MONTRÉAL TO HOST THE 2026 UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Montréal, September 22, 2022 – At its Congress held today in conjunction with the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) awarded the 2026 UCI Road World Championships to the city of Montréal. The event will be organized by the promoter of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, with support from Cycling Canada.

In 1974, the first-ever edition of the UCI Road World Championships presented outside Europe took place on the now legendary Mount Royal circuit, with Belgium’s Eddy Merckx and France’s Geneviève Gambillon crowned as the Men’s and Women’s Road World Champions. Fifty-two years later, the event will return to Montréal, from September 20 to 27, 2026, just one week after the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM), the first and still the only events on the UCI WorldTour presented in the Americas. Québec, Canada will therefore be the focus of the global cycling community for three 100%-cycling weeks.

As one the biggest sporting events on the planet, the UCI Road World Championships represent an exceptional opportunity in terms of economic, social and tourism benefits as well as international reach and reputation—all the more so given that this flagship UCI competition, with its iconic rainbow jersey awarded to the winners, will be among the major events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Montréal Summer Olympics.

Hosting the UCI Road World Championships also attests to Montréal’s standing as a cycling destination par excellence and leader in the development of cycling in all its forms.

THE UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BY THE NUMBERS*

• A competition program spread over 8 days.
• A free event for the public.
• 1,000 athletes, men and women, at the Junior, U23 and Elite levels.
• 11 titles defended: 6 time trials and 5 road races.
• More than 75 countries represented.
• More than 5,000 team members, officials, UCI members and guests.
• Holding of the UCI Congress, the organization’s supreme body, with more than 400 representatives from all continents.
• More than 800 accredited media.
• Televised in nearly 150 countries.
• 250 million TV viewers.
• Over half a million spectators expected, more than half of them from outside the region.
• More than $170 million in overall economic activity for the province of Québec and more than $210 million for Canada.**
• More than 1,000 local jobs supported.
• The event will support $54 million in tax revenue value for all of Canada.

The event will be orchestrated by the organizing committee Mondiaux Montréal 2026, in close collaboration with the UCI, assisted by Cycling Canada and the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC), and with financial and technical support from the City of Montréal, the governments of Québec and Canada, and Tourisme Montréal. The capture and production of the international broadcast signal will also be the responsibility of the organizer, which, as demonstrated over the 11 editions of the GPCQM, has all of the local expertise necessary for that major operation.

STATEMENTS

“We are thrilled that the UCI Road World Championships, our annual flagship event, will return to North America, 11 years after the UCI Worlds in Richmond, Virginia, and we are just as pleased that they will be back in Canada, which hosted them in Hamilton in 2003, and in Montréal, 52 years after they were first held in Québec’s largest city. Both the country and the province love cycling, and have proved it every year for more than a decade now at the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM), two races on the UCI WorldTour, the most prestigious men’s road cycling circuit. I have no doubt that this event, thanks to its seasoned organizing committee, which is responsible for the  success of the GPCQM, will be a fantastic showcase for the sport of cycling in North America.”

Mr. David Lappartient, President, UCI

“Montréal is very proud to be the host city of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships. I would like to thank the International Cycling Union for putting its trust in Montréal. Congratulations to our partners who helped convince the international cycling ecosystem to hold this prestigious event in Canada’s number one city for excellence in organizing major events. The administration of Montréal is proud to support this prestigious event with these amazing partners. It will be a great gathering in a city renowned among the best cycling circuits in North America.”

Ms. Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal

“We are extremely grateful to the UCI for entrusting us with the duty of hosting the global cycling community’s representatives and athletes at this event, which will crown the future men’s and women’s UCI Road World Champions. We will deliver an event worthy of its reputation and that will write another page in our city’s great sports history. This gathering promises to be spectacular, unifying and accessible for everyone! Our organization has been presenting the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal for more than 10 years now, in the process making a significant contribution to one of the major objectives of the UCI: the globalization of cycling. By producing the 2026 UCI Road World Championships and acting as host broadcaster for this major gathering, we will take our commitment to the next level and confirm our heritage in the world of sports in Canada.”

Mr. Sébastien Arsenault, President and CEO, Mondiaux Montréal 2026

“We are delighted and very excited to see the UCI Road World Championships return to Canada in 2026. This event along with the UCI World Congress generate significant economic benefits and offer exceptional international visibility. In collaboration with the GPCQM team and all the partners involved, we will deliver a spectacular event that will put our athletes, coaches and officials at the forefront. This will allow us to continue the development of Road Cycling in Canada, and to inspire Canadians to take up cycling in all its forms.”

Mr. Pierre Laflamme, President, Cycling Canada

“I am excited to see that Montréal, one of our great Canadian cities, will host the 2026 UCI Road World Championships. This will be an exciting time for all Canadians and for our Canadian athletes especially, as many cycling fans from around the world will come out to watch and cheer on the participants. I would like to thank all of the partners for the incredible work they have done, reaffirming Montréal’s and Canada’s position as world leaders in cycling. Congratulations to Cycling Canada, Mondiaux Montréal 2026, the Government of Québec and the Ville de Montréal.”

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Government of Canada

“In 2026, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, and thus a half-century of expertise in the organization of sporting events and celebrations in our city. Not to mention, Montréal has been named the top host city in Canada for sports events three times since 2018. The 2026 UCI Road World Championships are thus perfectly in keeping with our desire to ensure that Montréal is and remains a harmonious tourism destination. This event will be organized in line with sustainable, responsible tourism principles.”

Mr. Yves Lalumière, President and CEO, Tourisme Montréal

“Today’s announcement is proof of the importance of cycling in Québec, an acknowledgement of the hard work by the organizers and a testimony to the health of our sport here. These World Championships will also be an outstanding sports showcase for the growth of cycling, with the world’s best athletes competing here and inspiring many generations of cyclists. They will also be an opportunity for many Québec cyclists enjoying international success to show off their talents at home, in front of their families and fans.”

Mr. Claude Pinard, President, FQSC

*References: 

• Bid Guide, UCI Road World Championships
• Economic impact assessment by Sport Tourism Canada (2021) and Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (2021)

The 2019 Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal alone generated $38.1 million in economic impact for Canada. There were nearly 75,000 overnight stays related to the event over two days of racing alone. Source: Sport Tourism Canada Study. Data for the 2022 edition, which concluded just days ago, will be available in a few weeks’ time.