar.

Alongside Van der Poel, the start list includes elite contenders such as Belgium’s Wout Van Aert, Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock, Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, and Spain’s Juan Ayuso. Each brings proven Classics pedigree to a course designed to punish anyone lacking absolute late-race acceleration.

Demi Vollering Leads Dutch Women’s Squad

In the women’s division, Tour de France 2026 winner Demi Vollering will captain the Netherlands team for the road race on Saturday, September 26, covering roughly 180 kilometers through Montreal.

“C’est évident que les championnats du monde sont incroyablement difficiles, surtout parce qu’on ne court pas avec sa propre équipe,” Vollering observed regarding the complexities of national team dynamics. “Mais c’est assurément un de mes objectifs.”

Having claimed the European championship crown last year and earned a silver medal behind Lotte Kopecky at the 2023 Worlds in Glasgow, Vollering targets the rainbow jersey. Meanwhile, the French women’s team will contest the race through Juliette Berthet, Cédrine Kerbaol, and young talent Célia Géry, operating in the absence of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

The women’s elite road race gets underway on Saturday, September 26, followed immediately by the men’s elite showdown on Sunday, September 27, in Montreal.