World Championships Montreal 2026 ***SPOILERS***

[No Ta Doctor]

I'm conflicted about this. I do like it when an underdog wins despite a much better qualified/more famous group chasing (eg Vallieres last year, or any hotly contested breakaway win in a GT, Ali Jackson at Roubaix). However, I don't like it when it appears that fear of losing has become the biggest factor in a race, overriding desire to win, even if that appearance is an unfair summary. (This year's road race, women's Olympic road race). However, I do like it when that happens and someone I want to win takes advantage (S Yates on Finestre).

We were hoping he got caught (USA/UAE), then when it looked like he would be we felt quite sorry for him, then when he wasn't we were annoyed by group 2, then when he was in floods of tears we were quite happy for him. We never thought a Chuckle Brother would win a worlds though, complete shock

 

[wakemalcolm]

I have to admit I cheated by actually working this out. There were four riders who started both

		2026	2013
Matthews Michael	Australia	2	DNF
Kwiatkowski Michał	Poland	50	DNF
Quintana Nairo	Colombia	DNF	DNF
Mollema Bauke	Netherlands	DNF	11

Well done, I'd forgotten about Bling and Kwia

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I've been reading around, educating myself on racing strategy etc, and I have to say that I didn't fully appreciate what a complete job Team USA seemingly did. I say complete but we didn't see a possible final scenario; if McNulty had been caught then Jorgenson would have gone. They basically outgunned everyone else, kept a lid on any chase and rode for each other.

There's a lot of Prisoner's Dilemma going on at the best of times
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma

But when you've got a teammate of the guy you're trying to catch siting on your wheel it's very difficult

That said, bringing him back to 10" feels like they have to finish closing that gap.

 

[wakemalcolm]

We were hoping he got caught (USA/UAE), then when it looked like he would be we felt quite sorry for him, then when he wasn't we were annoyed by group 2, then when he was in floods of tears we were quite happy for him. We never thought a Chuckle Brother would win a worlds though, complete shock

View attachment 823105

Group 2 to me to you?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Group 2 to me to you?

Exactly. Lot of that going on, or not enough, or something.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well done, I'd forgotten about Bling and Kwia

Excel to the rescue

 

[phreak]

Have watched cycling for years and I will never understand a pro rider's logic. I get they want the best possible advantage in the finale, but if you are not in the finale, as you have all sat and watched as the guy up the road cycles off to victory, then it is all a bit pointless. Yesterday really was a bit daft as they had McNulty on the last climb where he was clearly only about 8 or 9 seconds in front and they all decided to just roll through and let him get away again. On a day when it is so attritional, take your chances, even with the likes of VdP in the group as you never know what they have left.

Michael Matthews seems to make a thing of this. He so often comes in as the "best of the rest" in big races but you never once see him in the wind trying to get the break back. Maybe he's okay with being 2nd or 3rd?

 

[mididoctors]

I think this is the strongest GB showing in a men's worlds road race since Cav in 2011?

They were a factor in that race

 

[Pblakeney]

In Montreal last year the anchor on the chase wasn't Jorgenson, it was Pog!

But Pog wasn't an anchor, he was the cheerleader/coach.
Turned out to be perfect practice.

 

[matticus]

Michael Matthews seems to make a thing of this. He so often comes in as the "best of the rest" in big races but you never once see him in the wind trying to get the break back. Maybe he's okay with being 2nd or 3rd?

"so often" = twice; yesterday and 2015 (IIRC)? Not much of a pattern, IMO.
Also his other results hardly make him someone that ought to be beating other World Champions, Pidcock, Healy etc on this kind of course. With his palmares I'd be very pleased with a WC podium (or two!)

 

[phreak]

"so often" = twice; yesterday and 2015 (IIRC)? Not much of a pattern, IMO.
Also his other results hardly make him someone that ought to be beating other World Champions, Pidcock, Healy etc on this kind of course. With his palmares I'd be very pleased with a WC podium (or two!)

Quite a few times in MSR as well. Think he's top 10'd 7 or 8 times. And I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing. He's a Zubeldia-type rider in one day races. Never seen at the front. Seldom animating the race. Usually there or thereabouts nonetheless.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Quite a few times in MSR as well. Think he's top 10'd 7 or 8 times. And I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing. He's a Zubeldia-type rider in one day races. Never seen at the front. Seldom animating the race. Usually there or thereabouts nonetheless.

I had a nosey round his stats on my phone on the train and - classifying a Best of the Rest sprint to be the second group to arrive, found quite a few, then got bored. Whether it's statistically significant ... who knows.

TdF '26 stage 9 https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france/2026/stage-9
3rd BotR behind MVDP/Johanneson/Pidders/Baudin

MSR '25 https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/milano-sanremo/2025/result
Won BotR behind VDP/Ganna/Pog

Amstel Gold '25 https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/amstel-gold-race/2025/result
2nd BotR behind Skjelmose/Pog/Remco

RVV '24 https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/ronde-van-vlaanderen/2024/result
Not quite BotR, but the 3rd group home behind a solo winner behind MVDP and Luca Mozzato. He won the sprint but got relegated

 

[M.R.M]

As will everyone who lets the rider go and sits up when they’re within sight.

Like when walking on the sidewalk and doing the left-right-left-right thing with someone coming from the opposite direction to not bump into them; it's the inverse of that. You close- no, you close - you close - no, you close... 😉😂

Michael Matthews seems to make a thing of this. He so often comes in as the "best of the rest" in big races but you never once see him in the wind trying to get the break back. Maybe he's okay with being 2nd or 3rd?

It's just his specific set of abilities. Not good enough to stay with leaders, good enough to come back in chase group, not good enough to work and sprint, good enough to win the sprint when never working.

In a way, it's the better sprinting version of Mohoric (sans the otherworldly descending). He can't stay with the best, but is good enough to stay in the chasing group, but doesn't have a great sprint, so almost never wins.

Matthews is Valverde with less climbing and more sprinting, but also someone who pretty much guarantees group 2 syndrome.

 

[phreak]

Like when walking on the sidewalk and doing the left-right-left-right thing with someone coming from the opposite direction to not bump into them; it's the inverse of that. You close- no, you close - you close - no, you close... 😉😂

It's just his specific set of abilities. Not good enough to stay with leaders, good enough to come back in chase group, not good enough to work and sprint, good enough to win the sprint when never working.

In a way, it's the better sprinting version of Mohoric (sans the otherworldly descending). He can't stay with the best, but is good enough to stay in the chasing group, but doesn't have a great sprint, so almost never wins.

Matthews is Valverde with less climbing and more sprinting, but also someone who pretty much guarantees group 2 syndrome.

To be fair to Valverde, while his style wouldn't be described as exciting, he did win. A lot. A grand tour, a worlds, 4 monuments, and a heap of other races. He also top 10'd in so many races so was enormously consistent, but he had ways of winning that Matthews doesn't come close to having. I think Valverde actually has the 3rd most top 10 finishes of all time (behind Merckx and Kelly). An incredible 11 top 10s in World Championships, with 7 podiums. I'd say that Valverde was more akin to Sagan. Both top-drawer and super consistent.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Naughty Demi given a 1,000 CHF fine, a yellow card and -25 UCI points for Using a non-compliant position or point of support on the bicycle

https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cyc...fter-world-championships-triumph-in-montreal/

No specific moment in the race, or clarification over what the illegal position was, is detailed in the race communique says the report.