For the fifth time in the UCI’s 125-year existence, the UCI Road World Championships will take place on the continent of North America, in Canada’s city of Montreal.
In total, there will be 13 different titles awarded across the week, which stretches between 20-27 September, with rainbow jerseys to be won in time trials and road races in the junior, under-23 and elite ranks.
Today (Sunday 20), we have the women’s and men’s elite time trials with the riders tackling a 39.2km course with just 220m of elevation gain. Marlen Reusser and Remco Evenepoel are the big favourites respectively. You can stream the race free on BBC iPlayer (UK) and CBC Gem (Canada).
Below, Cycling Weekly has gathered all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the 2026 UCI Road World Championships wherever you are.
Quick guide to watching the UCI Road World Championships
Can I watch the UCI Road World Championships for free?
Across the globe, fans can watch the UCI Road World Championships for free thanks to broadcasters in their regions and the UCI’s YouTube channel.
The YouTube feed is geo-restricted, so will not be available to residents in countries that already have a TV broadcast deal in place.
In the UK, as outlined above, the BBC is broadcasting the elite events, with free streaming available on BBC iPlayer and linear viewing on BBC Two and BBC Three.
CBC Gem will be showing the home broadcast in Canada with every event available on the streaming platform.
Elsewhere across Europe, France Télévisions (France), RTBF (Belgium), RAI (Italy), RTVE (Spain) and NOS (Netherlands) are a few more of the public broadcasters who will be showing the championships. The full list is available online on page 11 of the the UCI’s technical guide for the event.
Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you’re away from home right now, you’ll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.
How to watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 from anywhere
Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.
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How to watch the UCI Road World Championships in the UK
In the UK, this year’s UCI Road World Championships will be shown live and free on the BBC, the country’s public service broadcaster.
BBC Two will have linear coverage of the Women’s Time Trial while BBC Three will show the Men’s Time Trial and Road Race.
Those wanting to watch all 13 events can do so by subscribing to TNT Sports. TNT Sports is available via HBO Max, with the cheapest package priced at £25.99 a month across a 12-month term.
How to watch the UCI Road World Championships in the USA and Canada
In the US, Flobikes has been granted the broadcast rights for the Road World Championships. Subscriptions for US viewers cost USD$39.99 a month, or USD$155.88 for the year.
The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.
In Canada, you will need CBC Gem (English coverage) or TVA Sports (French coverage) to watch the action from Montreal. All 13 races will be available on the platform.
How to watch the UCI Road World Championships in Australia
Cycling fans in Australia can watch the Road World Championships on the Stan Sport streaming service.
The most basic plan costs AUD$9.99 a month, but viewers will need to have the Stan Sport add-on to watch the Road World Championships, which costs an additional AUD$20 per month.
What to expect at the UCI Road World Championships
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships will mark the event’s 99th edition, the first taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1921.
This year, the event will be held in North America for the fifth time in history, the third time in Canada, and the second time in Montreal. The road races will look familiar to fans of pro cycling, due to the course following much the same route as the WorldTour race GP de Montréal, albeit a lot longer.
The road races are wide open, especially in the absence of defending men’s champion Tadej Pogačar, who crashed out of the Vuelta a España last month. The best women in the world will all be hoping to grab the rainbow bands after last year’s surprise winner in Canada’s Magdeleine Vallieres.
Riders will tackle a lumpy 13.4km circuit around Mount Royal Park, which the women will tackle eight times, the men 12. Unlike the GP Montréal though, which was held last weekend, the Worlds courses have a significant lead-in before beginning the first full lap of Mount Royal. This amounts to around 60km for the women, 112km for the men and will bolster the full course distances to 180km and 273km respectively. The total ascent for both men’s and women’s is significant, with the women climbing 2,570m and the men, 3,808m.
Before the elite races, the 80km Junior Women’s race, which loops the park six times, amasses 1,614m of climbing. There will be no respite, and whoever wins here will have earned it and then some.
The Junior Men’s course is longer again at 134km, racking up 2,690m of climbing over 10 laps. That is replicated by the U23 women’s race, while the U23 men go longer still, with their 13 laps meaning they will have clocked up a thigh-busting 3,497m of vertical ascent.
The Worlds begin with the time trials, with the elite races taking place over the same course and distance on Sunday 20 September. The 39.2km course will see 220m of elevation, so it is pretty much a pure rouleur’s event, although there are some technical elements.
The under-23 and junior events take place mid-week, along with the mixed relay time trial, which is 40.7km with 290m of elevation.
UCI Road World Championships 2026 event schedule
|
Date |
Event |
Time (local) |
Distance |
Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, 20 September |
Women’s elite individual time trial |
09:00 – 11:20 |
39.2km |
220m |
|
Sunday, 20 September |
Men’s elite individual time trial |
12:45 – 15:15 |
39.2km |
220m |
|
Monday, 21 September |
Women’s U23 individual time trial |
09:00 – 10:40 |
20.3km |
145m |
|
Monday, 21 September |
Men’s U23 individual time trial |
12:00 – 14:25 |
31.3km |
197m |
|
Tuesday, 22 September |
Team time trial mixed relay |
08:30 – 11:15 |
40.6km |
290m |
|
Tuesday, 22 September |
Men’s junior individual time trial |
12:15 – 14:25 |
10.7km |
91m |
|
Tuesday, 22 September |
Women’s junior individual time trial |
15:15 – 16:45 |
10.7km |
91m |
|
Thursday, 24 September |
Women’s U23 road race |
09:00 – 12:45 |
134km |
2,690m |
|
Thursday, 24 September |
Men’s junior road race |
13:30 – 17:00 |
134km |
2,690m |
|
Friday, 25 September |
Men’s U23 road race |
09:00 – 13:20 |
174km |
197m |
|
Friday, 25 September |
Women’s junior road race |
14:15 – 16:35 |
80.4km |
1,614m |
|
Saturday, 26 September |
Women’s elite road race |
09:00 – 14:10 |
180.4km |
2,570m |
|
Sunday, 27 September |
Men’s elite road race |
09:00 – 15:40 |
273.7km |
3,808m |
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