American cyclist Ashlin Barry celebrated his 19th birthday in spectacular fashion after winning the men’s U23 road race title at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada, on Friday. Barry completed the 174.2-kilometre race in 4:17:35 to claim the rainbow jersey after a commanding solo ride in the closing stages. The American launched his decisive attack with 30km remaining, breaking clear of a five-rider group that had earlier escaped the peloton. He maintained his advantage through the final kilometres to cross the finish line first and secure the world title. The race was contested over 13 laps of a 13.4km circuit. Barry said his initial plan was to attack to create some distance and conserve energy on the climbs before the strongest riders made their moves. “I didn’t really think I would be strong enough to follow the best guys on the climbs. Once I was away, I just committed. Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it until the last lap when I reached the top of the last climb. Just complete disbelief, honestly,” Barry said. Spain’s Hector Alvarez finished second, while Norway’s Jesper Stiansen took bronze, with both riders crossing the line 53 seconds behind Barry. Barry’s victory also ended a 16-year wait for North America for a medal in the men’s U23 road race. The region’s last medals came in 2010, when American Taylor Phinney and Canadian Guillaume Boivin shared the bronze medal. It was another difficult day for Rwanda, with Kevin Nshutiraguma, the country’s sole representative in the men’s U23 road race, failing to finish. Attention now turns to the women’s junior road race, where Rwanda will be represented by Yvonne Masengesho and Donatha Akimana. Men’s U23 Road Race results Ashlin Barry (USA) — 4:17:35 Hector Alvarez (Spain) — +53s Jesper Stiansen (Norway) — +53s Aubin Sparfel (France) — +53s Niels Driesen (Belgium) — +55s
