Brandon McNulty ends 33-year American wait with world road race title in Montreal
Brandon McNulty won the men's road race world title in Montreal on 27 September 2026.
The 28-year-old American completed the 273.4km course in six hours and 17 minutes, finishing 13 seconds clear of the chasing pack, BBC Sport reported.
It is the first American win in the men's road race in 33 years. Lance Armstrong in 1993 was the last winner from the United States before McNulty.
McNulty made the decisive move with 30km remaining. He rode clear alone and still held 50 seconds going into the last lap.
The peloton — the main pack of riders — closed hard behind him. He held on. Just.
Australia's Michael Matthews finished second. Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands finished third.
Britain's Tom Pidcock finished seventh. Ireland's Ben Healy was 10th. Belgium's Remco Evenepoel, second in the world ranking coming into the race, finished 12th.
McNulty rides for UAE Team Emirates XRG. He had already shown form in Montreal with fourth place in the elite men's individual time trial earlier in the championships, 12 seconds short of a medal.
He knew this circuit. He won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2025, along with the Tour de Pologne, the Tour de Luxembourg and the CRO Race, Cycling Weekly reported. He entered the road race as the last American rider to have won on that Montreal course.
What makes this stand out is the distance of the gamble. A 30km solo against a chasing world-class field leaves no place to hide. McNulty judged the climb, the wind and his own legs to the second.
