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Brandon McNulty captured the men’s elite road race on the final day of UCI Road World Championships in Montreal.
The 28-year-old made his move with 33 kilometres and never relinquished the lead, finishing with a time of six hours, 17 minutes and four seconds.
McNulty became the first American to win an elite road race world title since Lance Armstrong struck rainbow gold at Oslo in 1993.
“Until the last 300 metres, I really didn’t even believe it. … I was just dying, but I just kept pushing,” said McNulty, who won Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal last season. “I’m at a loss for words.”
Michael Matthews of Australia made a late push to claim silver in a time of 6:17:17, with Matthew van der Poel of the Netherlands earning bronze.
Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., was the top Canadian, finishing 32nd position in a time of 6:23:43.
Michael Woods of Toronto came in 35th with a time of 6:23:52 in his final race, while Nickolas Zukowsky of Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides, Que., posted a time of 6:23:57 to finish 45th.
Fellow Canadians Pier-André Côté, Guillaume Boivin and birthday boy Hugo Houle recorded DNFs.
The Canadian contingent entered without Derek Gee-West, who announced his withdrawal from the race on Tuesday in order to continue recovering from a broken rib sustained at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sept. 13.
French rider Paul Seixas, an ascending 20-year-old who won bronze in the Men Elite Individual Time Trial on Day 1 last Sunday, sustained an apparent injury in the final stretch of the race, falling back to 15th and finishing in a time of 6:19:51.