Brandon McNulty wins U.S.' first road race world title in 33 years

Brandon McNulty achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first American to win the senior road race title at the World Road Cycling Championships in 33 years. Competing in the 170-mile course in Montreal, McNulty launched his attack with 20 miles remaining, ultimately securing a narrow 13-second victory over Australian Michael Matthews.

Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel claimed the bronze medal in the race. The achievement marks a significant moment for American cycling, following in the footsteps of Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong, who previously held the title in 1983, 1989, and 1993, respectively. Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel, who finished in 12th place, had aimed to become the first male athlete to sweep both the road race and time trial titles in the same year.

Evenepoel had previously secured world titles in both events in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, and narrowly missed a sweep bid in 2025 when Tadej Pogacar, five-time Tour de France champion, prevented the accomplishment. Meanwhile, on the women's side, France's Jeannie Longo and Dutch cyclist Anna van der Breggen previously achieved the feat in 1995 and 2020, respectively.

In Saturday's women's road race, Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering claimed her first world title, adding to her Tour de France and Giro d'Italia victories. Vollering overtook Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney by 8 seconds in the final stretch. The top American female cyclist was 2024 Olympic road race gold medalist Kristen Faulkner, who finished in 21st place.