The Belgian is chasing his fourth consecutive world title in the individual time trial, something no rider has managed before. Rogers and Martin each put together three consecutive TT world TT dubs, but a fourth has remained out of reach.

Evenepoel enters the race as the defending champion after a dominant performance in Kigali last year. He covered the 40.6-km course in 49:46, finishing 1:15 ahead of Australia’s Jay Vine and 2:36 ahead of teammate Ilan Van Wilder. Tadej Pogačar was fourth, just two seconds outside the medals. As we all know, there will be no Pogi this year. (Sigh.)

Can Evenepoel make history?

Evenepoel’s three consecutive titles came in 2023, 2024 and 2025, following Tobias Foss’s win in 2022. Before that, Filippo Ganna took the rainbow jersey in 2020 and 2021. The TT began as a standalone event relatively recently—1994.

British ace Chris Boardman won the inaugural event, but since then, no one has won four in a row. Evenepoel is chasing a fourth straight world time-trial title, and he has to be considered the odds-on favourite. He looked sharp when he won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.

The Canucks

Canadians-wise, Oakville, Ont.’s Michael Leonard will ride, joined by Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides, Que.’s Nick Zukowsky. Zuke takes Derek Gee-West’s spot. The Osgoode, Ont. rider broke some ribs in a crash at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday. He’s now skipping the mixed relay and TT, but is hopefully racing the road race at the end of the month.

The women’s race

Over in the women’s race, Marlen Reusser arrives in Montréal as the defending world champion and has to be considered in a similar status as far as favourites go. But the 2026 time trial presents a different test, it should be noted. The 39-km course is largely flat, taking away some of the advantage Reusser can gain on tougher terrain.

Having said that, she absolutely flew at the Chrono de Gatineau, crushing her next opponent by almost a minute. Sure, the competition isn’t quite the same as the worlds, but it’s clear she’s on form.

Zoe Bäckstedt has to be considered one of her chief rivals. The British star has shown some considerable firepower this year. Demi Vollering and Lieke Nooijen also showed their time-trialling form at the Tour de France Femmes, where Reusser smoked the 21-km test.

Other favourites and the Canucks

Lotte Kopecky, Kristen Faulkner or Franziska Koch are among the other riders capable of fighting for the medals. National champ Nadia Gontova from Richmond, B.C., is lining up for Canada—she had a great ride at the recent Chrono de Gatineau, too. She finished fifth and looks like the form is there for the worlds. She’s joined by former national champ Olivia Baril, who’s been showing some signs of the same form that saw her get some big results a few years ago.

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