Worlds road race without Pogačar: can Skujiņš fight for a medal again?

The men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships takes place in Montreal this evening, featuring Latvia's national team of Toms Skujiņš, Mārtiņš Pluta, Emīls Liepiņš and Kristiāns Belohvoščiks. The race starts at 16:00 Latvian time, with the finish expected around 22:40. The event will be broadcast live on Eurosport 1.

Riders will cover a 273.7-kilometer course with 3,803 meters of total climbing. The final roughly 160 kilometers are split into 12 laps, each containing a climb. The route resembles the annual Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal, part of the UCI World Tour. Skujiņš finished 29th in that race this year, after placing sixth two years ago.

Skujiņš, Latvia's team leader, has finished among the top eight at the World Championships for three consecutive years — eighth in 2023, fourth in 2024 and fifth in 2025. He made his Worlds road race debut in 2014 but did not finish, and also competed from 2018 to 2021, placing 62nd, 21st, 29th and 60th. His three teammates are expected to work in support of Skujiņš again this year to help him achieve a strong result.

Defending two-time champion Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia is out due to injury. The main contenders for the title include Belgium's Remco Evenepoel, the Netherlands' Mathieu van der Poel, Mexico's Isaac del Toro, France's Paul Seixas, Belgium's Wout van Aert and Britain's Tom Pidcock. Evenepoel already won the individual time trial title, an event in which no Latvians competed.

In the junior road race, Georgs Tjumins placed 60th, while Alvis Pivors did not finish after exceeding the time limit. Before heading out onto Montreal's roads, the Latvian team was visited by local Latvians living in Canada, who wished the athletes luck and asked them about life in Canada.

Latvia has produced two road cycling world champions: Romāns Vainšteins, who won the road race in 2000, and Emīlija Sonka, who did so in 1964.