Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the route presentations of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes!

The route presentation starts in around 10 minutes, coming live from Paris.

The route presentation will be streamed live in full on various networks and services around the world.

Check out how to watch the presentation with our comprehensive guide.

How to watch 2027 Tour de France route presentation – Live streams, TV coverage

We already have some information on the routes of both races confirmed, of course. They'll both get underway with Grand Départs in Great Britain before heading over to France.

Manchester, Cardiff and London to host Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes in 2027 as Grand Départ stages unveiled

Here's a look at the opening stages of the men's race.

And the opening stages of the women's race.

The route presentation is getting underway now. Of course, there'll be plenty of preamble and faff before we actually see the routes and profiles.

Read our full rundown of all the rumours for both routes here.

Tour de France route rumours – What is planned for the 2027 race?

A host of riders past and present are at the presentation today.

British racing legends Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas are all in attendance with both races starting in their home nation.

Few big names from the current peloton are in attendance, however.

The likes of Demi Vollering, Tadej Pogačar, Paul Seixas, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Jonas Vingegaard, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Remco Evenepoel aren't in Paris today.

Yellow jersey wearer Marlen Reusser and breakaway stage winner Sigrid Haugset are there, though.

As are Oscar Onley, Tim Merlier, Dylan Groenewegen and a host of smaller-name riders.

Now it's time for race directors Christian Prudhomme and Marion Rousse to give their speeches up on the stage.

Now time for more speeches from various dignitaries as they discuss the Great British Grand Départ.

Some video packages and more speeches, still talking about the Grand Départ.

And now it's time for the highlights packages looking back at this year's races, starting with the Tour de France Femmes.

We're still on the highlight package....

Speech time again as Marion Rousse takes the stage.

It looks like we might finally be moving onto getting a look at the Tour de France Femmes stages!

The race heads from its Grand Départ in Great Britain across France, from Calais to Clermont-Ferrand. The grand finale comes atop Puy de Dôme as the rumours suggested.

9 stages, 1,156km. Here's the Tour de France Femmes route map.

Here's the opening stage, a hilly 86km from Leeds to Manchester.

More hills on stage 2 from Manchester back east to Sheffield.

The final stage in Great Britain is a flat 21km TTT in London.

More hills as the race hits France on stage 4, a 123km race to Calais.

And a very challenging Ardennes-style stage on stage 5, 161km to Magnanville.

A sprinter-friendly stage on the 138km stage 6 to Bourges.

Stage 7 brings a chance for the GC riders and a tough summit finish at La Loge des Gardes (6.7km at 7.1%).

The 151km stage 8 brings plenty of hills on the road to Clermont-Ferrand and the Massif Central.

The grand finale comes atop the Puy de Dôme (11.3km at 7.8%), a 170km stage which will decide the destiny of the yellow jersey.

Tour de France Femmes 2027 route unveiled – Nine tough stages, a first-ever TTT, and a big Puy de Dôme finale

Now it's time for a highlights package of this year's men's race before we see the 2027 stages.

It's a long highlights reel...

Here's the first look at the 2027 men's Tour de France route map!

A look at the opening 185km stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle.

Stage 2 heads 223km south from Keswick to Liverpool.

The final stage in Britain is a hilly 223km stage through Wales to Cardiff.

Stage 4 is the first one in France. It's a 171km stage based around Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.

Stage 5 heads in Brittany, a 178km stage to Plumelec.

Stage 6 is another sprinter-friendly stage, 193km to Angers.

Stage 7 in Chambord hosts a 38km individual time trial.

Stage 8 is a long one, 224.5km through the hills to Le Creusot.

Stage 9 heads into the high mountains for a summit finish at Grand Colombier.

The next day is a challenging medium mountain stage with six climbs to Sallanches.

Into the Alps on stage 11 for this 150km stage to Les Saisies.

And then onto Valence for this sprinter's stage on stage 12.

Another one for the sprinters on stage 13 in Montpellier.

And then it's back into the hills on stage 14 with another visit to the hilltop finish at Mende.

Stage 15 sees the riders take on this up-and-down race to Albi.

Another time trial on stage 16, this 33km ride around Toulouse.

And then a sprint stage into Pau for stage 17.

A brutal stage over the Soulor, Tourmalet, Hourquette d'Ancizan, and Portet for the queen stage of the Tour on stage 18.

Stage 19 heads over four major climbs on the road to Laruns.

One last chance for the sprinters on stage 20 in Libourne.

And then the finale over the Montmartre climb in Paris.

Tour de France 2027 route unveiled – Most time trial kilometres since 2012, brutal Pyrenean queen stage, as Tadej Pogačar eyes record sixth title

That's all of the route information over and done with. What do you think of the 2027 Tour routes?

The men's race will race for 3,479km through four nations. The race heads to the northernmost Grand Départ in Tour history, feature the longest TT kms since 2012 and will feature 53,450 metres of climbing.

The women's race will take in 1,156km of racing and feature 17,655 metres of climbing across nine stages and two nations.

There'll be new-look yellow jerseys for next summer as Castelli is back as the Tour clothing manufacturer.

Here is the new Tour de France yellow jersey – Castelli reveals leaders' jerseys for next year's races

Check out the Tour de France Femmes 2027 complete stage-by-stage guide here.

Chris Froome predicts a 'closer' Tour de France in 2027

Four-time champion offers his take on the route and says the British Grand Départ will be 'really special'

'An opportunity for the sprinters to pull on a yellow jersey' – Mark Cavendish relishing a sprinter winning stage 1 of the 2027 Tour de France

Race's record stage winner looking forward to seeing cycling's biggest event return to Great Britain

'There are certainly questions lingering after his crash' – Tour de France director doubts whether Tadej Pogačar can reach his previous level, referencing Eddy Merckx's famous 1969 crash

'As you get older, after such a massive crash, are you still the same person? Do you take as many risks?'

Visma say 'there could have been more' summit finishes on 2027 Tour de France route, but remain certain of opportunities for two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard

Dutch team say 'It looks like a route that should suit several of our riders very well' as route is unveiled in Paris

'We won't just do anything' - Local authorities to decide if spectators allowed on Puy de Dôme in Tour de France Femmes, say organisers

Final Tour de France Femmes stage taking place on ecologically protected mountain site where spectators were banned in 2023 Tour

'Where is the Tour de France Hommes?' - Marlen Reusser calls for greater equality between men’s and women’s Tour de France

Tour de France organisers reply that race has to evolve at same rate as women's cycling

'Some haggis and a deep-fried Mars Bar' - Local star Oscar Onley highlights Scottish specialities ahead of 2027 Tour de France

After major crash wrecked participation chances in 2026, Netcompany Ineos leader says just taking part is the "first goal"

An update from our Australia Editor Simone Giuliani on the ground in Nannup:

In Nannup there have been a few short sprinkles of rain this morning, but the sun is now making an appearance and with very little rain in the forecast and a top temperature of around 16°C it looks like we will have a far drier race for the elite men than the elite women faced yesterday. Though there is bound to still be mud out on course.

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live updates of the men's elite UCI Gravel World Championships 2026 from Nannup in Western Australia.

First things first, let's relive the action from yesterday and that absolutely brutal women's race won by the great Marianne Vos. Her 15th world title across four disciplines won with one of the most impressive rides from the Dutch star in some time...

>>> Gravel World Championships: Marianne Vos solos to another rainbow jersey after Rosa Klöser crashes in finale of elite women's race

It was extremely muddy yesterday for the women but it did help on the unique pea gravel that is on most of the course here. When dry it is like riding on ice. Very slippery and unpredictable. When wet it compacts down and is far more manageable.

Unfortunately, after travelling to Australia for the race Czech rider Petr Vakoč has had to pull out of the race due to illness. He is one of eight riders down as a DNS so far today.

Much like in the women's side of the sport, the worlds have been dominated by road riders with Vermeersch being the current holder of the rainbow bands after Gianni Vermeersch, Matej Mohoric and Mathieu van der Poel.

The gravel specialists will be hoping they can take the win this time, though. The likes of Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark), Jenson Young (Great Britain), Daan Soete (Belgium), Matthew Beers (South Africa), Keegan Swenson (USA) and others will all hope to better the 'roadies' today.

There's also former mountain bike world champion Henrique Avancini (Brazil) riding. He has had a superb road season winning the GC at the Tour of the Gila as well as finishing in the top 10 at the Tour du Rwanda. He also won the Brazil gravel and has looked strong on the tracks. One to watch.

Around 15 minutes until the race gets underway.

There are a few road riders at the race, it is not just Vermeersch. Stan Dewulf (Belgium), Connor Swift (Great Britain), Andreas Stokbro (Denmark), Anton Stensby (Norway), Cameron Scott (Australia) and Ole Theiler (Germany).

The route is 143.7km but an absolutely brutal 3713 metres of elevation.

143.7km to go

Racing begins for the World Gravel Championships 2026 in Nannup, Western Australia as the sun makes a rare appearance at these championships.

They have 9km of asphalt to begin before the gravel. The route is 85% gravel and hardly ever flat.

Attack

Lukas Pöstlberger (Austria)
Jenson Young (Great Britain)

Plus four others go clear early.

One of the Lithuanian riders tried to be involved but has already been distanced. Two riders from Lithuania racing today, they are Martynas Tomkus and Valdemar Volodko.

One of the Danish riders is trying to bridge but is struggling to get to the four leaders who have 46" on the peloton.

A few more counter attacks coming out of the peloton trying to get ahead before the gravel even starts.

Pöstlberger and Young are joined Peter Schulting (Netherlands) and Jo Pirotte (Belgium).

After briefly losing pictures we go back to the break and see that Pirotte is no longer in the break who have 58" on the peloton. Maybe a mechanical or just dropping back.

Gravel starts

This is very typical racing to the European scene. They are absolutely flying. Usually in Europe the race goes out fast due to narrow tracks whereas in the US it tends to be a slower start due to the wide tracks, which we do have here, but the racing is rapid.

Pöstlberger and Young went up against each other earlier in the year with the Austrian taking the win at The Gralloch in Gatehouse-of-Fleet and the Forest of Galloway up in Scotland.

130km to go

The leading trio have 1'40" on the peloton now as there's a couple of riders already struggling at the back of the pack.

They are now on the first climb of the day, the Killarney climb. Pöstlberger, Young and Schulting have 2'09" now on the bunch. This could be very dangerous as all three leaders are very capable with Pöstlberger and Young both winners of World Series races this year.

Two riders have kicked out of the peloton. Another Dutch rider as well as one from Belgium.

The first descent is on now as they go down Killarney. All the riders out front are giving plenty of space to each other and making sure they get down this slightly damp and skittish descent.

Few more riders out the back of the peloton including a couple from Canada as well as Rick Nobel (Netherlands). It is a real war of attrition out there.

120km to go

Young, Schulting and Pöstlberger have 2'30" on the pack now.

One of the Australian riders just having a spill on the hairpin on the bottom of the descent. The peloton had split with a few riders now getting back in including Freddy Ovett (Australia).

The first major climb of the day, it is the climb of Brockman, 1.7km with a hellish average of 12%. This really split things up in the women's race but it was not decisive.

Back in the peloton it is Denmark who have taken up the chasing for their leader and European champion Mads Würtz Schmidt.

These three out front are riding very well together as we get to see Pirotte for the first time in a while as he is still very much in no-mans-land.

Pirotte is finally caught by the peloton with the Danish causing some damage here as the bunch is starting to split further.

Piotr Havik (Netherlands) losing touch at the back of the peloton as well as multiple Danish riders but they still have numbers at the front with Mads Würtz Schmidt, Magnus Bak Klaris and Andreas Stokbro.

The tempo in the peloton has seen 30" chipped off the advantage of the three leaders with 2'00" the new gap.

The gap updates on the timings and the peloton are now just 1'02" down with Connor Swift (Great Britain), Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark), Keegan Swenson (USA) and Paul Voss (Germany) leading the way.

Defending champion Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) is out of the back with other big names Matt Beers (South Africa) and Henrique Avancini (Brazil). They're a minute out of the back of the peloton.

Now onto the Adina climb for the leaders.

Daan Soete (Belgium) is another big name who is out of the back. He is even further off the back than Vermeersch, Beers and Avancini.

It is not going to plan for Beers so far but perhaps he is coming back from an issue. He came to this race with a medal on his mind...

>>> Matt Beers ready to chase 'a medal of any kind' as he picks shot at Gravel World Championships glory over Life Time Grand Prix

Now onto the Mader climb at 750m with an average of 12% on more traditional gravel compared to the pea gravel. The time gap is said to be 2'33" but we'll take that with a pinch of salt after the live timings at the top of Brockman.

Onto the Shale climb. Named for the shale style gravel which is much more traditional to what we see in Europe, especially the UK.

The peloton has regrouped a little bit as the likes of Vermeersch, Beers and Avancini appear to be back in there.

Beers is indeed back in the peloton and goes straight to the front. The South African will want a good result but he is also on the same trade team as Würtz Schmidt with the Specialized often riding well together as a team across gravel.

A perfect showing of this was Würtz Schmidt and Swenson at Unbound when the Dane has a puncture so Swenson sacrificed his own chances to make sure the team got the win.

Vermeersch hasn't had the best start to the race losing touch on Brockman but he appears to be up towards the front again now...

>>> 'I'm here to just go all-out and race without any regret' – Florian Vermeersch prepared for Gravel Worlds title defence

All three big names who were off the back at Brockman, Beers, Avancini and Vermeersch, are now all at the front of the peloton.

Felix Stehli (Switzerland), Roman Holzer (Switzerland) and Ole Theiler (Germany) sitting at the back of the peloton currently.

100km to go

The gap is said to be at 2'28" and by the way they are riding it looks like it could be possible.

After some undulating and a few kicker climbs the riders are finally going to get another proper descent. This is the way of all the climbs on the route, they don't go downhill properly after the top, they drag on and plateau for a bit with a few climbs dotted along the undulating way to the descent.

This is said to be the most pure gravel worlds we have seen, take a deeper dive into the worlds route in the link below...

>>> The gravelliest UCI Gravel World Championships of them all – A detailed look at the 'perfect storm' of terrain that riders will face this October in Western Australia

For the first time, the leading trio now are said to have a gap of 3'09" on the peloton. That is a very big gap to give riders of the quality of Young, Schulting and Pöstlberger.

There's an new split in the peloton. Almost perfectly in half. It will stitch back together but a lot of looking around.

Pöstlberger and Young gapping Schulting on this descent as the track is very rutted and churned up.

There has been some great crowds out in Western Australia so far.

90km to go

Schulting gets back on to the wheels of Pöstlberger and Young. Their gap back to the chasing peloton is sat at 2'34" currently.

Mechanical

Harrison Bebbington (Australia)

Looks like the rider who finished third in the World Series version of this race earlier in the year has some pedal issues.

Couple of spots of rain on the course at the moment as the riders were treated to a small section of asphalt before returning to the gravel and a few deep potholes.

Andreas Stokbro Nielsen (Denmark) off the back of the peloton at the moment. A rider we would expect to still be right up there but he may have had an issue.

Several Dutch riders in the peloton including Adne Koster at the back. He has had quite the season including 6th at Unbound.

Arcadia climb now at 2.5km long with an average gradient of 8.4% with an absolutely astonishingly steep max kick of 34%.

The peloton just rode through a feed zone and have been given an update on the time. Immediately the pace in the pack is upped by Denmark.

This is the loop that was not used in the women's race. The Arcadia climb is a brutal ascent and, like all the climbs on the route, has a nasty plateau over the top before descending.

Stehli now being distanced off the back of the peloton.

The peloton are now 3'03" down on the leaders with 29 riders in the bunch.

Multiple riders being spat out of the peloton including Sweden's Michael Tjulander. Likewise Luxembourg's Loïc Bettendorff.

Würtz Schmidt hit the front of the peloton and he has absolutely obliterated the group losing around 12 riders from the bunch.

Over the top of Arcadia and the gap has been sliced again with Bak Klaris and Würtz Schmidt taking it down to 2'10".

75km to go

Lead:

Schulting (NED)
Young (GBR)
Pöstlberger (AUT)

Chase +2'10":

Bak Klaris (DEN)
Würtz Schmidt (DEN)
Beers (RSA)
Swenson (USA)
Stosek (CZE)
Vermeersch (BEL)
South (CAN)
Avancini (BRA)
Swift (GBR)
Voss (GER)
Lindberg (DEN)
Dewulf (BEL)
Loman (NED)
O'Brien (AUS)
Habets (NED)
Bettendorff (LUX)

Lindberg tried a move off the front of the peloton but he was heavily marked by Habets and Avancini with the rest coming back across as well.

Denmark now takes full control of the peloton with all three riders on the front. The gap is at 2'38" up to the leaders.

Mads Würtz Schmidt is hoping to add the rainbow jersey to his European, Traka and Unbound titles from this year and his Danish team are riding like he is very confident in doing it...

>>> 'Full focus on World Championships' – Mads Würtz Schmidt chasing a set of rainbow bands to add to The Traka and Unbound titles in 2026

The leaders are now descending Arcadia. More rutted tracks with a big lock up of the back wheel by Young.

The rain is starting to fall now and it is making it a bit skittish with Pöstlberger saving a slide on a hairpin having to take a foot out.

The peloton splitting to bits on this descent with several riders looking like they are struggling to follow the Danish trio out front.

One of the Dutch riders with a dropped chain in the peloton. That will likely see his day end at the front of the race now the pace is really on.

Now time for the Lewana climb which is 1.5km long and an average of 5.3%.

On one of the toughest sections now with very narrow tracks and lots of ruts, foliage on the course and a lot of potholes. This is around the section that saw Geerike Schreurs and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio crash out of the race yesterday.

The peloton are still unable to close this gap up to the leaders with 2'42" with the second hour of this race being at just over 35kph.

Lawrence Naesen (Belgium) has made it back into the peloton but he looks just to be hanging on for the time being.

The break went into a corner there that was covered in very wet and loose mud. Schulting has to take the foot out and had to slide to the right of the road but they are all still riding hard.

Meanwhile, back in the peloton, the Australian wildlife is getting involved as a wallaby jumps in front of the peloton. All okay, thankfully.

Crash

Mark O'Brien (Australia)

The home rider has come down on the same corner that almost took Schulting down in the break. He's now covered in mud on his hands, bottles, cleats. Not ideal. He is back riding, though.

60km to go

After a rather wet and muddy section, the break is now back onto more compact and dry gravel. The gap is still sitting at 2'33" back to the peloton that is being pushed on by Denmark but not intense enough.

The break head onto the penultimate major climb of the day as we are well beyond halfway now. Ellis Creek is a brutal ascent with 1'58" splitting the leaders and the peloton now.

Multiple riders being dropped on the climb in the peloton including Paul Voss (Germany), Griffin Easter (USA), Tjulander and others.

Voss manages to get back onto this favourites group.

For this entire climb the leaders have been looking over their shoulder as they expect to see the bunch coming. But they still have a substantial lead.

Würtz Schmidt is pushing hard in the peloton dropping Beers, Avancini, Swenson.

The break has now seen their advantage slashed again to just over a minute with Würtz Schmidt, South, Vermeersch, Stosek, Swift, Bak Klaris and Dewulf pushing clear of the rest of the chasers.

The leading trio are still riding very well but the favourites are closing fast now.

Swenson and Avancini battling hard to try and get back to the Würtz Schmidt group. Swenson came into this race as one of the big favourites but it has been a busy year for the American...

>>> Keegan Swenson adds UCI Gravel World Championships to crowded schedule after MTB Marathon Worlds defence

Swenson, Avancini and Voss all manage to get back onto the group of favourites.

The chasing group of favourites had very clear sighting of the break up the road as the gap dropped to 44" with it going back to a minute again.

Lindberg also returns to the chase group and immediately hits the front again for Würtz Schmidt.

50km to go

The gap increases again with the break now at 1'23".

Vermeersch refuses to pull through in the chase and the pace stalls hugely. The leaders gap is out to 1'44" again. The break have been out front for over 100km now.

Schulting struggling a little bit again on the descent with the road kicking up again and both he and Pöstlberger skidding their wheels a little bit.

The chase group is starting to split again after a short descent with Würtz Schmidt pushing hard.

And Young is also starting to struggle out front.

Young is the youngest out front and may have made some nutrition mistakes or he just doesn't have the legs on the day.

Würtz Schmidt, Vermeersch, Swfit and Stosek have a gap in the chase and South is riding across to them.

40km to go

Pöstlberger and Schulting now riding clear of Young and pushing towards the Glacier climb.

Würtz Schmidt and co have been brought back but it is a very strung out group.

The chase now reduced to 10 riders.

Young still about 15" ahead of the chasers now as they're on the penultimate major descent of the day.

The chase it really on behind the leaders now with 1'05" between them.

Onto one of the longest sections of asphalt left on the course that saw several attacks in the women's race. But it all seems to have stalled in the men's as Young is caught by the chase group.

30km to go

Schulting and Pöstlberger are hammering on the pace out front still with just over a minute to the chasers and one major climb left to go.

The riders are continuing to ride on this asphalt section heading towards Nannup and the Folly climb.

Through the final feed and onto the Folly climb with great crowds out to see the racing. The chase behind are now 30" down.

Stosek is pushing the pace at the front and testing his rivals in the chase group. South starting to struggle for Switzerland.

Young also losing touch with the chase group.

Stosek is pushing hard and has gapped the rest in the chase.

Bak Klaris brings Stosek back and is pushing over the top of the Czech rider.

Five riders pull clear of the chase group.

Attack

Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark)

The Dane kicked hard but he doesn't get away.

Swift, Stosek, Würtz Schmidt, Bak Klaris, Voss and Vermeersch about to catch the leaders.

Bak Klaris and Würtz Schmidt set up an attack as the breakaway is finally caught.

Vermeersch dropped. The defending champion can't hold on.

The leading group now down to four with Swift, Würtz Schmidt, Bak Klaris and Stosek.

Swift pushing hard on the front after doing nothing all day thanks to having Young in the break.

20km to go

Swift, Würtz Schmidt, Bak Klaris and Stosek now have about 10" on the chasers led by Vermeersch with 12 riders split by just 33".

This race is by no means done. There is the climb of Tank 7 before the descent back to Nannup, but the chasing group of five are not far away at all.

Hardly any gap at all between the leaders and the chase. It looks like it may come back together to make a group of nine riders as they go onto a short asphalt section.

Back onto the gravel with 15km to go with Swift, Würtz Schmidt, Bak Klaris and Stosek leading and Vermeersch, Voss, Swenson, Schulting and Dewulf in chase at 8".

Dewulf goes all in for Vermeersch and brings the leaders back again with 12km to go.

Leaders:

Würtz Schmidt (DEN)
Bak Klaris (DEN)
Dewulf (BEL)
Vermeersch (BEL)
Swenson (USA)
Swift (GBR)
Stosek (CZE)
Voss (GER)
Schulting (NED)

The race could see more riders come back yet as the leaders lull.

Attack

Keegan Swenson (USA)
Stan Dewulf (Belgium)

They have a small gap off the front as they head to the Tank 7 Climb but Stosek is chasing hard.

Attack

Paul Voss (Germany)
Stan Dewulf (Belgium)

Stosek is the rider who, yet again, closes it down.

Matt Beers may get back on! He is just off the back after being dropped umpteen times today. The stamina and perseverance is incredible.

Onto the Tank 7 Climb they go with Würtz Schmidt leading the way.

Beers does make it back in again. 10 riders now lead the race.

Attack

Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark)
Connor Swift (Great Britain)
Magnus Bak Klaris (Denmark)

Vermeersch turning himself inside out to stay with them over the top of the climb.

Swift pushing hard with the two Danes but Vermeersch is getting back to them. Swenson and Stosek are getting back to them too!

One final kick and that may end the chances for Swenson and Stosek unless they really stall out front.

Apologies, now they are on the final kilometre of the Tank 7 Climb.

Attack

Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark)
Connor Swift (Great Britain)

Bak Klaris now also bridging as they try to drop Vermeersch.

Crash!

Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark)

Swift and Bak Klaris also go down with Vermeersch smoothly riding through. Würtz Schmidt back riding but goes down on the same corner as Rosa Klöser yesterday.

Swift now pushes hard on this descent with Vermeersch as they try and get rid of Würtz Schmidt but they are just dragging Bak Klaris along.

2km to go as Würtz Schmidt is just a few metres off the back.

That is the gravel done and dusted. It is all about the road into Nannup as Würtz Schmidt catches Vermeersch, Swift and Bak Klaris.

On paper, Vermeersch is the fastest, but this has been a brutal day out. Can he become the first rider ever to retain a gravel world title.

Flamme Rouge!

Swift gets a small gap and pushes hard but he is caught.

500 metres to go.

Magnus Bak Klaris wins the UCI Gravel World Championships 2026!

Silver for Florian Vermeersch who could not get out of the wheels and shouts his frustration with Connor Swift taking bronze after launching with 300 metres to go, a very early sprint. Mads Würtz Schmidt couldn't get up there.

Würtz Schmidt may have actually got third over Swift on the line.

Make sure to relive the action by reading our post race report as finally a gravel specialist wins the gravel worlds...

>>> Gravel World Championships: Magnus Bak Klaris sprints to huge victory in thrilling elite men's race

That brings out live updates on the UCI Gravel World Championships 2026 to a close. The gravel purists finally beat the road WorldTour stars on the most 'true; gravel worlds course ever. Thank you for joining us over the weekend. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Hello and welcome to the 2026 edition of Il Lombardia!

No race in the cycling calendar has been dominated by a single man in recent years as Il Lombardia has been by Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian has won a record-breaking five editions in succession, each year with increasing supremacy.

Now, however, that run will come to an end. The defending champion is out injured, and in his absence we are set for a wide-open race.

It might poetically be known as Race of the Falling Leaves for its autumnal setting, but the conditions today early on are reflecting the grey, grimmer side to this time of year. There are clouds hanging over the peloton as they wait at the start, and a pressing threat of rain, even if things remain dry for not.

Today will be the final day in the career of many big name riders, and the peloton have formed a guard of honour at the start to see them off.

There are five retirees in total going through the guard of honour - Pello Bilbao, Ion Izagirre, Rudy Molard, Odd Christian Eiking and Bauke Mollema. All have enjoyed storied careers, and will hope to end their careers in style today.

One rider who didn’t take part in the Guard of Honour was Primož Roglič. There have been rumours that the Slovenian might be on the brink of retirement, and he himself did not rule out. But his absence from the Guard suggests that he has not made a definitive decision to do so.

Primož Roglič says 'it's possible' Il Lombardia will be the final race of his career

The riders have only recently set off from the unofficial start, which was delayed as the peloton staged a protest. Remco Evenepoel explained via microphone to the crowd that they were protesting about recent failures of organisers to protect their safety, in a series of incidents that have been especially shocking since the death of Finlay Tarling.

“We want to make the statement to show to the whole world that we cannot keep accepting the act that guys keep getting injured or literally dying”

On behalf of the peloton, Evenepoel said that his message to the organisers of this and future races was: !please make sure that we can race safely, and that we can just do what we like to do without being worried about cars and motorbikes…coming onto the course”

OFFICIAL START

And they’re off! Bardiani’s Martin Marcellusi is the first man to attack, and he has a lead of ten seconds as no rider made an immediate response to follow him

After a subdued first few kilometres in which only Marcellusi attacked, the race has now exploded into life. Multiple men have made moves, among them Visma’s Bruno Armirail, who was so strong at the World Championships a fortnight ago. They’ve not been allowed to go clear, and the peloton is all back together.

The attacks keep coming, and Alessandro Covi leads the race having managed to build a gap. He's fifteen seconds up the road, but plenty of riders are showing an eagerness to join him.

Covi has been caught, but his Jayco teammate Michael Matthews has immediately counter-attacked. That’s a surprising move, as the Australian’s stock in trade is staying in the peloton and surviving hills to sprint from reduced sprints at the finish - as he did at the World two weeks ago, to win the silver medal.

That ride proves he’s in great shape, but is this the best way to race for him to stand a chance of another high finish today? Perhaps not, and the Australian did not fully commit to the move, and has been caught by the peloton.

SELVINO

Things had quietened down for a short while, but the attacking has recommenced now that they have started the Selvino climb. Multiple riders have used its lower slopes to try and go clear, but are being chased down by UAE.

Here's the full story of the riders protest at the start of the day. Many also shared the same message on social media as the protest was being made including leader of the CPA Adam Hansen.

Remarkable scenes at Il Lombardia as riders refuse to start for five minutes and Remco Evenepoel delivers speech to voice peloton’s safety concerns

For the first time in a while, there’s a group of riders who have a gap of a few seconds. Michael Leonard, Andrea Mifsud, Johannes Kulset and, most notably, Ben O’Connor (the latest big name Jayco leader after Michael Matthews’ attempt earlier) have ten seconds on the peloton, with 4km of the climb still left to complete.

Maxime Decomble has joined O’Connor, Mifsud, Kulset and Leonard. He should add some serious firepower as this group attempts to establish itself as the day’s break, having massively impressed earlier this week by claiming a breakthrough bronze medal at the European championships time trial.

With just 2km left to climb, they're 20 seconds up on the peloton.

A group of chasers have joined the five riders at the front as tey go over the top of the climb, and some very strong riders are present in it - former Lombardia podium finisher Fausto Masnada, along with Tiberi, George Bennett, Leemreize, Martí and Moniquet.

That makes for a very strong breakaway group, and not one the peloton will necessarily be happy to let go. Let's see if they try to chase them down on the descent.

200KM TO GO

The race is far from settled yet, and there's plenty in the peloton not happy with the situation. Visma-Lease a Bike wanted representation in it, and their man Campanaerts has joined it, along with Lidl's Bernard. And the peloton is only ten seconds adrift, as they continue to descend.

Here was O'Connor, Leonard and Kulset on the climb, three of the riders who instigated the move. The group has since swelled to 14, and their hopes are looking brighter again, building a lead of 50 seconds. It remains a very strong group to allow up the road, however, and there will surely be some trepidation in the peloton.

With the gap having exceeded one minute for the first time all day, it does not seem as if we have our break of the day. The likes of Visma and Lidl are represented in it, but UAE, Decathlon and Red Bull are not, so it'll be up to them to control it and eventually bring it back.

For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You'll get comprehensive race coverage, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.

BERBENNO

The riders are climbing again, but in a much calmer way than up the previous hill of Selvino. The peloton is holding the gap at two minutes, and are all together, after world champion Brandon McNulty made his way back into it following a mechanical.

Bauke Mollema is riding his thirteenth consecutive Il Lombardia today, and the eighteenth of his career - the eleventh of which, in 2019, he won, making him the only former winner riding today.

He was also one of those who went through the morning's Guard of Honour, to mark his retirement. Have a read of our full story on those riders.

Bauke Mollema, Pello Bilbao and other retiring riders receive guard of honour send-off at Il Lombardia

The riders are currently climbing up the Passo di Valcava. This is one of the longest of the day, lasting 10.4km, and rises at a steepish gradient too of 6.1%. But it's being taken on at a steady pace by both break and peloton, between which the gap is holding steady at two minutes.

Decathlon have taken responsibility for leading the peloton, for their leader Paul Seixas, and are being assisted by UAE. The latter have expressed some concerns regarding the fitness of their leader Isaac del Toro ahead of the race, but by contributing to the chase, appear to have confidence in his ability to win this race.

'I'm kind of nervous' – Will mystery knee injury hold Isaac del Toro back at Il Lombardia?

Remco Evenepoel's Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team is also contributing to the pace-setting. Evenepoel was in bullish mood going into the race, sounding confidant of his chances of taking what would be a first Lombardia title, and is backing those words up with actions by having his team at the forefront of the race.

150KM TO GO

The riders are now descending Valpiana, their lead have decreased a little on it to 1:40. That's four climbs done, but there are still five more to come, with as many kilometres still to ride as many entire races. This is a truly punishing race, that will seriously take its toll.

One team notable by their absence at the front of the peloton is Pinarello-Q36.5. In Tom Pidcock they have one of the favourites for the win today, and he acknowledged as much going into the race. But compared to the stellar line-ups of UAE, Red Bull and Decathlon, his Pinarello-Q36.5 support is notably weaker.

'A lot of eyes have been on me and I need to learn how to deal with that' – Tom Pidcock adjusts to favourite status ahead of Il Lombardia

130KM TO GO

The riders are currently travelling through a valley road, a rare section of flat on an otherwise up-and-down parcours, and the break is using it to increase their lead. It's now up to 2:45, the highest it's been all day.

As promised by the race's nickname, here's some fallen leaves on the roadside. This is one of the most atmospheric races of the season, and thankfully the rain has held off to keep those leaves crisp rather than damp.

Every one of the last 21 monuments since Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2022 has been won by either Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, or a Belgian. With Pogačar and Van der Poel both not present, the only way that steak will continue is if another Belgian wins today.

Remco Evenepoel is probably the favourite for the win, but there are many more non-Belgians in contention. Be sure to have a read of our full run-down before the attacks ignite this race into life.

Evenepoel and Del Toro the favourites, but Il Lombardia is wide open – Analysing the contenders

Resplendent in his new European Champion jersey he won in Ljubljana last week, Evenepoel is the favourite for the win.

That victory suggests he’s in top form again, and over whatever ailed him at the Worlds road race in Montreal, and the fact he has placed second-place to Pogačar in each of the last two editions (and by a considerable margin, of over a minute ahead of the riders in third place) indicates that he stands to gain most from his absence.

110KM TO GO

The gap has grown to over three minutes, but there's an increase in the peloton as they fight for position going on to the fifth climb of the day, Giovenzana.

GIOVENZANA

UAE are setting the pace in the peloton on the climb, with Sivakov setting a tough pace.

Though they also have recently-crowned world champion Brandon McNulty in their ranks, you suspect they are working for Del Toro (assuming he's fully fit). This is a huge chance for the young star to take what would be a landmark first monument victory in his career, before he turns 23 next month, having already this season made the podium at Strade Bianche and won GP de Montreal.

UAE's pace has slashed the gap to the leaders back down to 2:15. O'Connor responded by upping the pace in the break, and looks stronger than the rest, but isn't pushing on too hard in other to keep the group together as they reach the top of the climb.

Is Paul Seixas ready to take the first monument win of his fledgling career? After breaking through with a seventh place finish here last year, the Frenchman went from strength to strength, but is without a victory since his first classics triumph at La Flèche Wallonne in April, and was unfortunate to fall out of contention late on during the Worlds with cramps.

The previously feverish expectations have tempered a little as a result, but being able to go under the radar might give him the advantage he needs to win what might turn out to be a tactical finale.

90KM TO GO

Cohesion is breaking down in the break, which has split into three different groups. Panic seems to have set in after the last climb saw their gap so reduced, although it has increased a little again, up to 2:30.

It appears as though the break will reform, but the action suggests hostilities will ignite come the upcoming climb - the famous Madonna del Ghisallo.

Subscribe to Cyclingnews for comprehensive race coverage of the UCI Gravel World Championships, alongside the final Monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.

It will be fascinating to see how Brandon McNulty goes today. Though he’s now the world champion, Isaac del Toro still pulls rank in UAE’s line-up; but at the same time, McNulty could benefit from the strength of his team’s numbers with the kind of surprise attack that saw him take the gold medal in Montreal, if given freedom to do so. Everyone will now know that his is not a wheel they can afford to let go.

Among some of the outside bets for the victory today are Matteo Jorgenson and Ben Helay, pictured in the peloton here.

Healy will surely attack at some point, as he seems to in every race he competes in, and if he can time it right then he has a chance in a parcours that should suit him. And Jorgenson looked in brilliant form riding for the USA at the Worlds, and should now get a chance to ride as a leader for Visma-Lease a Bike; albeit alongside another in-for contender, Giro dell'Emilia winner Davide Piganzoli.

MADONNA DEL GHISALLO

Race on! We're on the famous Madonna del Ghisallo, and the tension is up in the peloton as they rise to what is one of the most important moments of the race. EF lead them onto the climb, just over two minutes after the break started it.

Will we see any attacks on it?

There have been no attacks yet in the peloton, as UAE take control with Jan Christen.

By contrast the break has split into pieces, with O'Connor going clear with Leonard, and everyone else distanced.

EF are clearly in an ambitious mood today. They've put Juan Felipe Rodriguez at the front of the peloton, and is setting a fast pace enough to drop multiple rides - including the UAE domestiques Christen and Großschartner who had been leading the peloton.

And as we speak the pace is up again, as Red Bull take over from Rodriguez and EF with Giulio Pellizzari.

O'Connor and Leonard have been joined again by 6 of the riders dropped earlier on the climb, as they come to 1.5km from the summit - Bennett, Leemreize, Moniquet, Masnada, Bernard and Vervaeke.

ATTACK - JORGENSON

We have our first attack from the peloton, and it's Visma's Jorgenson! He's being marked by some of the same American compatriots who he worked so well with in Montreal, albeit now as rivals - Lidl's Simmons and UAE's McNulty, plus Italy and Astana's Scaroni.

The American-flavoured quarter have crested the climb, just 45 seconds after the breakaway group, and a handful of seconds ahead of the peloton, which is being led by Red Bull's Pellizzari. Remco Evenepoel will be grateful that he still has teammates to help him now the attacks have come, although another, Primož Roglič, was struggling to hang on over the top.

50KM TO GO

We're entering the finale of this race now, as they approach the finishing circuit, with just three climbs left. Simmons, McNulty, Jorgenson and Scaroni have rolled the dice and made their move, and are committed to it, Behind, Red Bull are chasing, and keeping them well in check, at 12 seconds. Meanwhile the seven riders remain from the day's break are retaining a lead of 45 seconds over the chasers.

The McNulty group has been caught by the peloton, Red Bull having successfully controlled it. That's the first big test of the day passed by the team, but they are sure to come under more pressure as rivals don't wait for Evenepoel to make his move.

40KM TO GO

It's still Giulio Pellizzari who leads the peloton for Red Bull, but Evenepoel has reinforcements now as Roglič has made his way back into the group. He's riding tempo for now, keeping the break at just under a minute, and discouraging any more attacks - but that's likely to change when they hit the net climb, which will be a first ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia.

It's still been Pellizzari who has been leading the peloton, and he's clearly tiring, with the break's lead growing to 1:20. But as they enter the final circuit there's a big fight for position as other teams come to the fore, notably Netcompany and Visma, the latter of which still looks very well-represented in the group with five riders.

30KM TO GO

The break are just about to begin San Fermo della Battaglia for the first time, with a lead of 1:30 over the peloton - which, though still made up of dozens of riders, will surely be a lot smaller by the time they reach the top.

SAN FERMO DELLA BATTAGLIA - FIRST ASCENT

Pellizzari has resumed control on the climb, and this time has Evenepoel right on his wheel. The other favourites have all massed towards the front to be near his wheel, attentive no doubt of a possible attack from the Belgian...

Pellizzari leads the peloton over the climb, with not much more than 20 riders left on his wheel. 45 seconds is now the gap to them and the break, which is down to 6 riders with Leemreize dropped on the climb.

Pellizzari led Evenepoel up the last climb; will Red Bull manage to maintain that same control up the more difficult Civiglio, which the riders are set to begin in a few moments? Brace yourselves - in the past this has been where Il Lombardia has been decided, and the same could well be the case today.

20KM TO GO

Jorgenson was dropped on the previous climb, but has made his way back into the peloton and leads it as they begin the climb of Civiglio, now just 40 seconds behind the 6 remaining riders from the break.

He doesn't last long, however, and UAE take control from him.

Yates leads for UAE, followed by his teammates McNulty and Del Toro; then Seixas, Healy and Pidcock, plus around 15 other riders.

Meanwhile Healy's teammate Leonard has dropped everyone else in the break, and now leads the race.

EVENEPOEL DROPPED

Seixas takes over at the front and has upped the pace, and has caught all the riders from the break.

He's also reduced the group to about ten riders - and Evenepoel is one of those being dropped!

Seixas is on the charge! Only two riders can keep up with him - Pidcock and Ciccone. Mas is fourth on the road chasing behind, and Del Toro further behind.

SEIXAS ATTACKS

Well, it's not exactly an attack, but Seixas has ridden Pidcock and Ciccone off his wheel with his relentless pace and now leads the race by himself!

CIVIGLIO

Seixas crests the Civiglio in the lead of the race, about 30 seconds ahead of Ciccone, who has been joined by Mas, and about 45 seconds ahead of Pidcock, who was dropped and has been joined by Zana.

Then comes a group containing McNulty, Healy, Widar and Onley, while Evenepoel and Del Toro are even further adrift, at over a minute.

This is far from over yet. Seixas doesn't look overly confidant on the descent, while Ciccone is setting the pace behind with Mas in toe, and reducing the gap. It's at about 20 seconds.

SAN FERMO DELLA BATTAGLIA - SECOND ASCENT

Seixas might not have been so comfortable on the descent, but he sure was on the flat section, where he managed to increase his lead to Ciccone and Mas to 35 seconds. He's now swung onto the final climb of the race - will he tire, or does he have enough in reserve to finish this off?

Mas has attacked Ciccone on the climb, and dropped him. But it might be too little too late in term of the race win, as Seixas is now 43 seconds ahead.

The moment Seixas dropped Ciccone on Civiglio to go clear at the front of the race. He's since grown his lead at the front to 50 seconds on Mas in second, with just 3km left to ride, while Ciccone is now at risk of losing a spot on the podium as a chase group being led by Pidcock bares down on him.

1KM TO GO

Seixas flies under the flamme rouge, poised to take the biggest win of his fledgling career so far, with nobody within 45 seconds of him.

PAUL SEIXAS WINS

The 20-year-old savours the moment and crosses the line with his hands in the air - the first ever monument win of his career!

Behind, Mas holds on for a very impressive and for many unexpected second place, continuing his superb end to this season, while Ciccone also manages to hang on to the final place on the podium.

Today's historic winner, the 20-year-old Paul Seixas. You sense we will get very used to this image of him celebrating at the finish.

The king is dead; long live the king. Tadej Pogačar might have had to miss this race due to injury, but his heir apparent Paul Seixas won the race in a manner he would have been proud of. We’ve expected it for some time now, but this result further suggests that Seixas is on course to inherit Pogačar’s status as the best rider in the peloton.

While Seixas takes the headlines and glory, it has also been another great day for Enric Mas. After winning the Vuelta a España, it was unclear whether he still had the form or the will to still race competitively in the final weeks of the season, and it did indeed appear as though he was winding down, abandoning the World Championships on his first race day after that historic result.

But today he showed that same form that brought him success in Spain, and he makes the podium of Il Lombardia for the second time in his career, having also placed second in 2022, behind Tadej Pogačar.

Completing the podium is Giulio Ciccone, who continued his fine (albeit winless) run of form with third-place, repeating his finish here from two years ago, in what it has been announced will be his final race for Lidl-Trek.

Based on his reaction upon crossing the line, it's a result Ciccone is happy with. And it also makes it a third year in a row in which he has made the podium of a monument - something that only Pogačar, Van der Poel and Evenepoel have also done in that time.

Thanks for joining us today, and indeed for the whole season. It’s been a real roller-coaster of a season, with thrilling racing, records broken by all-time greats, plus the occasional shocking result - and now ends with the crowning of the sport’s next superstar, Paul Seixas. It’s been a pleasure reporting on it.

That’s it for the major road races of 2026, but it’s still a busy time in the world of cycling in terms of transfers, news and other disciplines beyond the road. Be sure to keep updated with Cyclingnews!

The temperatures have been high for much of the week but it is a cool and fresh 16°C, unusually low for spring time in the area.

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live updates of the women's UCI World Gravel Championships 2026 from Nannup, Western Australia.

Info from our Australia Editor Simone Giuliani on the ground is that the course has had some overnight rain, compacting the pea gravel making the route less slippery.

However, the riders will have to contend with puddles, likely not to the same extent seen at Unbound this year, but still an extra challenge for the riders.

The women face a challenging but rather short 125.6km of racing on the gravel of Western Australia, what should they be looking out for? Well, we've put together what we think will be the three things that could shape the racing...

>>> Three course features that could be make or break at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup

Racing is due to begin at 10:10 local time in Nannup. Roughly 30 minutes from now.

For those who may not be familiar with the gravel scene but knows road will have one name screaming out at them, that being former world gravel champion Marianne Vos. However, there are some star specialists are here with Argentina's Sofia Gomez Villafañe, home rider Nicole Frain and many more all lining up to challenge.

>>> True grit specialists primed to challenge the run of road pro rainbow jerseys – Analysing the Gravel World Championships contenders

The course itself is extremely challenging. While it is rather short, in the 125.6km of racing there are 3180 metres of elevation gain with the climbs not allow immediate rest after the summits are they tend to plateau for a while afterwards.

The gravel is like nothing seen in European gravel racing and is unique to the area in Australia. Pea gravel is what it says on the tin, gravel that is shaped like peas. It can been incredibly slippery when dry but when wet it can be compacted down and become less notable with tyre choice being crucial.

The riders are beginning to line up on the start line in Nannup with Wendy Oosterwoud of the Netherlands wearing number one.

It is being said that this is a 'true' gravel course with 85% of the course on gravel with intense gradients and a huge amount of climbing. The chance for the specialists to finally have a pure gravel rider in the rainbow bands after road stars have dominated the first four editions.

This will be the final race in the career of South African WorldTour rider Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio despite having a cold.

Australian gravel champion and winner here for the SEVEN Gravel race in Nannup earlier in the year, Tiffany Cromwell, is another rider who will be hanging up the wheels after this race.

125.6km to go

Racing begins for the 2026 Gravel World Championships in Nannup with the Dutch team immediately up to the front.

It is a fast start on the asphalt to begin with the tiny peloton bunched together for the moment but when they hit the gravel it'll likely immediately split up.

Attack

Ella Bloor (Australia)

The home nation gets the ball rolling with the first attack of the day. No-one keen on following for the time being as we are still on the asphalt with 10km until the gravel begins.

12 riders down as DNFs including Germany's Romy Kaspar and the Netherlands' Riejanne Markus.

Bloor has a gap of just 12" on the peloton as the gravel edges closer and closer.

Gravel begins

Bloor leads onto the gravel with a very wet surface and a few puddles. A couple of early twitches from the back wheel for the Australian rider. She now has 34" on the peloton.

The peloton hit the gravel and immediately things change as the pace shoots up with the Dutch crowding the front still. 5km to the first climb of the day.

Bloor's wheel skipping and skidding all over the place forcing her to freewheel. All the riders have only been able to recon some of the route due to some of the sections being on private property including the first climb of the day.

Mud is already caking the backs of the riders as the riders are on the first climb of the day now.

Mutsumi Hara (Japan) and Elizabeth Hermolle (Great Britain) early off the back but it is a tough start and there's a long way to go as the rain begins to fall again.

110km to go

The gap goes out to a minute for Bloor who will be very happy for the moment but I imagine she would like to have some company. She rides solo for the time being.

The climb Killarney which is 5.4km of very undulating riding and an average of 3.4% but with some nasty kickers.

Multiple riders now struggling to hold onto the peloton as Bloor has 1'02" on the pack.

One unexpected rider on the startlist for the elite women was Peta Mullens (Australia) who was expecting to ride the age group of 35-39 but received an email a few days ago saying she will have to race the elite due to rule changes coming into force...

Bloor's gap has now reduced significantly as she continues to tap out a rhythm that suits her but she now just has 30" on the chasers.

The peloton has shrunk quite a lot on this first climb with Bloor being reeled back in very soon.

Former Australian national road champion Nicole Frain is keen to see a gravel specialist take the title today...

>>> 'I would love to see an actual gravel rider winning the jersey' – An established gravel incarnation of Nicole Frain lines up as key hope for home-nation at Nannup Gravel World Championships

Crash

Gabrielle Fox (Ireland)

Not ideal for the Irish rider who clipped a wheel and came down. She is back riding but is now out of the back.

Inside 1km from the top of the Killarney climb as Bloor holds a very slender lead.

Bloor is caught by the Dutch led peloton that has been whittled right down on the first climb.

Onto the first descent of the day now and the pace shot up to make sure they were in a good position with Vos, Sophie Wright (Great Britain) and Larissa Hartog (Netherlands) leading the way.

The sun is back out now but the gravel is very wet and slippy.

Puncture

Rosa Klöser (Germany)

One of the big favourites for the race is trying to fix this quickly with her plugs but the sealant taking a while. She is now back riding but a long way out the back now. Similar happened in Unbound earlier this year.

Some info coming from the start... The age groupers are heading out in waves now. Some were so keen to ensure a good spot in the start line that they were sitting in the ground with their bikes in their start box well over an hour before their start time.

Maddy Nutt (Great Britain) was just off the back after that descent but has made it back in now. She will be relying on her huge engine and stamina to be involved in the final...

>>> 'The year where someone who's primarily a gravel racer would win – Maddy Nutt representing the specialists at the World Championships

100km to go

The peloton now bunches up after that descent as they build towards the first majorly hard climb of Brockwell.

Wright, Hartog, Cromwell and Erica Magnaldi (Italy) lead the peloton on this rolling terrain.

Onto the Brockman climb with Wright and Magnaldi upping the tempo with the rain starting yet again. You won't win the race here but you can certainly lose it.

The climb is 2.5km at 8% with kicks well over 15%.

Klöser has fought very well and is about 10" off the back of the lead group and is picking up riders who are losing touch.

Wright is ripping this peloton to bits on this climb but Klöser is about to make it back on.

Klöser flies pass British duo of Nutt and Hermolle as they have to negotiate their way around one of the camera bikes that has got stuck in the mud on the gradients of Brockman.

Wendy Oosterwoud (Netherlands), Gravel World Series leader, has been gapped just before the hardest section. That is a big surprise.

Cromwell also out of the back with Denmark's Janni Spangsberg Schori losing tough as well.

The Dutch still just about have four riders in this select group with Hartog and Geerike Schreurs just holding on.

Sofía Gómez Villafañe (Argentina)
Nicole Frain (Australia)
Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)
Nele Laing (Germany)
Erica Magnaldi (Italy)
Elisa Serné (Netherlands)
Rosa Klöser (Germany)
Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands)
Larissa Hartog (Netherlanda)
Irina Lützelschwab (Switzerland)
Haley Smith (Canada)

And a few others now lead.

Wright did all that work on the toughest gradients but has not made the group.

Cromwell, Wright, Oosterwoud are now around 45" down on the leaders.

Through the feed zone now as multiple riders take on fresh bottles, bars and gels.

Great crowds around the feed area after a period on private land.

On the Adina climb now, 1.1km long at 4% average.

Bit of grass racing turns into mud and then some more traditional looking gravel for a very short period before returning back to the pea gravel very soon.

Puncture

Holly Harris (Australia)

She has a front flat but she seems to have got it fixed pretty fast.

The gap between the lead group including Vos, Villafañe, Klöser, Moolman-Pasio and the rest have a minute on the group including Cromwell, Wright and Oosterwoud.

Onto Shale climb of 800m at 6.8% which is being done very swiftly as Villafañe and Magnaldi lead the way for now.

The Shale climb appears to have favoured the chase group as the gap drops to 22", but this will be based on the motorbikes so we take that gap with a pinch of salt.

And the gap is closing. 15" between the leaders and chasers as riders like Cromwell, Oosterwoud and Flora Johnson (Great Britain) may get back in.

Cromwell is leading the chasing group back to the front group as the leader's pace lulls. That was a big effort from the chasers with Oosterwoud still struggling to hold the wheel but we now have a lead group of around 16 riders.

Attack

Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)

The Australian champion launches as soon as she re-joined the leaders to try and get clear but she is solo and the chase is on.

Vos tried a move but she was heavily marked. Cromwell continues to press on as the chase group starts to sit up a bit more.

Magnaldi is investing a lot of energy on the front of the favourites group without dropping anyone but they stall again and allow Cromwell a bit more gap.

80km to go

Cromwell expands her lead to 10" as the chase stalls.

Attack

Marianne Vos (Netherlands)

The former world champion launches for a second time to try and close Cromwell down. She is marked but it has got the rest of the group interested in chasing again.

Cromwell heads onto the descent, probably the longest downhill of the entire race.

Vos came into this race with an eye on the gravel specialists as the superstar hopes to become the first rider to take a second gravel world title...

>>> 'They are going to be hard to beat for sure' – Marianne Vos toes the line against a field packed with discipline specialists at the UCI Gravel World Championships

Cromwell drags her advantage out to 19" and is now out of sight from the chase group as the Aussie goes solo in the Worlds, on home soil, in her final race.

Crash

Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands)
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)

The latter gets back on her feet but isn't in a rush to get going while Schreurs stays on the ground with the medics tending to both.

There was a very nasty rut that they hit and it just pushed Schreurs and Moolman-Pasio out with the former kicked to the side and into the rocks. Both look to be out of the race.

Meanwhile, Cromwell has 27" gap on the chase group.

70km to go

A brief section of asphalt heads back onto the gravel and Cromwell has 48" on the chasers.

The Dutch have numbers but are not chasing with the Germans taking the responsibility through a very rocky and puddle filled section as Cromwell opens her gap to 1'17".

Now time for the Lewana climb, 1.5km at 5.3%.

Mechanical

Rosa Klöser (Germany)

A stick has got into her rear mech. She is back riding but another issue for the German after an earlier puncture.

Cromwell is riding really well and has 1'21" on the chasers with Magnaldi leading the chase group yet again. Klöser gets back in as well.

Now that Klöser is back in the group the Germans return to the front of the chase group with Oosterwoud struggling again.

Now on a very steep and technical descent on this extremely slippery pea gravel. Cromwell just overshot a hairpin and may have lost a couple of seconds.

Laing and Vos have gapped the rest in the chase showing their descending skills but Cromwell has used the terrain to get her gap back to 1'17" after it dropped to 52" on the climb.

60km to go

Cromwell now has 1'32" on the peloton as the rain pours in Western Australia.

Interestingly, Villafañe is out of the back of the chase group alongside Britain's Johnson. Something must have happened as she looked so strong on the climbs.

Five riders break clear of the chase group as it splits up on this latest climb. Laing, Vos, Klöser, Magnaldi and Hartog.

The chasing group of five have closed in on Cromwell rapidly on the Ellis Creek climb, the longest and hardest of the day.

Cromwell caught making it a lead group of six riders with 58km to go.

Cromwell is caught and immediately dropped with Hartog and Magnaldi.

Leaders:

Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
Rosa Klöser (Germany)
Nele Laing (Germany)

Abandon

Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands)

Hartog and Magnaldi make it back to Klöser, Laing and Vos.

The five lead riders are riding well together but they are coming up against some of the age groupers. Fortunately the tracks are wide and there's plenty of space for the pros.

Some of the age group men and women are sitting in at the back of the lead group. This isn't what the pros want at all as it is distracting and can be very dangerous.

Klöser just clipped the back wheel of Hartog but both stay upright.

Fortunately, the age groupers have been dropped by the elite women here.

50km to go

Vos, Hartog, Magnaldi, Klöser and Laing leading the way and working well together with the rain pouring down on the riders.

Laing has two World Series wins to her name with both German races going her way. Vos just seems to win almost everything she races. Klöser has had a mixed gravel year with disappointing mechanical filled Leadville 100 and Unbound but she has been superb on the road. Hartog also had a great season that started long ago in cyclocross.

The leaders are going much faster than the camera bikes on this descent and have left the bike behind. Cromwell pass them as well as she is still chasing now with teammate Frain.

Cromwell, Frain, Lützelschwab and Serne are getting closer to the leaders again. This could actually come together again after all that selection on the Ellis Creek climb.

Cromwell just being distanced from the chase group led by fellow Australian Frain.

40km to go

On the Glacier climb with Frain, Serne and Lützelschwab making it back to the leaders after an amazing chase.

Bit of an issue for Magnaldi who had to unclip and stop on a hairpin. She has got going again but will need to spend a bit of energy.

Abandon

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)

Shame to see that the South African ends her career with a DNF.

Hartog is now setting a hard tempo likely for Vos who is clearly one of, if not the, strongest in the race today.

The leaders are now descending down towards Nannup for the first time since the start before they start one final loop with two more climbs to come.

Hartog now uses her pace and gaps the rest of the group as her teammates look towards the others to chase her down.

Hartog is brought back as they take some fresh bottles and gels on a rare bit of asphalt.

Attack

Nicole Frain (Australia)

That splits the group with Vos and Klöser being the only ones to follow. Magnaldi left to do all the chasing.

Magnaldi has done a bit acceleration and has dragged the leaders back again.

Laing is trying to get clear but Vos is closing her down again.

Somehow Sofía Gómez Villafañe (Argentina) has chased all the way back to the front of the race again after being over 2 minutes down.

Frain, Laing and Serne are struggling to follow the wheels but Villafañe is still there with a brand new wheel on her bike.

Serne, Frain and Laing get back in after the pace lulls again.

Attack

Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)

She is back and on the attack yet again. Just 900m to the final climb of the day.

Cromwell heads back onto the gravel and onto the final climb of Folly Farm.

Klöser, Vos and Villafañe closing but now Klöser and Vos go clear of the rest.

Laing is riding hard to get back to her teammate of Klöser along with Vos as they negotiate riding around the age groupers.

Laing invested a lot to try and get to the leaders but Klöser and Vos now properly push clear.

20km to go

It appears to be down to Vos and Klöser for this race into the final 20km.

Hartog makes it to Laing in the chase at 27" back from Klöser and Vos.

Klöser dropped Vos at Sea Otter Europe back in late September, but this is has been a very different race and the rainbow jersey is on the line.

The sunshine has come out again after much of the race spent in the driving rain.

Out front it is a Dutch rider and a German rider with the chasing duo being a Dutch rider and a German rider. The two nations have certainly dominated this race with Klöser and Vos holding 32" on Laing and Hartog.

They have taken on a short asphalt section before heading onto the final part of gravel today with the second part of the Folly climb to come. Klöser looked the strongest on the climb but Vos was able to match her.

Klöser and Vos working together well since they crested the previous climb with around 35" to the chasers.

10km to go

Into the final 10km and the leading duo are settled into working together with it looking unlikely that anyone will re-join them.

It is now almost all downhill to Nannup with an average speed up around 27kph today. This has been a brutal day out.

8km to go and the gap back to Laing and Hartog is 52".

It is easy to forget that Klöser has had a puncture on the first climb of the day, got back on then had a stick in the rear mech and got back on again. Whereas, Vos has been active but largely in the wheels always very close to the front.

6km to go and they are on some very rutted section. This is the last kicker before the finish with Klöser on the front again trying to break the legs of Vos.

5km to go

Klöser continues to push the pace but Vos still looks good with Hartog and Laing at 1'13" back.

Klöser is just riding Vos to the finish. You would think that Vos would easily win in a sprint but it has been a very long day out today.

Attack

Marianne Vos (Netherlands)

Rosa Klöser (Germany) can follow the Dutch star.

Crash!

Rosa Klöser (Germany)

The German loses her front wheel as she tried to scramble onto the wheel of Vos as she attacks over the top of the final ascent.

Klöser is back riding but Vos is now clear with it all downhill to the finish.

The pea gravel has dried out and we are seeing how chaotic it can be when dry. Vos is now riding away to the victory.

3km to go for Vos.

1km to go for Vos as the Dutch look like they will continue their dominance in the gravel worlds as she looks like she is going to be the first rider to get a second gravel world title.

Marianne Vos wins the Gravel World Championships title 2026!

Rosa Klöser takes an exceptional second place but the crash at the top of Tank 7 climb was one setback too much.

Larissa Hartog beats Nele Laing to take the bronze medal in a day dominated by the Netherlands and Germany.

Magnaldi took fifth ahead of Villafañe, Lützelschwab, Cromwell, Serne and Haley Smith rounding out the top 10.

It wasn't to be for Rosa Klöser as Marianne Vos had the power and technical skills in the important moment to get clear to take her 15 career world title across so many disciplines.

The final podium sees Vos take another rainbow jersey with Klöser in second and Hartog in third.

Good morning everyone, welcome back to day 2 of bike deals hunting for Amazon Prime Day. I've had a disappointing instant coffee so let's kick things off with a bang:

Alright here's another good one for the UK: The Cateye AMPP 900. It's a decent, no nonsense front light that I still use all the time despite having access to much more expensive and complicated options. One button, a small handful of modes, and a mount that clips onto round and aero bars alike with no fuss.

Want to track your health but don't want to have to wear an armband 24/7? Well, maybe an Oura Ring is for you... It'll track all sorts of health metrics including sleep, heart health and stress, but all in a ring you wear on your finger for maximum discretion.

While you may not have seen out new YouTube channel (yes that's a cheap plug I know), a great deal of it is filmed using an Insta360 Go Ultra; almost all of the POV shots, and plenty of the pieces to camera, too. If you're YouTube (or just content) curious then it's a fantastic camera to use for filming while riding.

The pendant chest mount is subtle and unobtrusive, and the flip up screen makes framing any vlogging a lot easier than with a classic GoPro. Plus the accessories are varied and generally excellent too in my experience. Most of the time you only need use the little pod, too, which is TINY.

Chinese aero socks now reduced in the UK

If you have small feet this is for you - the Rock Bros aero socks we tested in the wind tunnel and confirmed they were faster than premium competition are now reduced in the UK, too, but only in small.

A top rated glove according to our gloves expert is now on offer, and they've been discontinued so once they're gone they're gone!

My favourite winter jacket ever is 45% off, and also discontinued
It was so good it went in my gear of the year. If you want to stay relatively aero, sweat free, and warm, it's an incredible bit of kit and one I keep reaching for when I don't have to test other options.

Kryptonite's most sturdy D-lock is 1/4 off. It's a beast, but if you have an ebike or cargo bike, or just live somewhere high risk, then it's an investment in keeping your bike in your possession.

The headline is the grinder disc destroying diamond coating on the steel shackle, which claims to take 10 discs to release, by which time the thieves have probably given up or been chased away by a good citizen.

Hi. Bonjour. Welcome to our live report on Cyclingnews for the elite men’s road race, the final event of the 2026 UCI World Road Championships in Montréal, Canada. What a great week of racing we’ve had so far.

Yesterday, on his final day as elite men’s road race World Champion, Tadej Pogačar returned to riding outdoors, 28 days after breaking his collarbone and neck in a crash at the Vuelta a España.

Who will succeed Pogačar in 2026? So many options in the wide-open race.

Check out the riders to watch in the men’s road race in our in-depth preview.

The last two days of racing have seen 2-up sprints and solo breaks decide the winner. Yesterday’s elite women’s race delivered a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat finale. How will today’s winner be decided?

10 minutes to the start of the race, where the men will face 3802 metres of elevation gain over the 273.7km course highlighted by the closing Mount Royal circuit.

It’s a cool morning in Brossard for the start, with cloudy skies and temperatures around 14°C. There’s a 10% chance of rain, with winds of 18 km/h across the Greater Montreal region.

Starting on the South Shore, in Brossard, the men head south for a loop through seven other municipalities in the Montérégie region such as Carignan, Chambly, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Richelieu, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu before returning to Brossard and heading to Montréal.

The peloton will then ride the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge towards the Mount Royal circuit, which the men will do 12 times. The now-iconic circuit features several major challenges: the Voie Camillien-Houde, the Chemin de la Polytechnique, and the tough false flat rising along Avenue du Parc to the line.

It is the same circuit that all the road races faced. The elite men will race the circuit 12 times.

The first passing across the finish line will be with 160.8km to go.

The huge peloton, of 184 riders, is off for the - unusual in a world championship - 4km neutral section before the flag drop.

Flag drop - 273.7km to go

And we're racing!

Immediate attacks from the front of the peloton, led by a Pogačar-less Slovenian team.

The flurry of attacks continues at the front with no one managing to escape while pre-race favourites Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) and Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) remain calm, tucked safely in the middle of the peloton.

Biniam Girmay (Eritrea), wearing his trade team NSN Cycling gilet, is part of the attacking riders.

16 riders, including Girmay, manage to get a small gap with 264km to go. They are working very hard to try and stay away as the winds are stronger than expected.

They built up a 21-second lead in two kilometres.

Fredd Matute (Honduras) jumps to bridge up to the break.

Meanwhile, multiple riders drop back to talk to their managers in the team cars. With no radios, it is the only way on the course right now to know who is in the break and talk strategy.

A little history, as we gather the names of the riders in the break, and the peloton speeds by Fort Chambly.

Fort Chambly National Historic Site is the only fort in the greater Montreal area. The first wooden fort in this location was built as a defence post in the wars between the French and the Iroquois in New France in the second half of the 17th century.

The current structure was built between 1709-1711, Serving the French military until 1760, it was later used as a British Garrison.

Captured by American forces on October 20, 1775, during the American Invasion of Canada of 1775–76, it was held until the spring of 1776 when it was evacuated and burned.

After falling into disrepair, a citizen of Chambly personally repaired and restored the site in 1881. Between 1965 and 1985 extensive archaeological digs were carried out, and today a fully reconstructed version of the final phase of Fort Chambly (1718–1720) can be visited by the public. It provides beautiful views of the Richelieu River, trails, a bike path and green spaces.

Break

The move includes Andreas Leknessund (Norway), Felix Engelhardt (Germany), Slovenia’s Tilen Finkšt wearing #1 bib, Jamie Meehan (Ireland), Guillaume Boivin (Canada), Emile Liepins (Latvia), Heorhii Antonenko (Ukraine), Mihajlo Stolić (Serbia), Christofer Jurado (Panama), Alexandre Mayer (Mauritius), Iustin-Ioan Vaidian (Romania), Andreas Miltiadis (Cyprus), Kaden Hopkins (Bermuda), Amir Ansari (Refugee Cycling Team) and Girmay and his Eritrean teammate Henok Mulubrhan.

The 16 riders are working well together and now have a gap of 2:41 with 253km to go.

The 16-rider break has 3:14 on the peloton with Mexico, working for Isaac del Toro, at the front keeping an eye on things with 244km to go.

Let’s hear what Biniam Girmay told the organisers at the start this morning.

“I already did four times this course, so it's slightly a bit less laps [than GP Montreal] but in the end of the day, I think it's going to be hard. So today I'm here to support my teammate. “

“I think for us is the best chance maybe we can have is to anticipate in the early move with the other two guys we have. So just make sure everything they have for the race, like positioning and to support them with nutrition and everything. So yeah, I will do best possible I can to help those two guys.”

Fabulous early morning crowd cheering the riders on Mont St-Hilaire.

Let’s see what some of the pre-race favourites had to say in the days leading to this race.

Racing defensively not an option for bullish Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert in World Championships road race, but it's up to Seixas and France 'to make it a long and tough race'

The gap is now over 5 minutes. with 231 km to go. Great Britain add a rider to the rotation with Mexico, Belgium and the Netherlands at the front of the peloton.

It is surprising to see the full Mexican team at the front, and use up their riders so early.

Let’s see what some of the pre-race favourites had to say in the days leading to this race - Great Britain co-leader Tom Pidcock, who spent time in Colorado to get ready,

World Championships 'favours saving for one big move' - Tom Pidcock aiming for 'truly amazing' road title

Gap over 6 minutes

Working well together, the 16 riders in the break now have 6:34 with 222km to go.

There is no sense of urgency in the peloton, still rolling very steady on the flat roads of the Montérégie region. It should get more active when the riders reach Montreal, and head towards the circuit with an early fight for position.

Let’s see what some of the pre-race favourites had to say in the days leading to this race - French star Paul Seixas, who claimed the bronze medal in the TT earlier this week.

'Anything other than gold would be a disappointment' – Ultra-ambitious Paul Seixas throws down the gauntlet for Road World Championships title

Gap hits the 7-minute mark with 208km to go as the Eritrean team car heads towards the break.

Let’s hear what Ben Healy had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Irishman finished seventh in Zurich 2024 and then third in Kigali last year.

“I'm here in good form, and it's a good course that suits me, so why not?”

“That's the thing about this race, it's so open, you know, I think there's obviously a couple of favourites like Remco and Matthew, but, other than that, I think there's a lot of people that can win this.”

200km to go

The 16-rider break has 7:20 on the peloton with 200km to go.

While the wind is blowing, it's not quite hard enough to cause havoc. Riders are about 19 kilometres from crossing over the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge where the wind may blow harder, but the bridge is only a few kilometres.

Let’s hear what Mathieu van der Poel had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. A former road World Champion from Glasgow in 2023, the Dutch rider showed his form with a 174km solo win in Luxembourg.

“That's what everybody is trying to do and also me but I think quite a good preparation and we will see how it goes today.”

“It's gonna be a very hard race, if you see the races in Montreal, it's always like this, so I think the strong riders will be in the front of the race.”

“I already know how it feels to wear [the rainbow jersey] so I would be very happy to wear it again, so we will go for it.”

The gap keeps on growing, up to 7:55 with 191km to go.

The peloton is single-file, behind a Dutch rider setting the pace.

Spain's Enric Mas and Belgium's Wout van Aert are each making their way back into the pack with a teammate. The flat rural roads provide a good opportunity for a nature break before they hit Montreal and it's urban roads.

I know I said that there wouldn’t be more history but it's of the racing kind:

Mount Royal returned to the centre stage of global cycling this week when Montréal hosted the UCI Road World Championships. It had been 52 years since Montréal made history as the first Road Worlds outside Europe and two years later notched another milestone as the first Canadian city to host summer competitions for the Olympic Games.

'Truly an exceptional memory' – Eddy Merckx and Genevieve Gambillon look back on 1974 World Championships wins as Montreal's Mount Royal climb returns to centre stage

Let’s hear what Isaac del Toro had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Mexican rider won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, raced on the same city circuit.

“Same kind of chaotic situation [as the women’s race], for sure. No one needs to sleep in this kind of circuit, but it'll be hectic until the end and you will never know who will win until the line. For sure, the move will be on the climb and someone will keep trying, but everybody needs to be smart and to give his 100%.”

“I am kind of the guy who wants to have a hard day on the bike and excited and looking forward.”

Riders have made their way back to Brossard, after a long loop in Montérégie region and will head towards Montréal.

Belgian rider at the front of the peloton, as the gap is 8:07 with 181km to go.

Let’s hear what Michael Matthews had to say this morning at the start in Brossard. The Australian has won both the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and Québec.

“Worlds always throws a different spin on things, but no I think it's gonna be quite a different race today than what we normally have in Montreal GP but yeah, we're ready, we have a strong team, so let's see what we can do.

“If you look at the teams, I mean it's gonna be super fast. I think everyone's expecting a really hard race but for me, I just need to try and survive as long as I can and hopefully all my stars align today.”

Pace went up to 50 km/hr, as riders in the peloton are jostling for position, using the whole wide road to get into the bridge.

Attack on the right-hand side from Fredd Matute (Honduras) who tried to get across to the break at the beginning of the race, but never made it.

The men are heading towards the 13.4km circuit, which features four key climbs. The first comes soon after the finish line with the Voie Camilien-Houde, a 1.67km ascent averaging 7.4% and reaching a maximum gradient of 10%.

Next is Chemin de la Polytechnique, 790 metres at 6%, including a punishing 200-metre section at 11%. The riders then face Avenue Pagnuelo, a 534-metre climb averaging 7%, topping out around the 9km mark.

The final challenge is a 600-metre drag at 4% up Avenue du Parc to the finish.

It is the same circuit that the women faced yesterday. The elite men will tackle the circuit 12 times.

The 16-rider break are cheered on as they head towards the start of the circuit in Montréal

French team comes to the front, and shave off one minute on the gap as riders are starting to be dropped off the back.

Could the weather add an extra challenge?

It is windy and cool (17 Celsius), with gray clouds moving from the east in Montréal and a 50% chance of showers in the next hour.

Cyclingnews North American editor Jackie Tyson took this photo of the finish line from 200 metres to go.

Lap 1 of 12

The 16-rider break crosses the finish line for the first time to start the circuit, after over two hours of racing. They have a gap of around six minutes on the peloton with France’s Bruno Amirail setting a hard pace.

Isaac del Toro and other contenders were also seend to be moving up.

Amirail leads the peloton across the finish line to start the circuit. His team with team leader Seixas, as well as Switzerland are lined up behind him.

Romania's Văidian is falling off the pace from the break on Camilien-Houde.

Under Amirail's impetus, the gap is now 5:22

The French team definitely has a plan to launch Seixas; the question is, when will the French teenager do on the attack?

More riders distanced at they climb Camilien-Houde - the same scenario of attrition that was on display in all the road races.

Del Toro is losing teammates, as four of his compatriots are dropped on the climb. The Mexican team lined up with six riders.

Puncture for birthday boy Hugh Houle, who stops by the Shimano neutral car, but doesn't stop and takes on the descent behind the Shimano car.

Gap has been reduced by over 2:40 on the 13.4km-lap as the break starts lap 2 of 12, and see 147.4km to go.

Swiss also put in a rider in the rotation, setting a hard place in the peloton.

Break is also shedding riders. Finkšt, Boivin, Antonenko, Stolić, Jurado, Mayer, Vaidian, Miltiadis, Hopkins, Ansari are all off the back. Leaving 7 off the front.

The peloton was down to 133 riders after one time around the circuit. 184 riders started in Brossard.

Make that 6 riders left in the break: Girmay and his teammate Mulubrhan, Leknessund, Engelhardt, Meehan and Liepins.

They have 3:36 on the peloton with Amirail still setting the pace.

Mechanical for Ben Oliver of New Zealand, tire came off his front wheel. He's by the side of the road, hand up, waiting for his team car.

Mechanicals for Matej Mohorič and Thibau Nys.

Mohorič gets a bike change, while Nys raises his hand, calling for this team car for a wheel change.

lap 3 of 12

With Amirail at the front for close to 30km so far, the gap is now down to 2:34 to the seven rider break, as Boivin chased back onto the lead group.

Valentin Paret-Peintre is sittong on Amirail's wheel, with Seixas a bit further back.

Let’s hear from Amir Ansari racing with the Refugee Cycling Team, who made his way into the early break.

“I feel a bit sick before the time trial, so I didn't have a lot of chance, and the course is very hard. So I decided to be in the breakaway, and then we'll see what happens, how long I can manage. So more than after a race, so I'm happy with it.”

“I know today I feel it that the bunch will going to push soon as soon as possible. And when I was, we had like 8:45 something before they come into the course to the lab in the local lap. So I see the times going down very fast, like two minutes in the one lap, and the next time was faster.

“[The atmosphere] was crazy. Like I just that's why I just continued to enjoy the moment.”

Report from Cyclingnews on the ground in Montréal.

Both times across the line, Del Toro has been burning matches to move up during the start/finish straight, with a bit of a tailwind.

Cyclingnews Managing Editor Laura Weislo caught up with Belgium's Alec Segaert in the mixed zone at the finish line, after he pulled out of the race.

“It was actually quite okay to control in the beginning. We were with a few teams to do so with the Mexicans, Dutch, and British people as well. So was quite okay, even though the break was a were 16 guys, but then once we entered the circuit, the French team took over and pushed already quite hard. Sadly for me, I didn't have the legs today because I really wanted to survive a bit longer. But they want to make it a hard race, and we'll see what it what it will bring.”

“I still think we have the cards to win this. Even Wout and Remco, they know how to race these races, and they will play their cards in the final. I don't know how they will do, but I'm sure they have a plan.”

“I didn't even take bottles because I wanted to release it as light as possible, and I only did one last sentence. No secret messages."

Read more on the 'secret message': Message in a bottle? Belgium get around lack of radios at World Championships with unique strategy'

France's Bruno Amirail sets a fast pace for two laps of the circuit, making the race hard for team leader Paul Seixas.

The gap is now under the one-minute mark, at 55 seconds, with 9 laps to go.

Still Amirail at the front, though a Mexican rider did do a couple of pulls.

Nys finally gets his bike change - his cyclo-cross skills shined as to how fast that was done.

Let's hear what Ulises Alfredo Castillo told Cyclingnews Managing Editor Laura Weislo in the mixed zone.

The Mexican rider did a lot of work in the beginning, in the Montérégie section of the course, keeping an eye on the gap for his team leader Isaac del Toro.

“It was nothing crazy, it was just rolling with the other countries. We were a little bit nervous at the beginning that something big or a lot of the big countries want to be on the breakaway. But the good thing that everybody wait for the circuit. So once we get out on the circuit, was like a hard pace, so for us, was the work done.”

“Well, Isaac [del Toro] he has a good mentality of a winner. I think he's on his best shape, and he's waiting for the best."

The list of riders abandoning the race continues to grow - it includes Luka Mezgec, Jan Tratnik, and Matej Mohorič of Slovenia, Victor Langellotti (Monaco), Nico Denz (Germany), Mathijs Paasschens (Netherlands) and Raúl García Pierna (Spain).

Boivin dropped out of the break and then calls it a day. But first, he takes the time to high-five the fans on the side of the road.

Boivin as a late call-up after Derek Gee-West had to pull out of contention following his crash at Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

Lap 5 of 12

The time for the four riders left in the break is almost over. They have a 10-second lead as they cross the finish line with 8 laps to go.

Valentin Paret-Peintre attacks from the peloton and catches the break.

Right after crossing the finish line, Tim van Dijke (Netherlands) crashed in the feedzone and got a new bike.

Jordan Jegat counters when his teammate Paret-Peintre is brought back by the Netherlands on Camilien-Houde.

Bettiol comes to the front. the first time we see an Italian rider come to the fore.

Enric Mas (Spain), Ben OConnor and Michael Storer (Australia) are all distanced.

Attacks continue at the front, shelling more riders off the back.

France's Pavel Sivakov takes a turn at the front.

100km to go

Big attack from Slovenia's Gal Glivar on the Polytechnique climb. He looks under his elbow, and gets a few seconds.

Sivakov swings away and Bettiol comes to the front and reels him in.

We have entered the next phase of the race. The early break was caught; speed is high, whittling down the peloton, as attacks continue.

Italy's Alberto Bettiol has been trying to get something started, he's made a few attacks, but Anthon Charmig (Denmark) is the one who gets a small gap after countering once Bettiol is caught.

Behind Nairo Quintana is dropped, waves to the camera and says goodbye in his final world championship.

USA takes the front of the peloton down to 79 riders as Del Toro is tail-gunning it with 7 laps to go.

Ciccone and Evenepoel are moving up in the peloton with France back at the front on Camilien-Houde. Group of six riders starting to pull away.

Ben Healy (Ireland), Oscar Onley (Great Britain(, Christian Scaroni and Giulio Pellizzari (Italy), Andreas Kron (Denmark), Alex Baudin (France) and Maxim an Gils (Belgian) came across to Charmig.

Van der Poel also bridges up with 91km to go. Santiago Buitrago (Colombia), Andreas Leknessund who was in the early break along with teammate Jorgen Nordhagen also made it into the move.

Wout van Aert (Belgian) led a chase group with Primož Roglič (Slovenia) and Brandon McNulty (USA) on his wheel. And they connect with 88km to go.

Very dangerous breakaway of 15 riders.

French team close the move down and Van Aert goes on the attack. Van der Poel and Onley jump on.

The peloton is under pressure, single-filed as they chase down the trio.

Roglič and Charmig make it across to the break with 85km to go. USA's Quinn Simmons also joins the move.

France is going to have to chase this move down, as Paret-Peintre calls it a day for France.

Lap 7 of 12

The strong break of six - Van der Poel, Van Aert, Simmons, Roglič, Charmig and Onley - have 41 seconds with six laps to go, or 80km to go.

Mexico did a short pull, but it's France at the front once again with Sivakov. Seixas has already lost Amirail and Paret-Peintre.

With Van Aert in the break, Evenepoel has to sit in the field, and wait for somewhere else to attack so he can follow.

Pidcock, with ha teammate is coming back in the team cars after a bike change.

Del Toro comes to the front to try to try and close down this dangerous move. On his wheel are Evenepoel, Seixas, Healy and more, and his acceleration caused a split is opening up after 10 riders. Carnage on Camilien-Houde.

An isolated Seixas takes a pull.

Pidcock still has not made it to the front of the pack.

The chase group with Seixas, Del Toro and Evenepoel also includes Ciccone, Ayuso, McNulty, Healy and Johannessen. But they are not working well together, but the gap is coming down.

More riders make it to the chase.

Van der Poel puts in a massive attack with 74km to go with the chase group getting too close. Simmons and Onley go deep to get onto the Dutch rider's wheel.

More reshuffling in the aggressive and dynamic race.

Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley are working well together and have 14 seconds on Van Aert, Roglič and Charmig.

Evenepoel, Seixas, Del Toro, Healy, McNulty, Ayuso, Adam Yates, Michael Matthews are in a 14-rider chase group, 27 seconds from the trio with 70km to go.

Three riders in the break - Van der Poel, Simmons and Onley - have 16 seconds to Van Aert, Charmig and Roglič with five laps to go.

The second chase group, quite disorganised, are at 57 seconds.

The peloton led by Michał Kwiatkowski (Poland), such as it is, is 1:10 from the lead trio.

Big acceleration by Roglič, and he drops Van Aert and Charmig on Camilien-Houde.

The Slovenian put in a big effort to try to bridge up to the lead trio. He finally connects just as they crest the climb.

With no race radios, Evenepoel does not know that Van Aert was dropped, so it delays any more he may make.

Pidcock connects with Healy and they give chase, both working together. Does Pidcock know that Onley is in the break?

Healy and Pidcock, with the USA duo of Jorgenson and McNulty, catch the Van Aert group.

Del Toro attacks with Seixas on his wheel; he flies across and makes it across.

There are groups everywhere on the circuit.

With 56 km to go, Van der Poel, Roglič, Onley and Simmons have a gap of 28 seconds,

Chase 1 includes Seixas, Del Toro Pidcock, Ayuso, Jorgenson, McNulty and more.

Chase group, a further 16 seconds, includes Evenpoel, Yates and Kung.

Lap 9 of 12

Break of 4 with Van der Poel, Roglič, Onley and Simmons have 19 seconds on Healy who jumped from the chase.

Ciccone now attacking out of the Seixas group as the USA riders are blocking the chase somewhat.

Evenepoel was about to make contact on the climb but then sat up. Roglič was momentarily dropped from leaders down to three with Van der Poel and Simmons.

Van der Poel, Roglič and Simmons have 41 seconds on a chase group.

The chase group includes Del Toro, Ayuso, Matthews, Pidcock, Seixas and Jorgenson and McNulty who are blocking for teammate Simmons in the break.

In between are Onley and Healy together at 26 seconds.

45km to go

Evenpoel jumps solo from the third chase group, and Van Aert drops back to bring him to the Seixas-Del Toro group.

Evenepoel attacks and gets a quick reaction from Seixas and Pidcock.

Del Toro counters, and gets a small gap, and Seixas is forced to close it down.

Van Aert goes to the front, working for Evenepoel.

With three laps to go, the gap has tightened up

Van der Poel, Simmons and Roglič have 10 seconds to Healy and Onley.

Chase 2, with 17 riders are at 32 seconds. This group includes Van Aert, Evenepoel, Del Toro, Seixas, Ciccone, Matthews, Jorgenson, McNulty, Ayuso, Piganzoli, Kung, Honoré and Buitrago.

Healy accelerates as Onley falls off the pace, The Irishman closes down and catches the lead trio with 38km to go, making it four in the break. Van der Poel looks at him, and keeps on going.

Behind, Van Aert cracks and is done for the day. Yates is also dropped from the chase group, with Del Toro pushing the pace. Evenepoel is also dropped.

Del Toro has a chat with trade teammate McNulty at the back of the chase group.

Del Toro accelerates again with Pidcock behind him, as the gap is now down to 9 seconds, and the connection is made.

Immediately, Jorgenson and Ciccone counter on the right-hand side. Pidcock reacts immediately.

And we have a reset at the front. Simmons and Healy look to be in difficulty as Roglič is dropped.

Del Toro closed the gap, effortlessly and a new front group is created with Del Toro, Ayuso, Ciccone, Seixas, McNulty, Jorgenson and more.

McNulty attacks on the right-hand side. Everyone looks at Del Toro but Seixas is the one that has to close it down.

McNulty gets a gap on Polytechnique as Roglič catches back on to the group.

The American has 35 seconds on the group of favourites. Del Toro looks over his shoulder as some of the riders are free-wheeling, looking at each other to chase.

Evenepoel's group is at 1:20

2 laps to go

McNulty is all in, taking a corner hot but managed to stay upright.

The American has a 1:08 lead to the chase group, with really no organisation, as more riders catch on to the back. The Evenepoel is 1:29 back.

Pidcock attacks on the climb, as Del Toro is sitting at the back of the group.

Pidcock's effort only shaved off a few seconds from the lead but it did shell riders off the back of the chase group.

Van der Poel and Buitrago are distanced. Del Toro is also a few metres back.

Pidcock goes again. Seixas and Jorgenson stay with him, and so does Matthews and Ciccone.

Huge crowds cheer on USA's Brandon McNulty who attacked with 32km to go

Van der Poel, Matthews, and Healy catch back onto the chase group, as the gap to McNulty is now 36 seconds.

Pidcock attacks again! But can't get anyone else to continue at the high speed. Everyone is cooked.

It is now Ciccone's turn to attack, as Evenepoel surges from the second chase group and catches on.

Healy attacks and Pidcock reacts. Jorgenson is following every move, blocking and waiting in case McNulty is caught.

Pidcock goes again and Jorgenson stays on his wheel.

Van der Poel accelerates with Mauro Schmid on his wheel. Schmid came across with Evenepoel, but he is brought back.

Huge acceleration from Evenepoel from the back of the group. Jorgenson briefly gave chase but then swung off, leaving the others to close it down. Pidcock gives chase.

Bell lap - 13.4km to go

McNulty has 53 seconds on the chase group, as Evenepoel is caught just before they go through the finish line for the penultimate time.

Pedersen and Simmons made their way to the chase group at the bottom of Camilien-Houde.

Healy accelerates on the climb; Ciccone reacts, but they slow down again.

Rinse and repeat. Ciccone attacks and Pidcock reacts. SImmons tried to go with them but can't keep up.

Van der Poel tried to close the gap but couldn't do it.

Seixas then Del Toro go to the front as Evenepoel is dropped.

Pidcock is closing the gap!

Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) put in massive accelerations to try and close the gap

Pidcock closed it down to 10 seconds but never connected with the American, and then the chase slowed down as Evenepoel caught back on.

McNulty, who finished 4th in the TT, goes into aero position on the flatter roads and grows the gap to 29 seconds before the Polytechnique climb.

McNulty is at top of the climb with 7km to go. He holds 32 seconds to the chase.

Van der Poel goes again. Jorgenson goes straight onto his wheel with Ciccone and Pedersen.

Schmid goes on the move, accelerating from the back of the chase group. A last-ditch attempt to catch McNulty.

Pidcock goes too, and Jorgenson once again gets on the Pidcock train.

McNulty sprints up Avenue Pagnuelo. His gap holds at 23 seconds with 4km to go.

Seixas is cramping while Pidcock catches Schmid with Jorgenson on his wheel.

Del Toro tries again to drop the others.

McNulty jas 22 seconds to the Pidcock, Schmid and Jorgenson group.

The final difficulty is the tough 600 metres drap uphill to the line.

McNulty keeps checking behind before going under the red kite, 1km to go.

The chase group is back together, 25 seconds back.

Brandon McNulty wins after a solo 32km flyer!

The first world title for the USA in three decades.

Michael Matthews (Australia) takes the sprint for second place ahead of Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands).

Quinn Simmons (USA) is fourth, and Isaac del Toro (Mexico) takes fifth.

What a race! Almost six hours of racing.

Let's hear from the new world champion. Brandon McNulty (USA).

"Honestly I don't know. Really this is – I don't know. I'm really at a loss. Until the last 100 metres I really didn't even believe it I was so tired. I mean, I don't know, I really don't know."

"Absolutely, the last climb up Mont Royal I was doing like zone 2, just dying, but I just kept pushing and I don't know. We've said for weeks now that we have a super strong team and it's possible. I think we rode cray well, marked everything, had guys ahead, I'm just seriously at a loss for words."

Make sure to read our post-race report on all the action while also keeping an eye on our homepage for the latest reactions - there should be a lot after these exciting races.

UCI Road World Championships: Brandon McNulty shocks the favourites to win solo and claim first elite men's road race world title for USA since 1993 in all-time epic edition

Next year’s championships are in Haute-Savoie, France, are a hugely ambitious project for a combined championships bigger than any in history.

Read more: 2027 combined UCI World Championships to include 20 disciplines, including Gravel, with demanding road circuit in Sallanches

And that brings our final live report for the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, Canada, to a close.

Thanks for joining us today, and for the amazing racing we witnessed in the past week.

Hi. Bonjour. Welcome to our live report on Cyclingnews for the elite women's road race on the final weekend of the 2026 UCI World Road Championships in Montréal, Canada.

Reigning champion Magdeleine Vallieres of Canada shared her thoughts on social media on the eve of the road race.

Will Dutch racer Demi Vollering finally win a world title today? She lines up as the top favourite, having swept almost all before her this season.

Check out the riders to watch in the women’s road race in our in-depth preview.

More on Vollering from Laurens ten Dam, the Dutch team coach:

"She is incredibly focused, that's true. Two days after the Tour de France, I got the first message already from her, 'OK, job's not finished'. I was like, 'OK, she's on'," Ten Dam told Cyclingnews on Thursday evening.

Along with Vallieres, Belgian leader Lotte Kopecky is the only previous World Champion lining up at the start. She won twice before, in Glasgow in 2023 and Zurich in 2024.

Speaking on Friday, Kopecky acknowledged that Demi Vollering stands out as the favourite, but said plenty of other contenders are in the mix.

Three minutes until the start in Brossard - more on the route coming up.

It is sunny in Brossard, with cool temperatures around 12°C, but the day should warm up, as the forecast calls for a high of 23°C in Montréal.

The 140 riders representing 57 nations, including new countries of Panama, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia are off.

They will face 2570 metres of elevation gain over the 180.4km course featuring the closing Mount Royal circuit.

Starting on the South Shore in Brossard, the women head south on an approximately 43km loop through Carignan, Chambly, and Richelieu in the Montérégie region before returning to Brossard and heading to Montréal.

The peloton will then ride the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge towards the Mount Royal circuit which the women will tackle eight times, after having 73km in the legs already. The now-iconic circuit features several major challenges: the Voie Camillien-Houde, the Chemin de la Polytechnique, and the tough false flat rising along Avenue du Parc to the line.

The flag drops, and the race is on after a 4km neutral section. Peloton is spread across the road with the Dutch team massed at the front.

First attack

Mischael Alhazmi from Saudi Arabia is the first attacker but is quickly back in the peloton.

Lots of chatter in the peloton as they roll by fans on the side of the road.

Canada's Maggie Coles-Lyster and Alison Jackson are at the front and in the middle of the peloton, controlling things for now for their teammate, defending champion Vallieres Mill.

Greece’s Argyro Milaki and Israel’s Rotem Gafinovitz attack out of a right-hand turn and get a small gap with 166km to go.

Six riders try to come across to the head of the race.

One of the riders trying to come across to the duo was Canada's Alison Jackson, and the move is nullified.

Another attack by Gafinovitz with Antri Christoforou (Cyprus) jumps on, but once again, the move is shut down.

Portugal's Beatriz Rosso counters solo, and there is no immediate reaction from the peloton

More riders jump from the peloton and make it across the 15-second gap to Rosso. The move includes Natalie Quinn (USA), Marte Berg Edseth (Norway), and Gergana Stoyanova (Bulgaria)

Tallest rider in the peloton, Teniel Campbell (Trinidad & Tobago) attacks to bridge across and that gets an immediate reaction from Alison Jackson.

Jackson seems to be trying to get into a break and the peloton, led by the Dutch team, shuts that down immediately.

Campbell is not giving up, as she attacks once again, and more riders jump on her wheel. But the peloton doesn't want more riders to join the four riders in the break and Campbell can't escape.

Break

Four riders made it into the break, initiated by Beatriz Rosso (Portugal) with 162 km to go, and she was joined by Natalie Quinn (USA), Marte Berg Edseth (Norway), and Gergana Stoyanova (Bulgaria).

The quartet have 44 seconds with 154km to go.

Another rider tries to jump to the break but the Dutch team reels her back in. They don't want to let any other rider to join the move.

Maybe nervous after yesterday's under23 men's road race where USA's Ashlin Barry took the win from the break.

The Dutch team is lined up at the front of the peloton, with some wind impacting the riders, controlling the gap, now up 1:40 to the break.

A crash takes down riders on the left side of the road. Riders going down included Adèle Normand (Canada) and Sandrine Tas (Belgium).

Normand gets up quickly and is back on her bike, while Tas had to wait for her mechanic to sort out her bike.

As the peloton seems happy with the break composition, let's hear what defending Magdeleine Vallieres Mill had to say at the start this morning.

“It [having the rainbow jersey] changed a lot. I mean, it's been such an honour this year to be able to wear the jersey and to be able to come back here at home and with the number one with a really good team. So yeah, it's been super special.

“We're gonna try [to keep the title]. I think we have, yeah, a super strong team, so we're gonna give it a go.”

After going to her team car, Normand stops to quickly switch one shoe that the mechanic brought to her from the car.

Nicely done. With no team radios, she calmly went to the car to let them, and give time for the mechanic to get her shoe out of her bag in the car.

Meanwhile, the gap to the four riders in the break is now at 2:19 with 140km to go, and the Dutch team is still controlling the front, followed by France.

Tas moved through the team cars and is back in the pack.

Another crash but the riders went up and riding away very quickly with 131.7km to go.

News from the Cyclingnews team on the ground in Montréal:

Tereza Kurnická of Slovakia is actually a substitute for an injured rider, Nora Jenčušová - she's the team's soigneur and hasn't raced since 2022, except for fun on MTB.

Tereza was apparently terrified of riding in a bunch this big, but she did race Worlds in 2021 as a junior so she's not a complete novice.

But the countries need to enter riders to keep their qualifications for the coming years.

The same will happen in the men's field tomorrow. Slovakia is putting a rider in who hasn't raced in years.

Break has 3:37 on the peloton as they head towards the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, which could lead to more wind.

Behind the Canadian team moved up to line up next to the Dutch team. Spain is also starting to move up.

More on the Slovakia team situation at Worlds: Team masseur to start World Championships men's road race as Slovakia's only rider after desperate situation

Opened in 2015, the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge is 3.2km long, and replaced the old Champlain Bridge which was opened to traffic in 1962.

The new bridge provides a multi-use pathway to pedestrians and cyclists, and three nesting boxes for peregrine falcons are installed along the bridge

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk - back to racing.

The peloton is using the wide road on the bridge, happy to keep the pace steady, for now.

The four riders in the break - Natalie Quinn (USA), Marte Berg Edseth (Norway), Gergana Stoyanova (Bulgaria) and Beatriz Rosso (Portugal) - have 4:26 on the peloton as they exit the bridge onto the island of Montréal.

Stoyanova is falling of the pace in the break while Rosso also seems to be in trouble.

The women are heading towards the 13.4km circuit, which features four key climbs. The first comes soon after the finish line with the Voie Camilien-Houde, a 1.67km ascent averaging 7.4% and reaching a maximum gradient of 10%.

Next is Chemin de la Polytechnique, 790 metres at 6%, including a punishing 200-metre section at 11%. The riders then face Avenue Pagnuelo, a 534-metre climb averaging 7%, topping out around the 9km mark.

The final challenge is a 600-metre drag at 4% up Avenue du Parc to the finish.

It is the same circuit that the previous categories faced on Thursday and Friday. The elite women will tackle the circuit eight times.

Break now down to 2 riders: Quinn and Edseth have 4:26 with 117.8km to go.

Pace has increased at the front of the peloton as riders being dropped include Georgia Baker (Australia), Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner (USA)

Crash. Paula Blasi (Spain) and Anna Hendersen (Great Britain) involved but get quicky back up.

Lap 1 of 8

Two riders in the break are: Marte Berg Edseth (Norway) and Natalie Quinn (USA) as they cross the finish line to start the circuit and see 8 laps to go.

They have a lead of 3:31 . Pace is amping up in the peloton as they take on the first lap of the circuit.

Peloton is racing to position themselves before the first time up Voie Camillien-Houde

Poland's Kaja Rusz is one of the riders dropped, which could impact team leader Kasia Niewadoma-Phinney who is one of the top contenders.

Poland started the race with 5 riders.

Correction: Faulkner was not dropped; she is still in the peloton.

But Baker did pull out of the race, and that leaves the Australian team down to 3 riders.

Lieke Nooijen (Netherlands) is putting the hurt on the peloton on the climb, as more riders drop from the back.

As we have seen in the previous races - juniors and U23s - this circuit is tough, and not many will survive at the front.

Still the Dutch at the front, with Vollering only a few riders back. French and Italian team also present to prepare for the descent off the Polytechnique climb.

Quite a few riders had trouble on the bottom right-hand turn onto Blvd Edouard-Montpetit in previous races.

Puncture for Spain's Sara Martin, who gets assistance from her team car.

As the start, leader Paula Blasi said that there was an illness going around the team.

Great Britain's Flora Perkins accelerates at the front, but the Dutch come back to the fore on the Polytechnique climb.

Huge crash

A lot of riders down from the middle of the peloton. Riders from Sweden, Great Britain, Spain, Australia and USA involved.

Defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres Mill was also involved.

USA's Kate Courtney is asking for her team to get a new bike.

Will provide more updates on which rider was impacted.

Starting the 2nd lap, break of Quinn and Edseth see their gap reduced by half, down to 1:56.

The peloton, first whittled down by the tough circuit and then decimated by the crash, was down to around 40 riders, with a large chase group of around 40 riders behind.

Defending champion Vallieres, covered in road rash, is also trying to chase back with a teammate.

Kim LeCourt-Pienaar and Kate Courtney are in a small chasing group but they are over one minute behind the pack.

Blasi, also involved in the crash, pulls out.

More riders have pulled out: Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (Norway), Christina Schweinberger (Austria), Lauretta Hanson (Australia), and Caroline Andersson (Sweden).

All the best to the riders that may be injured in that hard crash.

Lap 3 of 8

The gap continues to tumble for the duo off the front, down to 16 seconds as Nooijen continues to set the pace at the front of the peloton for the Dutch team.

The peloton is still around 40 riders strong with 6 laps to go. A big group is chasing behind, at around 30 seconds back.

Edseth is pushing ahead solo.

The LeCourt and Courtney group with Evita Muzic (France), Alison Jackson, Grace Arlandson (USA) is around 1:30 from the peloton.

Defending champion Vallieres Mill is still on her bike, crossing the line to start the third lap, nearly 7 minutes down with one teammate with her, Adele Normand.

Last rider from the break, Edseth, is caught with 76km to go as attacks fly off the front.

Behind, a chase group with Amber Kraak, Lauren Dickson, Sarah Gigante, Monica Trinca Colonel, Mavi Garcia and more are working hard to close the gap, of around 20 seconds, to the peloton.

Five riders from the chase group almost connect with the peloton on the Polytechnique climb, as the attacks at the front have calmed down.

The commissaires have pulled all the cars in between all the groups.

And the 5 riders finally join the peloton with 71km to go after a long chase. Garcia put in massive pulls to make that happen.

Gigante is a few metres off the back. The Australian returned to racing after over a year away, and only has one race in her legs this year.

The 47-rider peloton, still with Nooijen and the Dutch team setting the pace at the front, crosses the line and sees 5 laps to go.

Germany's Franziska Koch is close to the front, behind Vollering.

The Kim LeCourt group, which has swelled to 12 riders, is 1:48 down.

Canada's Olivia Baril is 2:29 back with Courtney a further 30 seconds.

Huge crowd is cheering on the riders on the climb

Great Britain's team leader Zoe Bäckstedt is dropped on the Camilien-Houde climb, but chases back onto the pack on the descent.

The 22-year-old claimed the silver medal in the ITT earlier this week.

Magdeleine Vallieres Mill waves to the crowd as she crosses the line and pulls out of the race with teammate Adele Normand. Hugs her teammate, as the right side of her body is ripped out.

Attack by Spain's Mireia Benito with 61km to go. Italy's Sara Casasola and Germany's Antonia Niedermaier jump onto the move. But they are brought back.

With 60km to go, Luxembourg’s Nina Berton attacks, and gets a quick reaction from Riejanne Markus (Netherlands).

The Dutch team want to control while other nations are starting to launch riders off the front, However, France has not tried anything yet, and continue to follow moves.

Big move by Great Britain, Koch responds immediately.

And France finally attacks with Cedrine Kerboal accelerating. She looks over her shoulder and sees the peloton on her wheel.

Ana Vitória Magalhães of Brazil tries her hand but is reeled back in.

Four laps to go

Over three hours of racing done, and still 53.6 kilometres to go as the peloton starts lap 5 of 8.

Koch and Niedermaier chatting, with Liane Lippert on their wheel.

French team launches another attack as Maëva Squigan hugs the barrier, while Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) does the work to close this down, giving a respite to the Dutch team.

The Swiss team swings off, leaving the Dutch team to do the work.

Squiban has 21 seconds on the peloton led by Karlijn Swinkels (Netherlands).

Swinkels knows exactly what Squiban can do, and how good a descender she is, as they both race for UAE Team L’IMAD.

Another crash involving a few riders: Pfeiffer Georgi (Great Britain) and Eleonora Gasparrini (Italy).

Colombia's Paula Patiño attacks from the right side of the road and gets a few metres, but that move only lasted a few minutes.

The French team had someone on the side of the road with a whiteboard message for Squiban. With no race radios, it's a simple way to give information to a rider.

Squiban is well known for her solo raids, as she won two Tour de France Femmes stages in 2025 by taking a flyer.

The 24-year-old, who took her gloves off, has a gap of 46 seconds with three laps to go.

The Dutch team is still setting the pace at the front of the peloton, down to 35 riders.

Puck Pieterse ramps it up on Camilien-Houde with Vollering on her wheel, dropping riders such as Backstedt, Kopecky, Faulkner, Benito and more.

After cracking the field, Pieterse swings off, and Vollering attacks, catches Squiban briefly and continues on solo with 38km to go.

Elisa Longo-Borghini is trying to chase back.

Niewadoma-Phinney, Longo Borghini in the chase group along with Pieterse.

Marlen Reusser brings up another group to reinforce the chase.

Vollering goes into time trial mode, already with 22 seconds on the 8-rider chase group.

The chase includes Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini, newly crowned time trial champion Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), Polish duo of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Dominika Włodarczyk, and three French riders Maëva Squiban, Celia Gery and Juliette Berthet. And Puck Pieterse is sitting on while her team leader Vollering is off the front.

Reusser is doing most of the work in the chase group, but there is no sustained effort in the group other than the time trial world champion.

Gap to Vollering is 22 seconds.

Longo Borghini attacks from the chase group, Gery goes with her with 30km to go.

The two are cooperating to bring back Vollering.

Reusser counters once Longo Borghini and Gery are brought back. They can see Vollering up ahead but this circuit is tricky as we saw in the previous races.

2 laps to go

Vollering is on a mission but has not gained the amount of time she may have hoped for. With two laps to go, and 26.8km to go, the Tour de France Femmes champion has 20 seconds.

Longo Borghini is leading the chase, flicks the elbow and Reusser comes through.

On terrain that suits her, the Camilien-Houde climb, Vollering gains a few seconds.

Reusser is back at the front of the chase. Some of the riders don't have the legs, or refuse to do hard pulls to close the gap down.

Dominika Włodarczyk is dropped from the chase on the climb. Gery is suffering.

Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma-Phinney are pulling away on the climb, and now on the hunt to catch Vollering.

Vollering's gap stabilized at 18 seconds.

Chase regroups with Longo Borghini, Niewiadoma-Phinney, Reusser and Berthet.

Pieterse is still there and weirdly allowed to roll through, probably slowing things down.

Big fight in the chase group to try and separate the group.

Niewiadoma-Phinney attacks on Polytechnique climb, with Longo Borghini trying to stay on her wheel with 38km to go. Berthet goes deep to catch back onto the pair.

Pieterse and Reusser are chatting. Reusser shakes her head, one can imagine she is saying something like 'you do the work if you want to get back on'

Another big acceleration by Longo Borghini, closes the gap down to 10 seconds. Niewiadoma-Phinney takes over to shave more seconds. Vollering still has a few metres, and forcing the other two worked hard to catch her.

Berthet is trying to ride herself into the wheels, while Reusser has dropped Pieterse.

The connection is made inside of 16 kilometres to go. Vollering stays at the front with Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma-Phinney on her wheel.

Berthet also makes it back the group, making it four at the front. The French rider is a trade teammate of Vollering on FDJ United-Suez.

1 lap to go

Massive attack by Longo Borghini as the bell rings for the eighth and final lap. The Italian is racing her 15th road world championship.

Vollering is forced to chase with Niewiadoma-Phinney on her wheel.

Reusser is about 15 seconds back.

Longo Borghini has 4 seconds as she climbs Camilien-Houde climb for the last time.

Berthet is distanced as Niewiadoma-Phinney sits on Vollering's wheel.

And it's back together, with 11.5km to go for Longo Borghini, Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney.

The Dutch rider ups the pace again with 200 metres to go on the climb, dropping Longo Borghini who is paying the price for that attack,

Niewiadoma-Phinney refuses to work with Vollering,

Behind Berther and Reusser are together.

What a race! Who will win the rainbow jersey?

Vollering keeps looking back at Niewiadoma-Phinney, but the Polish rider is refusing to ride.

If they play games, Longo Borghini could come back, she is 11 seconds back.

Finally, Niewiadoma-Phinney takes a pull at the front with 7.5km to go, but not for long.

Huge crowds cheer on the riders as Longo Borghini is only 6 seconds back as the two at the front keep on looking at each other.

Using her descending skills, Niewiadoma-Phinney takes the front on the descent, going 65 km/hr.

None of the riders in the lead three have been elite road champion. The pressure is on.

Vollering accelerates, trying to drop Niewiadoma-Phinney, while Longo Borghini can't quite close the gap.

Niewiadoma-Phinney goes around and attacks on Polytechnique but not able to drop Vollering.

2 kilometres to go as Vollering is back at the front with Niewiadoma-Phinney on her wheel.

Longo Borghini is 15 seconds back and Reusser a further six seconds.

Niewiadoma-Phinney takes the front under the red kite. Looks behind her, and Vollering goes through.

Vollering also looks behind her to see Longo Borghini who is not giving up.

Niewiadoma-Phinney launches her sprint early, sprinting side by side with Vollering fastest to the line as Niewiadoma-Phinney cramps up in the finale.

Vollering finally wins the road race world title for the first time in her career.

Longo Borghini uses the barriers to get close to the duo but it wasn't enough and takes bronze. Reusser is fourth and Berthet takes fifth.

Here is how the top 10 shaped up after more than four hours of racing

What a race! A perfect advertisement for the Grand Prix cycliste de Montréal to add a women's race. The GP is raced on the same tough circuit around Mont-Royal.

Read more: GP Québec and Montréal organisers 'ready to have women's races' but there are still questions of funding

Make sure to read our post-race report on all the action while also keeping an eye on our homepage for the latest reactions and news.

>>> UCI Road World Championships: Demi Vollering outsprints Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to first world title in women's elite road race after gripping final lap duel

It is a first-world title in a row for the world's best women's cycling right now

And that brings our penultimate live report for the World Championships in Montréal, Canada to a close. 

There is one more race to go: the elite men road race on Sunday. Will it be as edge-of-your-seat exciting as the elite women’s race?

We’ll find out tomorrow morning starting at 9am local time.