Women Elite Road World Championships 2026: preview and favourites for the Brossard race

The Women Elite World Championships in Brossard: 180.4 km for the rainbow jersey On Saturday 26 September 2026, the women's elite road race of the UCI Road World Championships takes place. The race is held in Brossard over a 180.4-kilometre course with a total elevation gain of 2,570 metres: figures that promise a selective race, unsuited to a compact bunch sprint. The category is WorldTour. The protagonists expected at the start The verified startlist brings together some of the best international riders. At the start will be Switzerland's Marlen Reusser, Great Britain's Zoe Backstedt, Germany's Franziska Koch and Antonia Niedermaier, Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini, France's Cedrine Kerbaol, Belgium's Lotte Kopecky, the Netherlands' Demi Vollering, Poland's Dominika Wlodarczyk and Italy's Vittoria Guazzini. How the favourites arrive: season results The picture emerging from recent results is full of clues. Demi Vollering showed brilliant form at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, taking top placings in several stages: first in stages 5, 8 and 9 and second in stage 7. In the world time trial she finished eighth. On a course with 2,570 metres of elevation gain, her complete profile makes her the number one candidate. Marlen Reusser arrives as world time trial champion: she won the individual world title and also shone at the Tour de France Femmes, with first place in stage 4, second in stage 5 and fourth in stage 7. Her engine is exceptional, but on such a long and hilly road race her climbing endurance will be the factor to watch. Elisa Longo Borghini finished fourth in the world time trial and showed great consistency on the climbs of the Tour de France Femmes: second in stage 8, third in stage 7 and seventh in stage 9. Her experience and resistance on hard courses make her a very dangerous rival. In this World Championships time trial, Longo Borghini finished fourth, behind only Reusser, Backstedt and Koch — source: UCI Road World Championships - Women Elite Individual Time Trial results Lotte Kopecky took sixth place in the world time trial and stood out at the Tour de France Femmes with second place in stage 3 and fifth in stage 8, as well as placings at the Tour de Pologne Women. Her speed is a weapon, but the elevation gain is her main limit. Zoe Backstedt was second in the world time trial and collected placings in the stages of the Tour de France Femmes and at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women. Young and improving, she is suited to demanding courses. Among possible surprises, Antonia Niedermaier has shown remarkable consistency with fifth place in stage 9 of the Tour de France Femmes and seventh in the world time trial. Cedrine Kerbaol was fifth in the time trial and took placings at the Tour de France Femmes. Dominika Wlodarczyk won the Women's Cycling Grand Prix Region Stuttgart and finished ninth in the world time trial. Vittoria Guazzini finished tenth in the time trial and fourth at the Italian Road Championships Women Elite/Under 23. Franziska Koch reached the podium of the world time trial with third place. The favourites for victory In light of the data, Demi Vollering starts as the favourite: her ability to be at the front in the hardest stages of the Tour de France Femmes and her complete profile put her at the top of the list. Elisa Longo Borghini is the most accredited rival, thanks to her consistency in the mountains and her experience in one-day races. Marlen Reusser is the luxury unknown: her time trial is a weapon, but over 180 kilometres with 2,570 metres of elevation gain she will have to manage the climbs carefully. Behind them, Lotte Kopecky and Zoe Backstedt will try to survive the passes to contest a possible reduced bunch sprint.