The men’s elite road race was held on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Montréal, Canada, marking the final race of the 2026 World Cycling Championships.
A total of 184 riders started the 273.4-kilometre race, which featured 12 laps around the streets of Montréal. No Rwandan rider took part, as Rwanda did not have a rider eligible for this category.
Only 58 riders completed the race, as the rest dropped out one by one as the demanding course took its toll.
With 35 kilometres remaining, McNulty, representing the United States, broke away from the leading group and built a gap of between 30 seconds and one minute.
Mathieu van der Poel, Isaac del Toro, Tom Pidcock, Mads Pedersen and Remco Evenepoel increased the pressure behind him, while McNulty’s American teammates Quinn Simmons and Matteo Jorgenson stayed close to support him and protect his lead until the finish.
McNulty completed the race in six hours, 17 minutes and four seconds, finishing ahead of Michael Matthews in second and Mathieu van der Poel in third.
The 28-year-old McNulty, who described his victory as “a miracle,” made history as the first American in 33 years to win the elite men’s world road race title. The last American to achieve the feat was Lance Armstrong.
The rainbow jersey had been held by Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who won the 2025 World Championships in Rwanda, when Kigali became the first African city to host the event. Pogačar missed this year’s championship after suffering an injury during La Vuelta.
McNulty had previously won the World Championship title in the junior category in 2016, an early indication of his potential to make history at the elite level.
His victory brings another World Championship gold medal to the United States, after Barry Ashlin also won the 2026 U23 World Road Cycling Championship.
