Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships, to be held in Montreal, Canada, are less than two weeks away. The men's Elite race, scheduled for Sunday, September 27, is particularly open to the odds, especially after Tadej Pogačar's withdrawal. The Slovenian, winner of the last two World Championships, will be forced to miss the event due to the serious injury he suffered at the Vuelta a España.
The absence of the defending champion leaves room for several contenders. Among the pre-race favorites is undoubtedly Remco Evenepoel, already capable of winning the 2022 world title and coming off a second-place finish last year in Kigali. The Belgian also boasts numerous world championship wins in time trials. Belgium will also have Wout van Aert available, another key contender for medals.
There are numerous national teams that can aspire to a prestigious result.
Denmark will rely on Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose, while the Netherlands will field Mathieu van der Poel. Spain will count on Juan Ayuso and recent Vuelta winner Enric Mas. Ireland will have Ben Healy, while the United States will rely on Quinn Simmons and Brandon McNulty. Also worth keeping an eye on are Great Britain, with Tom Pidcock and Simon Yates at the start, and Mexico, represented by Isaac Del Toro.
France, on the other hand, is looking above all at the young Paul Seixas, third at the 2025 European Championships and fourth in the last Tour de France.
Italy will be the outsider. The Azzurri will try to enter the battle for the top spots with Lorenzo Mark Finn, the reigning Under-23 World Champion and one of the most promising young players on the Italian team. He will be joined by Giulio Pellizzari and Giulio Ciccone, ready to play a key role in the Canadian event. The Azzurri squad includes: Alberto Bettiol, Giulio Ciccone, Mattia Cattaneo, Lorenzo Mark Finn, Christian Scaroni, Giulio Pellizzari, Davide Piganzoli, and Matteo Trentin.
sport
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