Belgian Remco Evenepoel won a record-tying fourth world title in the time trial and became the first cyclist to win four in a row.
Evenepoel covered the flat 24-mile course in Montreal on Sunday in 44 minutes, 53.13 seconds, distancing two-time world champion Filippo Ganna of Italy by 57.31 seconds.
France’s Paul Seixas took bronze, two months after finishing fourth in his debut Tour de France at age 19. Seixas edged American Brandon McNulty by 12 seconds for bronze on Sunday.
Evenepoel, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist in the time trial and road race, became the fourth cyclist to win a fourth world title in the time trial after Frenchwoman Jeannie Longo, Swiss Fabian Cancellara and German Tony Martin.
Sunday’s event lacked five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, who sustained season-ending injuries in a Vuelta a Espana crash on Aug. 29.
Pogacar won the last two world titles in the road race, but he has yet to make a podium in the time trial.
The time trial was first held at worlds in 1994.
Swiss Marlen Reusser repeated as women’s champion, covering the 24-mile course in 50:24.44 to prevail by a whopping 40 seconds over Brit Zoe Backstedt.
In 2025, Reusser won by 52 seconds on a 19-mile course in Rwanda.
The 36-year-old Reusser also won time trial silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
The top American woman on Sunday was Taylor Knibb, who took 13th place, eight days after winning a world title in the half Ironman triathlon. Knibb is set to race the full Ironman Kona World Championship on Oct. 10 in Hawaii.
The road races at worlds are next Saturday (women) and Sunday (men). Evenepoel won the road race in 2022. He is the only man to win Olympic and world titles in both the time trial and road race.
World Road Cycling Championships 2026 Men’s Time Trial Results
Gold: Remco Evenepoel (BEL) -- 44:53.13
Silver: Filippo Ganna (ITA) -- +57.31
Bronze: Paul Seixas (FRA) -- +1:13.04
4. Brandon McNulty (USA) -- +1:25.27
5. Jakob Soderqvist (SWE) -- +1:26.18
6. Isaac del Toro (MEX) -- +1:38.83
7. Stefan Kueng (SUI) -- +1:44.44
8. Kasper Asgreen (DEN) -- +1:48.54
9. Daan Hoole (NED) -- +2:02.21
10. Callum Thornley (GBR) -- +2:02.79
19. Artem Shmidt (USA) -- +2:20.44
World Road Cycling Championships 2026 Women’s Time Trial Results
Gold: Marlen Reusser (SUI) -- 50:24.44
Silver: Zoe Backstedt (GBR) -- +40.11
Bronze: Franziska Koch (GER) -- +45.54
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) -- +50.30
5. Cedrine Kerbaol (FRA) -- +1:10.14
6. Lotte Kopecky (BEL) -- +1:47.63
7. Antonia Niedermaier (GER) -- +1:49.54
8. Demi Vollering (NED) -- +1:49.94
9. Dominika Wlodarczyk (POL) -- +1:59.08
10. Vittoria Guazzini (ITA) -- +2:05.37
13. Taylor Knibb (USA) -- +2:18.91
21. Kristen Faulkner (USA) -- +3:40.97
