Brandon McNulty wins gold at the Road Cycling World Championships in Montreal

An American wins in Canada. Brandon McNulty is the surprise at the Road Cycling World Championships in Montreal: it is he, Tadej Pogacar's historic gregarious, who wins the gold medal after a courageous and solitary escape. Silver for the Australian Michael Matthews, who finished well behind him.

Nothing to do for the big favorites of the day before, from the French gem Paul Seixas (15th at over two minutes) to Remco Evenepoel (12th). The Belgian himself, considered a winner also due to the absence of the injured Pogacar, is the most disappointed.

The other big name, the Dutch Van der Poel, has to settle for a bronze. The other Belgian Wout Van Aert is even twenty-eighth.

Fifth was the Mexican Isaac Del Toro, behind the American Quinn Simmons.

For Italy, Giulio Ciccone is fighting from the first to the last kilometre. The Abruzzese, who came ninth, tried to conquer the podium with an intelligent and generous race: the dream faded, after numerous attempts to get ahead, only in the last kilometre. "There's a bit of disappointment with the result - admits Ciccone - I was here for something more. On a tactical level I tried to do everything as best I could. The last lap I had cramps. Objectively the finish was hard and no longer suitable for uphill attacks. I think I raced a good World Championship and that all my teammates gave their all. Come on...".

Lorenzo Finn is also part of the blue patrol in Canada. The 19-year-old was making his debut in the elite world championship race: "It was the hardest day of my life. I had fun while I was in front, then the lights went out. It was a building block for the future. I think it was hard for everyone", he says, still emotional at the finish line. The Italian finished 55th, 10 minutes late.

In the end McNulty leads everyone away. At the finish line he is incredulous: "I didn't think they wouldn't catch me", he says before thanking his US teammates who defended him and stopped all attempts to catch him. Canada and more precisely Montreal are in the destiny of the American cyclist who last year won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 2025 here on parade with Pogacar who, by his own admission, gave him the victory: "I am grateful for the gesture - he said - I arrived on parade not with just any teammate, but with the world champion". Now he is the world champion.

McNulty is the third American to wear the rainbow jersey after Greg LeMond in 1983 and 1989, and Lance Armstrong, who later confessed to doping during his career, in 1993.