Statement by Secretary of State van Koeverden on the success of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal

Montréal 2026 proved once again that Canada is the best sport-hosting nation in the world

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport) issued the following statement:

"For eight days, all eyes were on Canada as Montréal became the cycling capital of the world.

More than half a century after first hosting the UCI Road World Championships, Montréal welcomed the world back for the largest sporting event held in the city since the 1976 Olympic Summer Games. More than 1,000 athletes from nearly 80 countries raced from communities across Montérégie, over the Samuel De Champlain Bridge and up Mount Royal and, against the clock, through Old Montréal and Parc Jean-Drapeau.

An estimated 500,000 fans lined the courses and 200 million viewers around the world watched Canada shine. With a $13-million federal investment, this flagship event delivered economic and tourism benefits for Quebec, Montréal, and Canada as a whole.

This is what we do, and Canada's Year of Sport has proven it. After the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, Montréal 2026 showed once again that Canada is the best sport-hosting nation in the world. At every turn, we saw the hard work and dedication of the organizers, volunteers and partners who made the world's most prestigious annual cycling event possible. Thank you for welcoming the world.

Congratulations to Team Canada. You made your country proud. Isabella Holmgren sprinted to a silver in the U23 women's road race, giving Canadian fans a podium finish to celebrate. Montréal also rallied behind Magdeleine Vallières Mill, who came home to defend her rainbow jersey. Her race ended too soon, but the grace she showed reminded Canadians why she will always be our champion. These are moments that will inspire a new generation of young cyclists to climb to their own summits.

Sport is our strength and our ultimate nation builder. That is why our government made a generational $1-billion investment in sport, the largest in our country's history. We moved quickly to get this support out the door, with new funding to host more world-class sporting events, increase the Athlete Assistance Program, build sport infrastructure and additional support for national-level sport organizations.

During the Championships, I was pleased to announce that we're continuing that work with an investment of close to $7 million in Cycling Canada, including an additional $846,000 for this year. This funding will help Cycling Canada build on the momentum of hosting this event, while strengthening athlete development pathways, growing participation and supporting safe and inclusive sport environments across the country.

Together, we are building Canada Strong through sport, from the playground to the podium."

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SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For more information (media only), please contact: Bahoz Dara Aziz, Director of Communications, Office of the Secretary of State (Sport), [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected]