A thrilling men's road race, a wide-open battle for the rainbow jersey — and two Irish riders who made their presence felt.
The 2026 Elite Men's World Road Race Championship in Montréal delivered something we haven't seen too often in recent seasons: genuine uncertainty.
With Tadej Pogačar absent, there was no overwhelming favourite dictating how everyone else had to race. Instead, we got an aggressive, unpredictable World Championship where attacks came from everywhere and the outcome remained in doubt deep into the finale.
So it raises an interesting question:
Was the World Championship actually more entertaining without Tadej Pogačar?
That isn't a criticism of Pogačar. Far from it.
He is arguably the defining rider of this generation, and some of his long-range attacks and dominant victories have been extraordinary to watch.
But dominance and entertainment aren't necessarily the same thing.
Nobody Could Control the Race
Without Pogačar, Montréal felt genuinely open.
Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and several other major names were involved in the action from a remarkably long way out. Groups formed, attacks went, riders were caught and others countered.
Ben Healy and Tom Pidcock were among those prepared to keep attacking as the race developed.
Then Brandon McNulty made what proved to be the decisive move with around 32 kilometres remaining.
Even then, it wasn't over.
His advantage was reduced to around 10 seconds with approximately 10 kilometres remaining, leaving the World Championship hanging in the balance almost to the end.
McNulty ultimately held on to become World Champion, with Michael Matthews taking silver and Mathieu van der Poel bronze.
For spectators, that uncertainty made compelling viewing.
Ireland Had Plenty to Celebrate
From an Irish perspective, this wasn't simply a World Championship where we watched the biggest international names battle for the rainbow jersey.
Ireland helped shape the race.
Ben Healy once again demonstrated that he belongs at the front of the world's biggest races.
He wasn't interested in simply following wheels and hoping for a result. He attacked, tried to bridge across the gaps and continued looking for opportunities as the race entered its decisive phase.
He eventually finished 10th in the world, another major championship result for the Irishman.
But Healy wasn't Ireland's only standout performer.
What a Ride From Jamie Meehan
One of the stories Irish cycling should be particularly proud of was the performance of Jamie Meehan.
The 23-year-old Donegal rider was making his Elite World Championship road race debut — and he certainly didn't hide in the bunch.
Meehan made the early breakaway and spent approximately 160 kilometres at the front of the World Championship.
As the kilometres accumulated and the original break began to fragment, Meehan kept fighting.
He eventually became one of the final four survivors from the breakaway before the favourites finally brought them back.
For a young Irish rider making his first appearance at an Elite World Championship, it was an outstanding display of courage and commitment.
Getting into a World Championship breakaway is one thing.
Remaining competitive at the front for around 160 kilometres while some of the best riders in the world are chasing behind is something else entirely.
Meehan deserves enormous credit for the way he represented Ireland.
And when his long day at the front was eventually coming to an end, another Irish jersey was ready to take up the fight.
Jamie Meehan animated the early and middle stages. Ben Healy attacked in the finale.
Ireland didn't simply participate in this World Championship.
Ireland raced it.
So Was It Better Without Pogačar?
For pure racing entertainment, there's certainly an argument that it was.
Pogačar's presence fundamentally changes the tactics of almost every major race he enters.
Teams know what might be coming. Rivals know they cannot afford to give him even a small advantage. And when he launches one of those devastating long-range attacks and establishes a meaningful gap, sometimes the biggest question becomes who will finish second.
Montréal was different.
There wasn't one rider everyone was watching.
There wasn't one obvious wheel everyone needed to follow.
And there wasn't a point 50 or 60 kilometres from the finish when viewers could confidently say the World Championship was decided.
Instead we had attacks, counterattacks, tactical gambles, changing alliances and uncertainty.
That's bike racing.
But Cycling Is Better With Pogačar Too
There is another side to the argument.
Watching an exceptional athlete dominate at the peak of his powers is part of what makes sport fascinating.
Years from now, cycling fans may look back at this period and realise just how extraordinary some of Pogačar's performances were.
His presence also forces everyone else to take risks.
So perhaps the answer isn't that professional cycling is better without Pogačar.
It's that Sunday's race reminded us how exciting professional cycling can be when nobody knows what's going to happen next.
And perhaps having the occasional major championship where the biggest favourite isn't standing on the start line isn't such a bad thing.
Because Montréal gave us a proper bike race.
An unpredictable winner.
Attacks from some of the biggest names in cycling.
And, importantly for Irish cycling fans, two Irish riders who weren't afraid to get involved.
Ben Healy finished 10th in the world.
Jamie Meehan spent around 160 kilometres on the attack on his Elite Worlds debut.
Two very different performances.
Both worthy of recognition.
And both part of what made the 2026 World Championship such an entertaining race.
| Pos. | Rider | Nation | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Brandon McNulty | 🇺🇸 USA | 6:17:04 |
| 🥈 2 | Michael Matthews | 🇦🇺 Australia | +13 sec |
| 🥉 3 | Mathieu van der Poel | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | +13 sec |
| 4 | Quinn Simmons | 🇺🇸 USA | +13 sec |
| 5 | Isaac del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico | +14 sec |
| 6 | Mads Pedersen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | +14 sec |
| 7 | Tom Pidcock | 🇬🇧 Great Britain | +14 sec |
| 8 | Matteo Jorgenson | 🇺🇸 USA | +14 sec |
| 9 | Giulio Ciccone | 🇮🇹 Italy | +14 sec |
| 10 | Ben Healy | 🇮🇪 Ireland | +14 sec |
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