Montreal is already an internationally recognized bike-friendly city, but next month and for eight straight days world-class cyclists will take over the city, solidifying that reputation.
From September 20 to 27, over 1,000 athletes from around the world will gather in Montreal for the 2026 UCI Road World Championships.
This free-admission, 8-day historic event will feature 13 racing events, marking the city’s largest sporting event since the 1976 Olympics.
The event will be the 99th edition of the UCI Road World Championships, the annual world championships for road bicycle racing, and will mark the return of the sporting event to Montreal 52 years after the city hosted the 1974 edition, which was the first time it was held outside Europe.
It will be the third time Canada has hosted the event, after Montreal in 1974 and Hamilton in 2003.
Traffic and parking to be impacted during the event
Cyclists will be taking part in a series of 13 events across various city streets, mainly located in 7 boroughs and 1 related municipality, as follows: Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Le Sud-Ouest, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Outremont, Verdun, Ville-Marie and Westmount.
All events will start and finish in Montreal, except for the elite road races, which start at Quartier DIX30 in Brossard. Avenue du Parc will serve as the finish line for all events.
The main site will be located at the foot of Mount Royal, on Avenue du Parc, between Avenue des Pins and Avenue du Mont-Royal. This strategic hub is where the start and finish lines of every race will be located. It will also be home to the Bonjour Montréal Fan Village. Due to its importance, the area will be closed to vehicular traffic from September 4 to October 4, including the time required to set up and dismantle the site.
As a result, traffic and parking will be significantly impacted during the event.
Routes will vary daily. Fences will be installed along the routes, starting at 7 a.m. every day. Following every event, in the early evening hours, streets will be reopened for vehicular traffic, except for the Championship’s main site.
Montreal drivers can consult the City of Montreal site for more details on expected closures in their borough.
Major federal investments to support the event
The event is being organized by the promoter of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec et de Montréal, with support from Cycling Canada.
The Canadian federal government recently announced a $13-million investment to support the hosting of the championships, with $9.8 million from Sport Canada through the Hosting Program and $3.2 million from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
The event is expected to be the largest sporting event in Montreal since the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Admission to all events will be free of charge for spectators.
