Del Toro or Evenepoel, Vollering or Niewiadoma? We asked AI who’s going to win Worlds; here’s what it came up with - plus our own predictions
With Pogačar out and Montréal’s circuits promising a showdown, even AI went against bookmakers' odds
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships are underway in Montréal, and the elite road races are bringing a lot of uncertainty. Tadej Pogačar, the top-ranked male rider, is not expected to contest the men's race. Predictions are varied, with various experts and AI providing their insights.
For the women's elite road race, AI has favored Demi Vollering, citing her strong Grand Tour results and dominance throughout the spring. The Canadian-based AI also considered Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini as strong contenders. However, the race is expected to be fierce with Vollering facing off against Niewiadoma and Borghini on a grueling 180.4km course with 2,570 meters of climbing.
In the men's elite road race, Isaac del Toro has been favored by AI due to his victory in the GP de Montréal earlier this month. Despite the UAE team's support generally surrounding him, AI predicts he has a chance to perform well without it. Remco Evenepoel is also a strong favorite, with bookmakers predicting a win for him. However, AI argues that the Belgian rider faces challenges with national-team support, as competition teammate Wout van Aert could provide a tough alternative.
Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
