Montreal is ready to add a new chapter to its storied sporting history. Fifty-two years after hosting the 1974 UCI Road World Championships—the first time the event had been held outside Europe—Québec’s metropolis will once again be in the spotlight as the global capital of cycling.
Photo: @Eric G. Gagnon
This exceptional week-long competition, the Montréal 2026 UCI Road World Championships is the biggest international sporting event to be presented in the city since the 1976 Summer Olympics.
From September 20 to 27, Montreal will welcome more than 1,000 athletes from nearly 80 countries to the planet’s most prestigious annual cycling competition. With TV broadcasts to some 140 countries, the Montréal 2026 UCI Road Worlds will reach an estimated 200 million viewers worldwide, with around 500,000 spectators lining the race courses in person, 1,500 volunteers contributing, and some 800 media representatives attending.
A CYCLING CITY IN THE GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT
Awarded the prestigious UCI Bike City label by the UCI, Montreal boasts a cycle path network extending over 1,065 kilometres and is renowned as one of North America’s most bike-friendly cities.
Photo: @Eric G. Gagnon
For eight days in September, the biggest names in international cycling will race on spectacular courses showcasing some of Greater Montreal’s most iconic sites, including Mount Royal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve F1 racetrack, the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge and several municipalities in the Montérégie.
Fans will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the competitions, free of charge, thrilling to the action just metres away from the planet’s top athletes and enjoying a festive, inclusive and family-friendly atmosphere.
“As we celebrate fifty years since the 1976 Olympic Games, Montreal is ready to host the UCI Road World Championships, which promise to be another defining moment in our city’s history. We are immensely proud to be opening our roads and our hearts to the world’s cycling élite,” said Christine Black, Vice-Chair of the City of Montréal Executive Committee and member responsible for families, senior citizens, youth, sports and recreation.
Beyond the competitions themselves, the UCI Road World Championships present a unique opportunity to promote Montreal, Québec and Canada to international audiences, on an unprecedented scale.
September 20 – 27 2026
For more information, visit: www.montreal2026.org