The Montreal World Championships circuit is perfect for Tom Pidcock, and he knows it better than anyone

Two races, two different disciplines. Two wins. Tom Pidcock has had an ideal preparation for the upcoming road cycling World Championships so far. The GP Montréal on September 13 is next on his agenda, which takes place on a circuit that has been specifically redesigned to mirror the World Championships course. So not only does the course suit Pidcock's particular skillset, he will benefit from a full dress rehearsal two weeks before the big day.

The men's elite road race on September 27 will cover 273.7 kilometres with 3,803 metres of elevation gain, featuring 12 laps of a 13.4-kilometre circuit around Mount Royal, according to TOUR Magazine.

Three climbs define each lap: the Côte Camillien-Houde (1.8 km at 8%), the Côte de Polytechnique (780 m at 6%), with sections featuring gradients of over 11 percent, and the punchy Pagnuelo (535 m at 7.5%). The finish line is on Avenue du Parc.

That kind of repeated, explosive climbing has increasingly favoured a specific type of rider. As ProCyclingUK noted in their route analysis, the Montreal course demands "an elite climber with one-day racing explosiveness."

Recent GP Montréal winners illustrate the point: Pogačar won in 2022 and 2024, Adam Yates in 2023, and Brandon McNulty in 2025. That is four consecutive victories for riders whose primary strength is climbing, all from UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Pidcock fits that profile almost exactly. A rider who has won Amstel Gold Race and Strade Bianche thrives on exactly the punchy, aggressive terrain Montreal presents. His solo win at the GP Industria, where he attacked on the Mungherino climb and powered clear inside the final thirteen kilometres, was another demonstration of the kind of damage he can do when a hilly course plays to his strengths.

This win propelled Pidcock from 'honorary mention' to 4th favourite in Velo's updated World Championships favourites ranking.

What makes Pidcock's position particularly interesting is not just the course profile, but the schedule. The 2026 GP Montréal has been revised to serve as a dress rehearsal for the World Championships.

Organisers extended the traditional 12.3-kilometre loop to 13.4 kilometres, adding an urban section through Avenue du Mont-Royal Ouest, Rue Saint-Urbain, and Avenue des Pins Ouest while making the circuit virtually identical to the one that will decide the rainbow jersey.

GP Cyclistes general manager Joseph Limare described the result as "a circuit more conducive to tactical surprises," according to Canadian Cycling Magazine.

Pidcock announced that he will race GP Québec on September 11 and GP Montréal on September 13 and then stay in Canada through to the World Championships. About as full a competitive reconnaissance as it's possible to get, without moving to Canada.

On a course that will be crucial climb after crucial climb, just like Glasgow in 2023, time spent on the circuit at WorldTour intensity will be invaluable.

After his GP Industria victory, Pidcock admitted he was surprised by how quickly his road form returned. "Normally, after mountain biking, I take some time to find my road legs again," he said.

The fact that his legs 'didn't feel too bad after all', just one week after his MTB world title win, puts Pidcock on many team's watch list. Possibly the only downside to such a great summer, as before he might've got away with slipping under the radar.

The rider who was supposed to be the overwhelming favourite will not be on the start line. UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed on Saturday that Tadej Pogačar will not race again in 2026 after his crash at the Vuelta a España.

The Slovenian will not defend his World Championship title, not contest the European Championships in his home country, and not go for a record 6th Il Lombardia. Pogačar had been the overwhelming favourite for all of these races, equaling Peter Sagan's three consecutive rainbow jersey record.

His absence is particularly significant on this course. Pogačar's dominant solo victory at GP Montréal in 2024 remains one of the clearest demonstrations of how the race can be controlled by an exceptional climber.

No rider in history has won both the road and MTB world championships in the same year, but Pidcock is in a position to try. but he does have an eye on one rider in particular, one he's faced (and beaten) many times.

"I think he's stronger than me on the road," he said of Mathieu van der Poel after his MTB world title win. "But I want to win a world championship there one day."

Montreal, with its punchy repeated climbs and a course Pidcock will know inside out by the time the rainbow jersey is on the line, could be exactly where he gets his chance.