From the Vuelta to the World Championships: Kevin Vermaerke dreams of a first US Elite Men’s win since Lance Armstrong
CyclingTuesday, 08 September 2026 at 23:15
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Follow us on GoogleAt the start of the Vuelta a España, Kevin Vermaerke's job had nothing to do with his own result. He was there to protect Tadej Pogačar, and he did it carrying an injury nobody was supposed to know about.
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The secret came out by accident. On stage seven to Aramón Valdelinares, a TV motorbike caught Vermaerke taking a bidon from the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car and picked up his voice: "It's OK. I have a crack in my rib, so it hurts." The clip went viral within hours.
Vermaerke had to adapt at the Vuelta
Vermaerke played it down straight away. "It's not anything that affects me on the bike, so it was just a joke I had with the car," he said. There was no self-pity in how he framed the stages ahead, either: "I would like it to be a rest day, but at the end of the day, we still have to ride 175km, and it's never an easy day here," he told Cycling News.
His leader's race ended the very next day. Pogačar crashed on stage eight and abandoned with a concussion, a displaced fracture to his left clavicle and a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra in his neck. Vermaerke's role changed overnight.
With no team leader left to protect, he started riding for himself, and his form kept climbing. He infiltrated breakaways in the final week and fought for stage wins on both stage 13 and stage 14.
That improving form is exactly what he's carrying into the World Championships in Montréal on September 27. And this year, for the first time in a long time, the absence of Pogačar gives the US men a real chance to win a race that's eluded them for 33 years.
Vermaerke: ‘we have eight guys that are all really strong'
"I think it gives the US probably our best shot at a win since Lance won in '93," Vermaerke said. "I mean, we have eight guys that are all really strong, and all have a job to contribute."
Since Lance Armstrong's world title in 1993, American riders have featured in the top ten only six times: Chann McRae in 1999 and 2000, Chris Horner in 2004, Tyler Farrar in 2011, Neilson Powless in 2021, and Quinn Simmons two years ago. Thirty-three years is a long wait for a nation with this much depth on paper.
That depth is the point. USA Cycling's eight-man team for Montréal features Vermaerke alongside Simmons, Powless, Brandon McNulty, Matteo Jorgenson, Larry Warbasse, Artem Schmidt and Sean Quinn.
This mix of climbers, puncheurs and time trial engines give the Americans a well balanced team threat. McNulty arrives as defending champion of the GP Cycliste de Montréal, raced the Sunday before the road race, adding another layer of form and confidence to the group.
Quinn Simmons will lead the US team in Montreal.
The widest of wide open World Championships for years
Pogačar's absence doesn't hand the rainbow jersey to anyone, though. Vermaerke is clear-eyed about who's left to beat. "Without Tadej, you have, let's say Isaac [Del Toro], Remco [Evenepoel], and Paul Seixas, and those three are a little bit better than everybody else," he said.
And the list of contenders doesn’t end there. Van Aert is on fire at the Vuelta, Van der Poel is a former champion and Tom Pidcock is in stellar form after winning the MTB World Championships.
But Vermaerke and the American team have a plan: "For us, it'll be a case of maybe trying to get ahead of the race and then coming to a situation where we're in the last 50k and we have multiple riders," Vermaerke explained.
Read more below the video!
Will Kevin Vermaerke get his own shot at the Worlds?
Vermaerke has already shown this year he can withstand pain in theservice of someone else. But long after his leader had left the Vuelta a Espana, the young American had been battling the Spanish heat in the breakaway. On Tuesday’s stage 16, Vermaerke was given the most combative rider award.
At the World Championships, Vermaerke will likely be working for his team leader, Quinn Simmons. But in a race with no radios, the best laid plans can famously go awry.
If the chance presents itself in Montreal on Sunday September 27, it might just be Kevin Vermaerke who becomes the next American to put his name next Lance Armstrong’s.
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.
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Latest Comments
- - Small nit: you list Paul Seixas as a top favorite—do you mean someone else? Remco yes, Van Aert yes, Pidcock scary with MTB punch, and MVDP is… well, MVDP. But I need clarity on Seixas, por favor.davidm08-09-2026
- - That rib quote going viral might’ve helped him—took pressure off and he just raced instinctive. Give him a leash Sunday and he could solo from 3–4km if the favourites cage each other. Vamos Kevin! (y también, mucha fuerza para Pogacar)sprocketspiny08-09-2026
- - Tough break for Tadej. But saying it’s the USA’s “best shot since Lance in ’93” feels a bit much—what about Kuss-level depth vibes post-Vuelta last year? Still, love the plan to get ahead of the race. Execution will be everything on those Montréal laps.jennifer1908-09-2026
- - Wait, is the Worlds road race really in Montréal on September 27? Thought the Worlds usually rotate continents and are in October some years. Also, no race radios—how do they actually coordinate attacks then?pedalpowe2908-09-2026
- - Brilliant read. Vermaerke’s engine has been humming since those late Vuelta breakaways—Stage 13/14 moves weren’t flukes. If McNulty brings Montréal legs and Jorgenson/Powless mark the big three (Remco/Del Toro/Seixas), the US can play the numbers late.cadencekingm08-09-2026
- - Felix Gall getting slept on again. If Gall attacks on the final mountain stage post-TT and Mas hesitates, gaps can open fast. Still, credit where due—Movistar are controlling every mountain day like it’scadencekingm07-09-2026
- - Not buying the “I’m not worried” line. He’s never beaten Roglič in a TT, and that stat is brutal. Article could’ve dug into aero gains, pacing splits, or wind forecasts instead of repeating history. Feels a bit surface-level.gearguru3307-09-2026
- - Does anyone know what wheels/TT setup Mas used last time he faced Roglič in a similar distance? Would the team switch to a slightly higher cadence strategy to keep him from blowing up late? Curious how much that can claw back.jeremya07-09-2026
- - Great read, but are we sure the TT gap will be “often one and a half minutes” over 30k? Course profile matters loads—if it’s rolling with crosswinds, Mas can survive. Roglič is lethal, sí, pero Mas tiene equipo fuerte hoy. Vamos Enric!jennifer1907-09-2026
- - Mas looks rock solid in red. Movistar have ridden super smart, especially on StageIf he limits losses to under a minute on the ITT, this could be done and dusted.patriciaw07-09-2026
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