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Road cyclist Isabella Holmgren of Orillia, Ont., narrowly missed winning a world championship gold medal, falling short and grabbing silver in a photo finish in the women’s under-23 race on Thursday for Canada’s first podium finish this week in Montreal.
She reached the finish after 134 kilometres and 2,960 metres of climbing in three hours, 52 minutes 50 seconds, losing to Viktoria Chladonova of Slovakia.
Fleur Moors of Belgium earned the bronze medal (3:49:43).
Holmgren, 21, is Canada’s first medallist at these worlds, which began on Sunday, and its first in the discipline at road worlds.
“I was happy that the race was getting harder, and when I saw that Vicky went I knew that I had to follow because she is a strong rider,” said Holmgren, who competed in mountain biking at the 2024 Paris Olympics. “The three of us working together was really good, so it was a strong group and I knew I needed to be there.”
WATCH | Isabella Holmgren takes silver in tightly contested women’s road race:
Canada’s Isabella Holmgren rides to world championship silver in women’s under 23 road race
Isabella Holmgren of Orillia, Ont., won the silver medal in the women’s under 23 road race, at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal.
Holmgren’s performance capped an outstanding effort by the Canadian contingent, which displayed fantastic teamwork and used their strength to protect Holmgren and culling the peloton down to a select group early on.
Sidney Swierenga of Vancouver was eighth of 64 finishers (3:50:26) while Ava Holmgren, Isabella’s twin sister, was 15th (3:52:50). Also representing Canada were Alexandra Volstad of Calgary (52nd, 4:00:08) and Kiara Lylyk of Guelph, Ont. (63rd, 4:06:26).
The UCI Road Cycling World Championships is one of the only professional road cycling races outside of the Olympic Games where athletes line up for their nations instead of their professional teams.
WATCH | Isabella Holmgren ‘grateful’ to have appreciative home crowd:
Isabella Holmgren wins ‘so special’ world championship silver medal on home soil
Isabella Holmgren of Orillia, Ont., reacts after winning a silver medal in the women’s under 23 road race, at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal.
The event features 1,000 athletes from more than 75 countries. CBC Sports and CBC Gem has full coverage of the event.
Competition continues through Sunday in Montreal, which last hosted the world championships in 1974. It was the first time the event was held outside Europe.
This year’s event is part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
WATCH | Full replay coverage of women’s U23 road race from Montreal:
2026 UCI Road World Championships: Women under 23 road race
Watch top cyclists compete in the women’s under 23 road race, at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal.