The World Cycling Championships without Pogacar

There is hardly a trace left of the ‘Sin City of the North’. And yet in America, for some – usually those with ‘MAGA’ prominently displayed somewhere – Montréal is still that sort of place. Even though Prohibition is a thing of the past, a century ago. Now Montréal is a city like any other, neither sadder nor happier than the rest, and certainly no longer the ‘American capital of sin’. Americans still come here, but no longer just to drink. Nor do they come just to smoke joints any more; cannabis has now been legalised in some US states. They’re there because, for the past ten days or so, it has been the cycling capital of the world. This weekend sees the final events: today the women’s Elite race, and on Sunday the men’s.

That was also the case in 1974. At the time, however, everything was different. The World Championships had never been held outside Europe, and there were few races in Canada and the United States. The riders were seen as outsiders. A survey carried out by the Montreal Gazette, the city’s long-established daily newspaper, between May and July 1974 reported that only 19 per cent of readers knew who Eddy Merckx was – Merckx, the world’s most famous cyclist – but 38 per cent knew who Roger de Vlaeminck was. Not, however, for his sporting achievements: he bore a striking resemblance to an actor who was very popular at the time.

This is a different era. In Montréal, the number of monthly journeys made by bicycle exceeds that of journeys by car, and the city authorities estimate that by the end of 2026, there will be more people who do not use a private motorised vehicle at least once a week than those who do. In Montréal, bicycles are extremely widespread and cycling is a popular sport; Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Remco Evenpoel are better known than the players in the Canadian national football team (not the ice hockey team, ed.).

For a year now, Montréal has been waiting to see how Tadej Pogacar would fare. Curious onlookers and fans were ready to see him in the rainbow jersey for the third time and make cycling history there. Instead, Peter Sagan will remain the only rider to have won the Road World Championships three times in a row. They’ve known this for a month, ever since the Slovenian crashed in the Vuelta. Knowing this, however, is one thing; seeing it – or rather, not seeing it – is quite another.

However, Tadej Pogacar’s absence has not dampened interest. Partly because Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, Paul Seixas, Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel are all taking part. Partly because people still talk about the spectacle of fifty years ago, one of the most thrilling World Championships in history. And there is still hope that it could turn out that way again. The final circuit is virtually the same: three short climbs, plenty of bends, a nerve-wracking course open to any possible outcome. The Slovenian’s absence also makes everyone realise that the World Championship is up for grabs. Even Italy has some hope of a podium finish with Giulio Ciccone, Giulio Pellizzari and Davide Piganzoli. For Lorenzo Mark Finn, however, it seems a little too early.

And yet, a century after Prohibition, that sense of regret remains. This time it’s not a moral one, just an exclamation: Pogi isn’t here – what a shame!