Road World Championships 2026: GB Squad and Pidcock’s Double Bid
Montreal has already delivered British silver. Now comes the possibility of something rarer. The Road World Championships 2026 have Zoe Bäckstedt on the podium and Tom Pidcock chasing another rainbow jersey, with a bruising weekend still ahead. Before choosing your rider, explore our UK betting sites and welcome offers, then look beyond the headline names: on this course, staying power matters as much as star appeal.
Bäckstedt silver gives Britain an early lift
Bäckstedt finished second in Sunday’s elite women’s individual time trial, behind Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser and ahead of Germany’s Franziska Koch. Stepping into the elite competition has brought an immediate reward.
The opening-day men’s title went to Remco Evenepoel, with Filippo Ganna second and Paul Seixas third. Those results are the starting point for this update, with the age-group programme and both elite road races still to come.
A time-trial medal says plenty about condition, but road racing asks different questions. Positioning, teamwork and responding to attacks will now take over from pacing against the clock.
Remaining Road World Championships schedule
The week builds towards the elite women on Saturday and elite men on Sunday. Times below are scheduled starts in BST, five hours ahead of Montreal.
| Date | Event | UK start |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 21 Sep | Women’s / men’s U23 time trials | 14:00 / 17:00 |
| Tue 22 Sep | Mixed relay | 13:30 |
| Tue 22 Sep | Men’s / women’s junior time trials | 17:15 / 20:15 |
| Thu 24 Sep | Women’s U23 / men’s junior road races | 14:00 / 18:30 |
| Fri 25 Sep | Men’s U23 / women’s junior road races | 14:00 / 19:15 |
| Sat 26 Sep | Women’s elite road race | 14:00 |
| Sun 27 Sep | Men’s elite road race | 14:00 |
Wednesday is a road-race training day. The elite men’s scheduled finishing window runs into Sunday evening in Britain, so this is an afternoon-to-evening viewing commitment.
Great Britain cycling team: the road-race names
Pidcock has experienced climbing support, while Britain’s women have several ways to influence the race.
| Squad | Selected riders |
|---|---|
| Elite men’s road race | Tom Pidcock, Adam Yates, Oscar Onley, Fred Wright, Mark Donovan, James Shaw, Finlay Pickering, Callum Thornley |
| Elite women’s road race | Zoe Bäckstedt, Anna Henderson, Lauren Dickson, Pfeiffer Georgi, Flora Perkins |
| U23 riders to follow | Cat Ferguson, Imogen Wolff, Ben Wiggins, Elliot Rowe |
Ethan Hayter and Anna Morris were selected for the elite time trials. The U23 names above are a shortlist, rather than the complete squad.
Why Pidcock’s historic bid fits Montreal
Pidcock won the elite mountain-bike cross-country world title in Val di Sole on 30 August. Victory here would add the road title in the same calendar year and complete his career collection of elite road, cyclo-cross and mountain-bike world titles, a first for a man. After that mountain-bike victory, he explained:
“The last two laps, I just pushed as hard as I could.”
Montreal will demand patience before any similar acceleration. The men face roughly 274km and 3,800m of climbing, with repeated Mount Royal ascents. The women tackle approximately 180km and 2,570m of climbing. My reading is that Britain should preserve options. Sending every rider into early chasing duties would make Pidcock easier to isolate when the serious moves arrive.
Road World Championships odds: four contenders
The climbing gives this field its character. Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro and Seixas all belong in the conversation alongside Pidcock, with the absent Tadej PogaÄŤar leaving a sizeable opening.
Pidcock is a credible contender, but the historical storyline alone does not make him a value bet. Check the confirmed field, final price and each-way place terms before making that judgement. Compare BetVictor welcome-offer conditions before committing. 18+. Terms apply. Only bet what you can afford to lose.
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