As it happened: Dutch star secures first road title in illustrious career at World Road Championships women's road race 2026

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.