RAINBOW JERSEYS ON OUR HOME SOIL CELEBRATING THE UCI ROAD WORLDS IN MONTREAL

The UCI Road World Championships are back on Canadian soil this week, as Montréal welcomes the best road racers on the planet to contest the iconic rainbow jersey. This marks the first return of the Road Worlds to Canada since Hamilton, Ontario in 2003, and the second time Montréal has hosted the event, having made history in 1974 as the first non-European host nation in the event’s history.

That 1974 edition on Mount Royal was legendary. In sweltering 30°C heat, Eddy Merckx won his third and final world road race title, securing cycling’s first-ever “Triple Crown” (Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship in the same year) in a race so brutal that only 18 riders finished. Adding another layer to cycling lore, the rider Merckx out-sprinted in that two-man finale was Raymond Poulidor, grandfather of 2023 World Champion Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutch mega-star arrives in Montréal as a top favorite this year, fresh off an otherworldly 174 km solo victory at the Tour de Luxembourg.

An Unpredictable Battle on Mount Royal

While reigning World Champion Tadej Pogačar will unfortunately miss defending his title as he recovers from injuries sustained at the Vuelta a España, his absence leaves the race wide open. Instead of a single dominant favorite, the contender list expands to a stacked field: recent Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal winner Isaac del Toro, 19-year-old French phenom Paul Seixas, and Belgium’s powerhouse duo of Remco Evenepoel and Wout Van Aert.

On the Canadian front, fans will have plenty to cheer for. A surprise return by former WorldTour pro and Tour de France stage winner Michael Woods makes him a key dark horse to watch, alongside compatriots Guillaume Boivin, Hugo Houle, Michael Leonard, Pier-André Côté, and Nickolas Zukowsky.

The demanding parcours and star-studded field will ensure Canadian and international fans alike will be treated to a spectacle of power, and that the winner is truly worthy of donning the rainbow bands.

The Elite Men’s Parcours

Date: Sunday, September 27,
Distance & Elevation: 273.7 km | 3,800 m total elevation gain
Key Features: Multiple punishing laps of Mount Royal, featuring the gruelling climbs of Camillien-Houde and Polytechnique, culminating in an uphill finish on Avenue du Parc.

Hometown Heroics: Magdeleine Vallières Defends the Stripes

For Canadian fans, there is no bigger story than defending World Champion and hometown hero Magdeleine Vallières. Last year in Kigali, Rwanda, Vallières stormed her way to a historic, first-ever elite road world title for Canada.

At 4iiii, we’ve known about her talent and impressive power for years, having worked with her during her time with the EF Education-Tibco-SVB team. Joining “Mags” on the national squad is fellow Canadian powerhouse and close friend Alison Jackson. The “Queen of the Cobbles” and 2023 Paris-Roubaix winner played a vital role in positioning and morale during Vallières’ victory in Rwanda, and she will again be a crucial ally on the streets of Montréal.

The Canadian women’s squad represents a high-water mark for the country’s road scene, featuring a deep roster that includes Isabella Holmgren (8th overall at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift), Olivia Baril, Adèle Normand, Maggie Coles-Lyster, Nadia Gontova, and Sarah Van Dam.

The Elite Women’s Parcours

Date: Saturday, September 26
Distance & Elevation: 180.4 km | 2,500+ m total elevation gain
Key Features: An opening loop preceding technical, punchy laps of the Mount Royal circuit.

A Celebration of the Cycling Community

While only a select few will cross the line to wear the rainbow stripes, the World Championships are about so much more than the podium. They are a celebration of the entire sport: the early morning training miles, the local club rides, the grit required to tackle big climbs, and the shared passion that connects cyclists across every continent.

Events like this highlight why we do what we do - supporting athletes at every level as they push their limits, measure their progress, and chase their goals.

Cheering for Team Canada on Home Soil

Just being able to line up for a World Championship on home turf, in front of friends, family, and an exuberant local crowd, is a dream scenario, and any big result at the end of the day is the icing on top. Regardless of the outcome, this week is a celebration of how far Canadian road cycling has come on the world stage. From the proven star power of Tour de France stage winners and Paris-Roubaix champions to the rising generation proving themselves in the Women’s WorldTour, both the men’s and women’s national squads bring incredible momentum to Mount Royal.

From the historic legacy of 1974 on Mount Royal to the electric return of the UCI Road World Championships to Canadian soil, this weekend is a celebration of world-class racing and home-turf pride. The punishing, high-wattage circuit will test the limits of a stacked international field and a powerhouse Canadian roster, led by defending World Champion Magdeleine Vallières alongside superstars like Alison Jackson, Michael Woods, and Hugo Houle. As a Canadian company born in the Rockies and engineered to support riders through every stage of their training, seeing the world’s best compete here hits close to home. Keep an eye out for members of our 4iiii team on the ground in Quebec soaking in the atmosphere along the barriers of Avenue du Parc. They’ll be backing the entire Canadian squad every lap of the way!