Evenepoel targets road race double in Montreal as Pogacar sits out injured

Pogacar absence opens title race

The men's road race at the Road Cycling World Championships in Montreal will proceed without two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian rider is sidelined following surgery for injuries sustained in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana, leaving his rainbow jersey up for grabs. Without Pogacar in the peloton, riders who typically target podium positions now see a realistic route to the world title. British rider Callum Thornley described the changed dynamic within the peloton ahead of the weekend event.

I think it's kind of like an unspoken thing. All those big guys who would usually be fighting for the podium are now fighting for the win, and I'm sure it makes it even more at stake than normal.

Thornley will ride in support of British teammates Tom Pidcock and Adam Yates. The absence of a dominant favourite has created an open contest across the national squads.

The Mont Royal circuit demands

Unlike the 2025 course in Kigali, which featured over 5,000 metres of climbing at altitude with pollution challenges, the Montreal route is familiar to WorldTour riders. The competition centres on Mont Royal, using the circuit that featured in the recent Grand Prix de Montreal. The men will complete 12 laps of the 13.4-kilometre loop for a total race distance of 273 kilometres. The women will contest eight laps covering 180 kilometres. Each lap delivers 269 metres of elevation gain, creating an attritional profile that tests climbing endurance and eliminates heavier competitors.

Evenepoel and the contenders

Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel enters Sunday's race in prime form after securing his fourth consecutive world time-trial title earlier in the week. The 2022 road world champion recently finished fifth at the Grand Prix de Montreal following an outright victory at the Grand Prix de Quebec. Evenepoel noted that the sustained climbing on the Mont Royal loop makes the route particularly difficult for heavier riders, reinforcing his status as a leading contender. Pidcock, who finished sixth at the Montreal WorldTour race, also enters in strong condition. The British rider identified young climbing specialists Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas as dangerous challengers on the selective course.

Montreal cycling heritage

Montreal last hosted the Road Cycling World Championships on 25 August 1974, which marked the first time the event took place outside Europe in 46 editions. That edition concluded with Eddy Merckx securing his third world road title, completing a Triple Crown after winning both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France that season. The 1974 event was marked by friction when Belgian teammate Freddy Maertens abandoned the 21-lap race with severe physical distress, initiating a decades-long rivalry over allegations of poisoned bottles. Preparations had also faced disruption when the planned velodrome for the 1976 Olympics was not ready, forcing organizers to stage track events on a football field at the Universite de Montreal. The 1974 women's race, won in a sprint by Genevieve Gambillon over four loops totaling 50 kilometres, stands alongside the modern programme where contenders like Demi Vollering tackle eight laps.