Voices of the world championships
Cycling fans from all around recount their experiences
The atmosphere was electric in Montreal during the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championships last week, as locals and tourists alike showed up for the events.
According to the UCI Montreal 2026 organization, it was “Montreal’s biggest sporting event since the 1976 Olympics,” with a projected attendance of around 500,000 people cheering on the star riders.
Kim Metcalf and his wife travelled from Oakland, California, to attend the event. They decided to come when the current men’s world champion, Tadej Pogačar, crashed in the eighth stage of La Vuelta in Spain at the end of August.
“We weren’t going to; we were kind of iffy on him because he’s so good, he’s such a good rider, and I totally respect his riding, but it’s just like, every race he’s in, he wins,” Metcalf said.
With his absence, the race kept the cyclists on their toes as they anxiously awaited the new champion in this year’s elite men's category.
Thierry Morinaud, who works with the Smurfit Westrock cycling team, was happy to cheer on his team's athletes. Although he was disappointed by how far the fans were kept from the riders, having travelled all the way from France, he found the event well organized.
John Frey, who competed with the U.S. national team at the 1988 Grand Prix des Amériques in Montreal, thinks an event like this raises awareness and promotes the sport.
“It’s a very intriguing sport; people make chess analogies, but there’s so much going on,” Frey said. “It’s a team sport, but for it to be a team sport, everybody has to be pretty close in fitness as it can impact a whole team’s performance.”
“It’s a very intriguing sport; people make chess analogies, but there’s so much going on. It’s a team sport, but for it to be a team sport, everybody has to be pretty close in fitness as it can impact a whole team’s performance.” — John Frey, former U.S. national team competitor
Others like Marie Tessier, a cycling coach from Calgary who hosts amateur cycling events in her area, came to Montreal with friends to watch junior talents from her home province in action.
The UCI World Championships were also a good opportunity for businesses in the cycling industry to gain exposure and make a name for themselves. Many local brands tended kiosks at the Village des Fans Bonjour Montréal or opened temporary pop-up shops near the events.
Yann Gauvin is a manager at Giant Bicycles Quebec, a Canada-based bike seller. He praised the environment created by the race throughout the city.
“There’s a cyclist energy,” Gauvin said.
“This event is a lot bigger than some people think,” Argon 18 product manager Carl Oliveira said. “We have the equivalent of the Olympics but for cycling in Montreal at the moment, so it really is a major event.”
Mitchell Kellar and Henry Ngan co-founded Etape22, a vintage cycling apparel brand established in 2023. They came from Toronto to open a pop-up shop on Rachel St. for the World Championships week. Both have noticed an influx into cycling over the past years and are excited to be part of it through their business.
While some Montrealers have expressed frustrations with disruptions to their routines and commute, others described it as a once-in-a-lifetime event.
“I’m trying to embrace everything that’s happening and to be present as much as I can because I know that it’s probably the last time I’ll experience this in my life,” Jean-Mathieu Vincent from Baumier, a bike manufacturer, said.
The enthusiasm in Montreal following the UCI World Championships also contributed to a resurgence of the sport in the city, as the Concordia University cycling club organized its first group ride since 2016 on Sept. 16, 2026, to close out the season.
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