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Brandon McNulty Wins UCI Road World Championship Title in Montreal
American cyclist Brandon McNulty secured a historic victory in the men’s elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal on Sunday. Completing the grueling 273.4-kilometer course in six hours, 17 minutes, and four seconds, McNulty ended a 33-year-long title drought for the United States in the elite men’s division.
A Decisive Attack on the Montreal Circuit
The 28-year-old launched a stunning solo attack with 33 kilometers remaining on the challenging Montreal circuit, quickly building a gap that the fragmented chasing pack struggled to close. Despite a series of relentless counter-attacks from elite rivals like Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel, McNulty maintained his composure and stamina through the closing kilometers.
Crossing the finish line solo, McNulty held off Australia’s Michael Matthews and the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel, who finished 13 seconds behind to take silver and bronze, respectively. Reflecting on his grueling endurance effort, McNulty admitted he doubted his chances until the very end.
“Until the last 300 meters, I really didn’t believe it, I was so tired,” said McNulty. “I knew something could happen, but it would take a miracle. I guess today miracles happen.”
Historic Triumph for American Cycling
With this extraordinary victory, McNulty becomes the first American rider to claim the elite men’s road race world title since Lance Armstrong triumphed in Oslo in 1993. The strong U.S. showing was further bolstered by teammate Quinn Simmons finishing fourth and Matteo Jorgenson placing eighth.
Known primarily for his stellar support work on UAE Team Emirates alongside Tadej Pogačar, McNulty’s familiarity with the city-having won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal previously-proved invaluable as he converted tactical positioning into the biggest one-day victory of his professional career.
Top 10 Men’s Elite Road Race Results
- 1. Brandon McNulty (USA) – 6:17:04
- 2. Michael Matthews (AUS) – +0:13
- 3. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) – +0:13
- 4. Quinn Simmons (USA) – +0:13
- 5. Isaac del Toro (MEX) – +0:14
- 6. Mads Pedersen (DEN) – +0:14
- 7. Tom Pidcock (GBR) – +0:14
- 8. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) – +0:14
- 9. Giulio Ciccone (ITA) – +0:14
- 10. Ben Healy (IRL) – +0:14
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