In a stunning upset, American cyclist Brandon McNulty has won the men's cycling road race world title in Montreal. The 28-year-old broke clear with 32km left on the Canadian street circuit and held off a disorganised chase to win by 13 seconds ahead of Australian Michael Matthews. McNulty's victory marks the first time an American has won the title in 33 years, with Lance Armstrong being the last American to wear the coveted rainbow jersey in 1993.
McNulty's win was a surprise to many, including himself. In a post-race interview, he expressed his shock and disbelief at his victory. "Honestly I don't know. Really this is, I don't know," said McNulty. "I'm really at a loss. Until the last 100 metres I really didn't even believe it. I was so tired." McNulty's teammate, Tadej Pogacar, was forced to withdraw from the competition due to injury, and McNulty's win means he will now ride for Pogacar next year while wearing the world champion's jersey.
McNulty's victory was the result of an opportunistic move, which he launched just after a four-man breakaway was caught. The breakaway had included former winner Mathieu van der Poel, who finished in third place. McNulty quickly built up a lead of more than a minute at one point, but the chase group, which included Briton Tom Pidcock and Irishman Ben Healy, failed to fully cooperate and McNulty was able to maintain his lead.
The chase group ebbed and flowed behind McNulty, with Pidcock and Healy being particularly aggressive. However, each time the riders failed to work together effectively, allowing McNulty to maintain his lead. With 9km left, Pidcock brought a group including Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas to within 10sec of the lone leader, but they ultimately failed to catch him.
McNulty's win was a significant achievement, particularly given the strong field of competitors. Van der Poel and Wout van Aert had sparked a break with 85km to ride, which saw a dangerously strong six-man group go clear. However, McNulty was able to take advantage of the situation and secure the win. The victory also made up for McNulty's near miss in the time-trial a week ago, where he finished fourth.
The men's cycling road race world title is one of the most prestigious titles in the sport, and McNulty's win is a significant achievement for American cycling. McNulty will now ride for his Slovenian UAE team leader, Tadej Pogacar, next year while wearing the world champion's jersey. McNulty hopes that Pogacar will be "proud" of him for keeping the jersey in the team.
McNulty's victory in the men's cycling road race world title was a thrilling conclusion to the competition, which covered a distance of 273.4km and took six hours 17 minutes to complete. The win marked a major upset, with McNulty being considered a dark horse contender. However, he was able to seize the opportunity and secure the title in a dramatic fashion.
Key points
- Brandon McNulty becomes first American in 33 years to win men's cycling road race world title
- McNulty's victory was the result of an opportunistic move launched with 32km left on the Canadian street circuit
- McNulty will ride for his Slovenian UAE team leader, Tadej Pogacar, next year while wearing the world champion's jersey
