2026 World Time Trial Championships Elite Men Preview | Evenepoel and Ganna, but can anyone else win the rainbow bands?

Monday, 14 September 2026 at 18:44

remco evenepoel filippo ganna edoardo affini

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Sunday, September 22 is the big day: the start of the 2026 World Cycling Championships in Montreal, Canada. On the first day, we’ll get two races for the price of one, as the world time trial championships for both women and men are on the schedule. In this article, IDL Pro Cycling takes an in-depth look ahead at the World Championships for the elite men’s category!

Who has won the World Time Trial Championship in recent years? Remco Evenepoel, Remco Evenepoel, and… Remco Evenepoel! The Belgian is aiming for his fourth consecutive title —and his first double—in Canada. Before the start of the GP Quebec, however, he already knew: if I want to win the double, I have to win the time trial first.

In 2022, with Tobias Foss as the winner in Wollongong, we saw that a surprise winner is possible even at a distant location. Evenepoel will also remember that day well, as the “Who? Foss?” meme—complete with the accompanying surprised face—was born Down Under. Filippo Ganna won the World Time Trial Championship for the last time five years ago, in Bruges.

Recent Winners of the Men's World Time Trial Championships

2025 Remco Evenepoel
2024 Remco Evenepoel
2023 Remco Evenepoel
2022 Tobias Foss
2021 Filippo Ganna
2020 Filippo Ganna
2019 Rohan Dennis
2018 Rohan Dennis
2017 Tom Dumoulin
2016 Tony Martin

2026 Men's Time Trial World Championships: route, weather, and times

The World Time Trial Championship on Sunday, September 22, will serve as the opener of the World Cycling Championships in Montreal, Canada. While we mainly know this city for the GP Montreal in the world of cycling, the time trial there is nothing like that.

Based on the men’s WorldTour race, one might assume it’s a city with quite a bit of elevation, but in reality, that’s true for only a very small portion of the course.

Read more below the photo!

We’ll see that part during the road races, but the time trials will be held in a different part of the city. We’ll start on Avenue du Parc, which is also where all the road races finish. Then we’ll head straight for the St. Lawrence River, the flowing heart of Montreal, to ride parallel to the river and eventually cross it.

You also have to cross there to reach the Montreal Formula 1 circuit (Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve), which is located on Île Notre-Dame. Fun fact: this circuit is car-free for most of the year and is actually used by many locals for recreational sports.

After a lap around the racetrack, we slowly make our way back to the start and finish line, which takes us along roads through the Port of Montreal and the historic city center, known as Vieux-Montréal. We’ll finish at Mont Royal Park, but we’ll skip those hills for now.

However, just like in the road race, the final 500 meters climb at a gradient of about 4 percent, which can be quite tough after cycling for 39 kilometers. The total elevation gain is just over 200 meters.

Weather report

With temperatures around 17 degrees Celsius on this Canadian morning, it doesn’t look like it will get too hot in Montreal on Sunday. However, it will remain dry for now, and the wind for the men’s race could pick up a bit from the northwest.

Important times

Start: 12:45 p.m local time (5:45 p.m GMT)

Finish: 3:15 p.m local time (8:15 p.m GMT)

Favourites for the 2026 Men's World Time Trial Championships

Remco Evenepoel could become world time trial champion for the fourth consecutive year, and that’s a goal the Belgian is more than eager to achieve. He remained undefeated in his rainbow jersey last year, so he’ll once again be the clear favorite when he takes the start in Montreal on Sunday.

The main rival is Filippo Ganna, a time trial specialist. The Italian sat out last year’s grueling World Championships in Rwanda, but he’s back in the mix in Canada. In both 2023 (Stirling) and 2024 (Zurich), Ganna finished second behind Evenepoel, and he’d now like to turn the tables once again.

Before we move on to who will be there, we should also take a moment to consider who we won’t be seeing in Canada. Joshua Tarling does not appear to be competing for Great Britain, while Jay Vine—last year’s silver medalist—has had to abandon his main goal of the year due to illness.

Edoardo Affini—who won silver in 2024—and Evenepoel’s compatriot Ilan Van Wilder—bronze medalist in Kigali—will also not be competing because they are not in top form. Also missing from last year’s top ten are Tadej Pogacar, Luke Plapp, and the Dutch rider Thymen Arensman, who did not receive permission from his team.

Read more below the photo

Ganna, Evenepoel, and Affini, who was not present.

Can anyone beat Evenepoel at the World Championships?

All right, let’s move on. Stefan Küng isone of those reliable stalwarts you can always count on, and that won’t change in 2026. The Swiss rider recently won the final time trial at the Vuelta a España, where the young British riders Callum Thornley (Stage 21) and Ethan Hayter (Stage 1) also came close to time trial success.

From other perspectives, all eyes are on the top two finishers from the Montreal Grand Prix, Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas. However, neither rider seems to have found a course that suits them perfectly, as it’s more suited to the pace-setters. Brandon McNulty, on the other hand, is the kind of rider who can handle both.

Daan Hoole will be representing the Netherlands, where Alec Segaert and Rune Herregodts will line up alongside Evenepoel for the time trial. They are among the select group of riders who can finish in the top ten and, on a good day, make it into the top five.

Also on the list are ZLM Tour winner Mathias Vacek (Czech Republic), Mikkel Bjerg, Kasper Asgreen (Denmark), Max Walscheid (Germany), Bruno Armirail (France), Andreas Leknessund, Tobias Foss (Norway), Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland), Nelson Oliveira (Portugal), Pablo Castrillo, Ivan Romeo (Spain), Jakob Soderqvist (Sweden), and local rider Derek Gee-West.

IDL Pro Cycling top picks for the 2026 Men's World Time Trial Championship?

Top Favorite: Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)
Dark horses: Filippo Ganna (Italy), Stefan Küng (Switzerland), and Ethan Hayter (Great Britain)
Long shots: Mathias Vacek (Czech Republic), Daan Hoole (Netherlands), Callum Thornley (Great Britain), Brandon McNulty (United States), Isaac del Toro (Mexico), and Paul Seixas (France)

How to watch the 2026 Men's Time Trial World Championships on T

The World Championships time trial for elite men will be broadcast on Sunday after the women’s race, starting at 5:45 p.m GMT, on TNT Cycling (HBO Max) in the UK and Europe and on FloBikes in North America.

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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor

David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.

David Bavin-Hobbs | LinkedIn | Email

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