​Last year, Magdeleine Vallieres Mill became the first Canadian to win an Elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships, and as if coming back as the defending champion wasn’t going to be stressful enough, she gets to do it in her home country.There’s no doubt the 25-year-old deserves to be on the list of top contenders at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, but she’ll now have some of the most eager and experienced riders from across the globe keeping a close eye on her.More than 175 women will line up for the Women Elite Road Race in Montreal on Sept. 26. It’s the second-to-last of this year’s 13 races, and every minute will be broadcast live on FloBikes and the FloSports app for subscribers in the United States.Tadej Pogacar To Miss World Championships After Crash At Vuelta a España 2026USA Cycling Names Team USA Roster For 2026 UCI Road World Championships5 Team USA Riders To Watch At The 2026 UCI Road World ChampionshipsThe competition at the 2026 UCI Road Worlds will begin Sept. 20 and run through Sept. 27. The action will begin with the Elite time trials and conclude with the Men Elite Road Race.The Elite women will get underway Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. Eastern and face a 180.4-kilometer journey from Brossard-Montérégie into the heart of Montreal that includes eight laps of the fame Mont Royal Circuit.The women’s race was held for the first time in 1958, with riders for the Netherlands winning 14 times on the way to 37 total medals. France is second on the all-time wins list with 10.Along with Mill, this year’s field includes two-time world road race winner Lotte Kopecky of Belgium (2023, 2024), along with a handful of other riders who have claimed gold medals and rainbow jerseys in other events and disciplines. Here’s a look at some of the favorites and a few of their top accomplishments:Lotte Kopecky, BelgiumWon the Elite road race at the UCI Road Worlds in 2023 and 2024; Was the runner-up in 2022Three-time winner at the Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) in 2022, 2023 and 20252026 winner at Milano-Sanremo WomenDemi Vollering, Netherlands No. 1 rider in the latest UCI Women’s World Tour rankings (as of Aug. 18, 2026)Elite road race runner-up at the UCI Road Worlds in 2023Five Grand Tour victories – Tour de France Femmes (2023, 2026), La Vuelta Femenina (2024, 2025), Giro d’Italia Women (2026)Elisa Longo Borghini, ItalyBronze medalist in the Elite road race at the UCI Road Worlds in 2012, 2020 and 2024Seven-time national road race champion in ItalyWon the Giro d’Italia Women in 2024 and 2025Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, CanadaDefending champion in the Elite road race at the UCI Road World ChampionshipsWon the Junior road race and time trial at the 2019 Canadian National Junior Road ChampionshipsWill be joined in Montreal by three-time Canadian road race champion Alison Jackson (2021, 2023, 2025)Read more:Magdeleine Vallières Mill Will Defend The Rainbow Jersey At Home In CanadaKristen Faulkner, United Sta