Pidcock and Backstedt lead strong GB squad at Road World Championships

British Cycling has selected a strong squad for the Road World Championships in Montreal, with men's team hopes boosted by the absence of dominant Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar. The double world champion and five-time Tour de France winner suffered multiple injuries in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana and will miss the rest of the season, having won the world road race title in both 2024 and 2025.

Time trials open the championships

The event begins with individual time trials, where riders set off at one-minute intervals to race against the clock. Zoe Backstedt steps up to the elite women's category after winning last year's Under-23 title, and will be joined by Anna Henderson, who took silver in the time trial at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the men's time trial, Ethan Hayter — who finished second to Pogacar by just nine hundredths of a second in the opening time trial of this year's Vuelta a Espana — will compete alongside Callum Thornley. Defending champion Remco Evenepoel of Belgium is the favourite for that event.

British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said the Road World Championships remain one of the standout fixtures on the cycling calendar, adding that this year's squad reflects a growing depth of British talent, blending established world-class performers with riders still developing their careers. The wider squad spans elite, Under-23 and junior categories for both men and women.