Pidcock and Backstedt lead GB at Road Worlds
Pidcock has won several of cycling's biggest races while Backstedt won last year's Under-23 world time trial title
- Published
Tom Pidcock and Zoe Backstedt will lead Great Britain's challenge at the 2026 Road World Championships.
The races for the coveted rainbow jerseys take place in Montreal, Canada, from 20-27 September, live across the BBC.
The championships include both the road race and time trial disciplines, with Pinarello Q36.5's Pidcock leading the men's team in the road race, while Ethan Hayter races in the men's time trial.
Lauren Dickson and Pfeiffer Georgi will likely lead the women's team in the road race and Zoe Backstedt will be expected to contend for the rainbow bands in the time trial.
Time trial focus: What are GB's chances?
Not for a long time have GB men a better chance to win in the road race, with double world champion and record-equalling five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar forced to sit out the rest of the season after suffering multiple injuries in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana.
Slovenian Pogacar has dominated the world road race for the past two years, winning in 2024 and 2025 to add to his numerous other honours.
The time trials come first in Montreal, with riders setting off at one-minute intervals, racing against the clock.
Backstedt steps up to the elite category after winning last year's Under-23 race and is joined by Anna Morris, 31, who has won a number of domestic races in 2026.
In the men's time trial Hayter, who came second in the opening time trial of the recent Vuelta a Espana, losing out to Pogacar by just nine hundredths of a second, will be joined by Callum Thornley, while the favourite will be defending champion Remco Evenepoel of Belgium.
Performance director for British Cycling Stephen Park said: "The Road World Championships are always one of the standout events in the cycling calendar, and we are excited to return with a highly competitive squad.
"This squad showcases the very best of British road racing, at a time when more British riders are making their mark across Europe and on the wider international stage than ever before.
"We're proud of the balance in this squad, from established world-class performers to riders taking the next step in their development."
- Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, Backstedt is in her element on a sophisticated TT bike
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Full GB Road World Championship squads
Elite Women: Zoe Backstedt, Lauren Dickson, Pfeiffer Georgi, Anna Henderson, Anna Morris, Flora Perkins, Alice Towers
Elite men: Mark Donovan, Ethan Hayter, Oscar Onley, Finlay Pickering, Tom Pidcock, James Shaw, Callum Thornley, Fred Wright, Adam Yates
U23 Men: Jacob Bush, Mattie Dodd, Elliot Rowe, Will Smith, Ben Wiggins
U23 Women: Cat Ferguson, Abi Miller, Awen Roberts, Imogen Wolff, Morven Yeoman
Junior Women: Aalia Clay, Peggy Knox, Gabriella McHugh, Zoe Roche, Melanie Rowe
Junior Men: Leon Atkins, Gus Dutton, Finlay Storrie, Dexter Townsend, Evander Wishart
Elite coverage details on the BBC
Road World Championships streams on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app
Sunday 20 September:
Women's Time Trial: 14:00-16:45 BST - iPlayer & BBC Sport website & app (14:45-16:45 BBC Two)
Men's Time Trial: 17:30-21:00 BST - iPlayer & BBC Sport website & app (19:00-21:00 BBC Three)
Saturday 26 September:
Women's Road Race: 14:00-19:30 BST - iPlayer & BBC Sport website & app
Sunday 27 September:
Men's road race: 14:00-21:00 BST - iPlayer & BBC Sport website & app (19:00-21:00 BBC Three)
