Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering claimed the women’s elite road race title at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships after clocking 4:45:09 to cover the 108.1km course on Saturday in Montreal. The demanding course saw several riders fail to finish, including defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, who abandoned the race halfway through. Rwandan riders Xaverine Nirere, Claudette Nyirarukundo and Diane Ingabire also failed to finish the race. Vollering, 29, crossed the finish line ahead of Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who finished with the same time, while Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini completed the podium four seconds later. The 2026 UCI Road World Championships will conclude on Sunday with the men’s elite road race, which will be held without defending champion Tadej Pogacar. Pogacar was expected to compete for his third consecutive world title after his dominant solo victories in Zurich in 2024 and Kigali in 2025. However, his crash at the Vuelta ruled him out for the remainder of the season. The race will cover 273.7km over 12 laps, with more than 3,800 metres of elevation gain. Rwanda will not be represented in the men’s elite road race. Women’s elite road race results Demi Vollering (Netherlands) — 4:45:09 Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland) — same time Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) — +4 seconds Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) — +8 seconds Juliette Berthet (France) — +39 seconds
