Pogačar Is Out – Who Will Step Up? Ranking the Favorites for Montréal Road Worlds

Tadej Pogačar is out, and the cycling world will be tilted on its axis until he’s back.

Because the brutal crash that took the two-time world champion out of the Vuelta a España didn’t just end the modern GOAT’s season. It took the center of gravity out of the peloton and left a power vacuum in its wake.

Three huge prizes are now available to whoever steps into the void at the top of the Pog-less peloton.

The rainbow jersey is up for grabs at the UCI road world world championships.

Pogačar’s blue-and-white European champion’s top is available one week later.

And for the first time in seemingly forever, Il Lombardia can be considered a genuine competition again. Pogi won in “The Falling Leaves” an incredible five times in a row.

Of course, the Montréal world championship road race on September 26 – only 19 days from now – is the ultimate treasure waiting to be taken.

Pogačar is out, others are peaking: Re-assessing our ‘way too early’ ranking

We released a “way too early ranking for road worlds” at the back end of last month that seemingly cursed Pogačar.

You can refer back to it here.

Less than 30 hours separated us posting a contemplation of the risk Pogačar was exposing himself to at the Vuelta and the moment his world title defense was loaded into a Spanish ambulance.

And Pogačar’s exit isn’t the only thing that changed since our provisional ranking.

Wout van Aert started stampeding across the rolling hills of the Vuelta a España.

Tom Pidcock began smoking everybody, on all surfaces.

Mads Pedersen got sick. Mathieu van der Poel endured more MTB misery. And Remco? He’s been keeping a low profile, riding his bike lots, and staying on top of his skincare.

All these things put a new complexion on our “way too early” rankings.

Belgium faces a luxury problem at road worlds

The one thing that’s not changed?

Remco Evenepoel is World No.2, the prince of the peloton behind King Pogačar.

Historic results and recent form suggest he’s the rider who stands to make hay while Pogi is away.

Last year, Remco finished second to Pogačar at the world championships, European championships, and Il Lombardia, and was a tier above the rest. Forty-eight seconds at worlds, more than three minutes at Euros, and nearly 90 seconds at Il Lombardia separated Evenepoel from the bewildered chasers.

Logic – and Evenepoel’s bullish ride to second at the 2026 Tour de France – suggests the 26-year-old is poised to usurp King Pog’s throne while the Slovenian is on the sidelines.

But that doesn’t mean Evenepoel is guaranteed his second road race world title in Montréal.

Things might have actually gotten a little more complicated for Remco now that Pogačar is out.

The complicating factor?

Wout van Aert is peaking, right in time to give Belgium a tactical headache.

Belgium might have two of the favorites for the rainbow jersey. Only one of these two Belgian heroes and cycling superstars can win.

And of course, Team Belgium has gotten it wrong when it found itself in these awkward situations before.

There was a firestorm in Belgian media after Evenepoel and Van Aert unraveled in front of a home crowd at the 2021 worlds in Flanders.

How Belgium plays its tactical cards will be crucial to how the race plays out on September 26.

A new road worlds ranking for a new peloton

All these things considered, here’s our new ranking for road worlds.

And unlike last time, they’re not “way too early.” It’s now just two and a half weeks to the big day.

1. Remco Evenepoel, 26 (Belgium)

Previous ranking: 2nd
Last races: Clasica San Sebastian (1st), Tour de France (2nd overall, 2 x stage wins)
Final race before road worlds: Canadian GPs (Sep 11 and 13), road worlds TT (Sep 20).

Remco Evenepoel proved at last year’s worlds, Euros, and Il Lombardia that he’s the best of the rest behind Tadej Pogačar.

He did it again this summer at the Tour de France and has been training like a madman in the time since.

It’s impossible not to put Evenepoel as the top favorite for the Montréal road worlds, even with the complicating factor of Wout van Aert.

Evenepoel returns to racing this week at the GP Québec (Friday) and GP Montréal (Sunday). Many of those hoping to beat him in the race for the rainbow jersey will also be using the two grand prixs as their final tune-ups.

Will Evenepoel come out of the gates hot after his long mid-summer layoff? Or will he leave his bullets in the chamber for his golden opportunity to win both the time trial and road race world championships? He will be the point of reference, either way.

2. Mathieu van der Poel, 31 (Netherlands)

Previous ranking: 3rd
Last races: MTB world championships (30th), MTB Les Gets (2nd), Tour de France (2 x stage wins)
Final races before road worlds: Tour de Luxembourg (Sept 16-20)

Mathieu van der Poel was nowhere at the mountain bike world championships. His anonymous ride stood in stark contrast to his multi-discipline rival Tom Pidcock, who dominated on the rooty trails of Val di Sole.

But don’t take MVDP’s MTB misfire as a sign of his potential for road worlds.

If anything, being humbled on the singletrack a second year in a row will probably feed his hunger to double back for a second road world title after his epic victory in Glasgow ’23. If the recent Tour de France taught us anything, it’s never count out MVDP.

3. Wout van Aert, 31 (Belgium)

Previous ranking: 6th
Last race: Belgian gravel championships (2nd), Tour of Denmark (1st overall)
Current race: Vuelta a España (2 x stage wins, in control of green jersey)
Final race before road worlds: Nothing after Vuelta

Wout van Aert stampedes up the rankings from third after we ranked him sixth last month.

That lowly position was largely predicated on the thinking that the course in Montréal might be “too hard.” But Wout’s been running riot in the endlessly hilly sprint stages of the Vuelta a España. And two stage wins in three days suggest his racing nous is even sharper than his climbing legs.

WVA must be starting to believe in his chances of a first road world title.

The problem is, of course, Remco Evenepoel.

If Evenepoel gets the jump with a characteristic long-range attack, Belgium might want to play Van Aert as a tactical card in the peloton in case of a fast finish.

Unless, of course, Van Aert goes with Evenepoel’s early move. Then it’s time to break out the popcorn.

4. Tom Pidcock, 27 (Great Britain)

Previous ranking: N/A – was only an honorable mention
Last races: GP Industria & Artigianato (1st), MTB world championships (1st), Tour de France (9th overall)
Final races before road worlds: Canadian GPs (Sep 11 and 13)

Tom Pidcock blasts into the rankings after he was criminally overlooked in our “way too early” assessment. As a born ‘n’ bred Brit, I feel ashamed.

There’s no ignoring Pidcock this time around.

Like Wout van Aert, he’s peaking right on time. A sublime ride through the pack to win his second MTB world title and a swaggering solo win at GP Industria & Artigianato this weekend rockets Pidcock into contention for a road race that should suit a rider who’s won Amstel Gold Race and Strade Bianche.

No rider has won both the road and MTB world championships in one year. Don’t rule out Pidcock from doing it in 2026.

5. Isaac del Toro, 22 (Mexico)

Previous ranking: 4th
Last races: Lidl Deutschland Tour (1st overall), Hamburg Classic (43rd), Tour de France (3rd overall, 1 x stage win)
Final races before road worlds: Canadian GPs (Sep 11 and 13)

Isaac del Toro hasn’t raced since our previous ranking, so there’s not much to say.

He slides down a slot from our previous ranking purely because of Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock’s storming rise.

Del Toro’s position could change drastically this week at the Canadian GPs, where he will start as one of the many favorites who are also targeting a rainbow jersey.

Has “Torito” gotten his groove back since his underwhelming – but victorious – ride at the Deutschland Tour?

6. Paul Seixas, 19 (France)

Previous ranking: 5th
Last race: Tour de France (4th overall)
Final races before road worlds: Canadian GPs (Sep 11 and 13)

Paul Seixas’s situation is the same as Isaac del Toro’s. He hasn’t raced since our “way too early rankings,” so it’s hard to assess his form.

Keep an eye on the 19-year-old at the Canadian GPs to see how well he bounced out of his debut Tour de France.

7. Quinn Simmons, 25 (USA)

Previous ranking: 7th
Last races: Philadelphia Cycling Classic (9th), Leadville 100 MTB (9th), Tour de France (A billion km in the break and “best teammate” prize)
Final races before road worlds: Canadian GPs (Sep 11 and 13)

Quinn Simmons raced once since our previous rankings, at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic. “Captain America” largely played a team role for his race-winning teammate Tim Teutenberg in the revamped U.S. race.

But Simmons has shown so much potential all year that Team USA is confident enough to hand him the captain’s armband for Montréal. That’s good enough to earn our continued confidence, too.

The former junior world champion remains the ultimate dark horse for the elite race later this month.

8. Mads Pedersen, 30 (Denmark)

Previous ranking: 8th
Last races: Tour de France (green jersey, 1 x stage win), Vuelta a España (DNF)
Final race before road worlds: None

Mads Pedersen hangs on to eighth place in the rankings on the power of his palmarés alone. The big Dane was a shadow of his best self at the Vuelta a España and pulled the plug ahead of stage 11, citing illness.

His chances in Montréal hang in the balance.

Pedersen could be a legit contender in Montréal if he can tap back into the wild form he struck at the Tour de France. If not, he might best serve Team Denmark by pulling for his teammate Mattias Skjelmose.