World Championships 2026 women’s road race: favorites, route, and start time

UCI Road World Championships 2026

Last updated: September 16, 2026

The elite women’s road race heads to Montréal on Saturday, September 26. The 180.4 km route climbs 2,570 meters, then finishes with eight laps of Mount Royal. It will put the race in the hands of the riders who can keep climbing after the field has started to come apart.

Favorites

Demi Vollering starts as the rider to beat. Dutch coach Laurens ten Dam has selected her for both the road race and time trial, and this is the sort of circuit where she can make a long, hard selection.

Lotte Kopecky gives Belgium a different way to win. She can survive the climbs and still finish fast from a small group, which means the Netherlands cannot simply wait for the final lap and hope the course does the work for them.

Magdeleine Vallières returns as the reigning world champion, racing in front of a home crowd. She has spoken about the excitement of defending the jersey in Canada. If the race stays together deep into the circuit, she will have her chance.

Elisa Longo Borghini should like the profile. The repeated climbing suits a rider who can ride hard for a full day and attack before the pure sprinters get a look at the finish.

Kristen Faulkner leads the United States and gives the race another aggressive rider to watch before the final laps.

The route

The peloton starts in Brossard, rides through Carignan, Chambly, and Richelieu, then crosses the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge to the Mount Royal circuit. Each 13.4 km lap has 269 meters of climbing: the 2.3 km Camillien-Houde climb at 6.2%, Chemin de la Polytechnique with ramps above 11%, and the rising finish along Avenue du Parc.

Mount Royal will decide the race through accumulation. Eight circuits give the strongest teams plenty of opportunities to lift the pace, and each climb takes a little more from riders who are already on the limit.

A late solo move would make sense here, but a small group can also arrive together if the strongest teams hesitate. Kopecky will want company near the finish. Vollering will want the climbs to do the separating.

The Dutch and Belgian leaders

The Netherlands will race around Vollering. Belgium will back Kopecky. Their teams should set the rhythm of the final circuits, although Vallières will have the loudest support on the roadside.

Start time and how to watch

The elite women’s road race starts on Saturday, September 26 at 09:00 ET. That is 06:00 PT, 14:00 in the United Kingdom, and 15:00 in Central Europe. FloBikes will carry the race in the United States and Canada. Viewers elsewhere should check the country-specific watch guide before race day.

Race-day storyline

The Netherlands have the strongest incentive to make the race brutal before the finish. Belgium will try to keep Kopecky close enough to use her speed. Vallières, the defending champion on home roads, can turn either plan upside down.