La Vuelta, Canada, or elsewhere – Where are the men's stars riding in preparation for the Road World Championships?

For much of the 31 years since the Vuelta a España switched from its late-spring calendar place to its current slot bridging August and September, the Spanish Grand Tour was seen as the best preparation race for the UCI Road World Championships.

In recent times, however, things have changed, and there are other races riders can attend to help them reach their targets at Worlds. Though plenty still head to Spain, some will choose the two Canadian one-day WorldTour races, the GPs de Québec and Montréal, to put the final touches to their preparation.

There are other preparation races where riders, their teams, and coaches can get what they think they need to be in the best possible shape.

Those other options can include European WorldTour races like the Renewi Tour and the one-day Bretagne Classic-Ouest France, or further down the calendar, the Deutschland Tour, the Tour of Britain Men, and a handful of one-day races.

Of course, not everyone is able to pick the races that best ensure they arrive at Worlds in form. Further down the pecking order, cycling is like any job, and some riders' trade teams pay them so they'll race where they're told, especially if they're likely to be working as a domestique at Worlds.

With Worlds held in Montreal, Canada this year, the two Canadian WorldTour one-dayers might seem like the best place to put the finishing touches to World Championships preparation. Not only are you in the right place and time zone with the right climate, but the two weeks in between allow time to rest, train, and get to know the routes.

Of course, the Vuelta is a totally different challenge, providing 21 days of solid competition. This year's race is a tough one, though; its 3,308.8km features more than 58,000m of climbing, creating a completely different proposition. If a rider benefits from a large volume of racing, it's ideal, and there's plenty of time to fly across the Atlantic, rest, and prepare.

How have past winners prepared?

Though the Covid seasons of 2020 and 2021, and 2023, when the Worlds were held in August, are outliers, there has been a definite move away from riders winning Worlds after racing in Spain, though there have been some interesting combinations.

In 2011 Mark Cavendish started the Vuelta but failed to finish stage 4, so rode the Tour of Britain before winning the rainbow jersey. Three-time world champion Peter Sagan seemed to like what is now called the Renewi Tour, riding it before two of his victories.

Sagan headed to Canada on one occasion too, though when he took his first rainbow jersey in 2015 he did so after riding eight days in Spain, where he won one stage.

Perhaps the least conventional approach of any recent road World Champion is Mads Pedersen, who rode the Deutschland Tour and a clutch of one-day races before his 2019 rainbow ride. The Dane has said he thinks this year's rainbow jersey is beyond him, though.

The same applies to the individual time trial, where only six of the champions through those same years raced the Vuelta beforehand. The most recent was Rohan Dennis in 2018.

So who’s doing what this year? We’ve checked out some of the favourites to see how they’re approaching this year’s Road World Championships.

Who's riding where?

Slovenia

Tadej Pogačar is currently in Spain riding for his UAE Team Emirates-XRG team, attempting to complete the Grand Tour trilogy, and he’s the outstanding favourite to take the rainbows.

Should he do so, it will be his third successive rainbow jersey, though those two previous victories came after successful visits to the Canadian races.

While no one would bet against him, the Vuelta is a tough race this year, and even his team have acknowledged how difficult it will be for him to win, especially coming on the back of his dominant Tour de France victory.

Primož Roglič, who has been a key lieutenant for Pogačar in Zürich and Kigali, is also racing the Vuelta.

Netherlands

2023 world champion Mathieu van der Poel is back this year after missing the 2025 Worlds, which featured over 5,000 metres of climbing.

He recently completed the Tour de France, including that thrilling final-day win in Paris. He recently switched back to the mountain bike at the UCI World Cup in Les Gets, taking second in the XCO race and 11th in the cross-country short track race.

MTB Worlds aside, has no other races on his schedule before Road Worlds and will likely prepare for the race with a training camp.

Mexico

Mexico is not a country we’re used to mentioning in a list of favourites for Worlds, but given the freedom to race against – rather than for – his trade teammate Pogačar, Isaac Del Toro is sure to be a threat.

Last year was the 22-year-old’s debut in the Elite race, and he finished seventh, beginning his prep by winning the Vuelta Burgos then riding a string of seven European one-day races, winning four of them.

This time he’s been at the Deutschland Tour, winning the prologue, and while his programme is not yet set in stone, it’s thought he’ll be racing the Canadian WorldTour races ahead of Worlds.

Belgium

Remco Evenepoel will be another favourite for victory in Montreal in both the time trial and road race, both of which he’s won before. He’s only raced once since the Tour de France, winning Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa, but has proved this year that he benefits from concentrated periods of training, spending the two months between Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour de France without competition. He’ll complete his prep for Worlds at the two Canadian races.

This marks a change from previous years, though. When he won the road title in 2022, he’d just raced and won the Vuelta, though his two most recent time trial successes came after lower-profile appearances racing the Tour of Britain.

Depending on how the race pans out, Evenepoel’s Belgian squad can also look to Wout van Aert as a possible winner in Montreal. Van Aert is not a regular at Worlds; his most recent appearance was Glasgow 2023, but chosen the Vuelta for his final race.

Australia

Another team with solid sprinting and climbing options is Australia, with Michael Matthews regularly the country’s best finisher. Third place in 2022 was his best result and came on the back of excellent rides at the Canadian races. He’s won Québec three times and rarely messed the Canadian race, so expect him to ride there this year.

Australia are graced with several climbers who could do well. Of those, Jay Vine’s season has been blighted by injury, though he’s currently at the Vuelta, while Jai Hindley, Ben O’Connor and Michael Storer are unconfirmed for the Canadian races pre-Worlds.

USA

Quinn Simmons is the only confirmed starter for the USA so far, but he could be all they need as he’s developed into one of the world’s most consistent and versatile riders in recent years.

Since winning the Junior Worlds in 2019, ninth is Simmons’ best finish in the Elite race two years ago. Then he’d raced the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg before Worlds; this year he’s chosen an unconventional route, riding the Leadville Trail 100 MTB before heading to the reborn Philadelphia Cycling Classic and the Canadian one-dayers.

It remains to be seen if Matteo Jorgenson will make a return to Worlds. He has taken time away from racing following the Tour de France and Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa, and has Il Lombardia on his late-season hitlist.

Denmark

Denmark has risen to become one of the top nations in modern cycling, with Mads Pedersen's 2019 Worlds triumph among their great achievements. He's not set to race here, however.

Neither will Jonas Vingegaard. Instead, Denmark could again look to Mattias Skjelmose, fourth in Rwanda, this year. He is, however, tackling the second part of a Tour-Vuelta double, with the three-week outing in Spain ending just two weeks before the Worlds road race.

France

Last year, French prodigy Paul Seixas finished 13th in his first elite road race at the World Championships, heading to Rwanda after winning the Tour de l’Avenir.

This year he’ll be making his debut at the GPs de Québec and Montréal before riding the Worlds. Should he win, he’ll be the youngest road world champion in history, aged just 20 years and three days.

Other potential French picks for the squad include Lenny Martinez, Romain Grégoire, and Benoît Cosnefroy, but the trio haven't confirmed their upcoming races.

Italy

A punchy and aggressive rider, Giulio Ciccone took sixth place at the Rwanda Worlds after a handful of stage top 10s at the Vuelta, though this year he’ll be taking on the GPs de Québec and Montréal before Worlds.

Alberto Bettiol has two World Championships top 10 placings to his name in recent years and is another regular at the Canadian races, where he’ll compete again this year. He’s not a regular winner, but his victories are always big ones.

Great Britain

Team GB are likely to put their eggs in the Tom Pidcock basket for this year’s Worlds. Sixth place in 2021 and 10th last year are his best results to date, both coming after racing the Vuelta.

He hasn't raced since finishing ninth after an aggressive showing at the Tour de France, but will ride the GPs de Québec and Montréal before Worlds.

Spain

The vast majority of our favourites will be heading to Canada, and even Spain’s Juan Ayuso will be joining them, rather than riding his home Grand Tour. Last year’s eighth place was the 23-year-old’s best placing in the Elite Worlds, achieved after a poor Vuelta.

A host of Spain's other top riders, including Enric Mas, Iván Romeo, and Pablo Castrillo, are currently in action at La Vuelta.

Canada

Finally, spare a thought for Hugo Houle. The Canadian was born and grew up just north of Montreal, but rather than heading home to compete in his two favourite races, his Alpecin-Premier Tech team need him at the Vuelta.

Derek Gee-West will be racing the Philadelphia Cycling Classic later this month, while Michael Woods – who is coming out of retirement to race – won't be tackling any pro races, instead relying on training.

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