Pogacar absent; rivals chase title
8m
The men's road race at the World Championships began in Montréal with defending champion Tadej Pogačar absent, opening the title to new contenders, while Slovakia even fielded its masseur.
Maybe Bruno Armirail is setting a very hard pace, but I’m surprised no riders from second-tier country has attacked yet in the circuit. Germany, the UK, Spain, or even Italy will instantly lose most riders once the big boys attack. #Montréal2026
September 27, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Maybe Bruno Armirail is setting a very hard pace, but I’m surprised no riders from second-tier country has attacked yet in the circuit. Germany, the UK, Spain, or even Italy will instantly lose most riders once the big boys attack. #Montréal2026
This was exactly my thought. The other races showed it’s hard to bring back people on this circuit
I’m not saying that the big teams at Worlds should worry about the break, but Andres Leknessund, Vuelta a Espana stage winner, is a big engine. 8+ minutes is quite a bit, and France and Belgium should increase the pace soon for Seixas and Evenepoel
September 27, 2026 at 3:05 PM
This was exactly my thought. The other races showed it’s hard to bring back people on this circuit
I’m not saying that the big teams at Worlds should worry about the break, but Andres Leknessund, Vuelta a Espana stage winner, is a big engine. 8+ minutes is quite a bit, and France and Belgium should increase the pace soon for Seixas and Evenepoel
September 27, 2026 at 3:03 PM
I’m not saying that the big teams at Worlds should worry about the break, but Andres Leknessund, Vuelta a Espana stage winner, is a big engine. 8+ minutes is quite a bit, and France and Belgium should increase the pace soon for Seixas and Evenepoel