Brandon McNulty seized the men’s UCI road race world title in Montreal with a gutsy solo ride that held off a frantic chase on the closing lap, giving the United States its first victory in the blue-ribbon event since 1993.
The 28-year-old, riding for UAE Emirates and a teammate of Tadej Pogačar, opened up a decisive advantage approaching the final circuit and arrived at the start of the last lap with about a 50-second lead. Despite a late surge led by Briton Tom Pidcock that briefly narrowed the margin to a handful of seconds, McNulty maintained enough of an edge to cross the line first in what many described as a gritty, improbable win.
"I’m really at a loss," McNulty said. "Until the last hundred metres, I didn’t believe it, I was so tired. I was just dying, but I kept pushing. We have said for weeks now that we had a super strong team. We talked about it, but I knew it would take a miracle. I guess miracles happen."
Race dynamics and decisive moments
The men’s race mirrored the unpredictability seen in the women’s event earlier in the championships, which was won by the Netherlands’ Demi Vollering. The course proved demanding: a rolling, hilly Montreal circuit where radio communication was not in use, contributing to tactical confusion among several favourites.
The final hour featured aggressive moves and a key selection on the climb of the Voie Camillien‑Houde with roughly 90 kilometres remaining. An initial group of about a dozen riders, including British teammate Oscar Onley, split and later narrowed to six riders that featured Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands and Paris‑Roubaix winner Wout van Aert.
Belgium, despite pre-race expectations, appeared disrupted by its own tactics. Olympic road race champion Remco Evenepoel — who had secured the time-trial gold medal earlier in the championships — was left to rue what might have been as the Belgian unit failed to control the finale.
Podium and notable performances
Australian Michael Matthews moved up to take silver, while former world champion Mathieu van der Poel completed the podium in third. Tom Pidcock’s late effort was instrumental in animating the final hour but fell short of a full catch.
| Position | Rider | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon McNulty | USA |
| 2 | Michael Matthews | Australia |
| 3 | Mathieu van der Poel | Netherlands |
Team tactics and aftermath
France combined with Mexico — notably Paul Seixas’s French formation and Isaac del Toro of Mexico — to lead a nine-man chase group at one point, but the cooperation was insufficient to reel McNulty back. The race’s ebb and flow punished teams that misread moments and rewarded bold, solitary moves.
For McNulty it was the biggest triumph of his career: a breakthrough that interrupted a long gap since an American last won the men’s world road race — Lance Armstrong in Oslo, 1993. The victory underlines how unpredictable single-day championships can be, particularly on circuits that invite attack and when riders must manage tactics without radio direction.
Beyond the headline result, the Montreal championships offered a reminder of how national dreams and team strategies collide on the world stage. Belgium’s disappointment, Evenepoel’s dashed hopes of adding a road title to his recently won time-trial gold, and the aggressive role of riders such as Pidcock and Onley will linger as talking points in the days ahead.
- McNulty earned the United States’ first men’s world road title since 1993.
- The race was raced without team radios, contributing to chaotic tactics.
- Belgium’s pre-race hopes were undermined by confused execution, leaving Evenepoel to reflect on missed opportunities.
As the cycling world digests the result, the Montreal circuit itself will be lauded for producing a dramatic, tactical race that rewarded audacity — and produced a result few had forecast before the start line was drawn.
