Brandon McNulty of the United States won the men’s elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, surviving a frantic finale to claim the rainbow jersey. Michael Matthews of Australia took second and Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands finished third after a race that stayed in doubt until the final metres. The victory ended a drought of more than three decades for American men in the event.
McNulty made his decisive move from a small leading group on the demanding Mont-Royal circuit, which forced the riders up a steep climb on every lap. He built an advantage of more than a minute and looked set for a comfortable win, but the gap began to fall away as the finish neared. On the final lap his lead had shrunk to around ten seconds, and for a time the outcome hung in the balance.
Behind him the chase was disorganised at the crucial moment. Riders who might have combined to reel McNulty in instead hesitated, each reluctant to do the work that would help the others sprint for the title. That indecision proved costly. McNulty steadied himself, held his rhythm on the closing kilometres and reached the line before the pursuers could organise a coherent effort to catch him.
The British rider Tom Pidcock was among the most active in pursuit, recovering from an earlier crash to become the main threat to the leader. He attacked repeatedly on the final circuits, at one point closing to within touching distance, but could not bridge the last few seconds. Others in the mix included Remco Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro and van der Poel, a group that produced one of the more open finishes in recent championships.
For the United States, the win marked a notable moment in a discipline long dominated by European nations. American men had gone without a road race world title for 33 years, and McNulty’s ride offered a boost to the country’s standing in professional cycling. The result also rewarded an aggressive tactic, with the winner gambling on a long solo effort rather than waiting for a sprint he might not have won.
