How the Mixed Relay works at the Montréal World Championships: favourites, schedule and where to watch

The 2026 Montreal World Cycling Championship continues this Tuesday, September 22, with one of its most unique events. The mixed team relay is a discipline where men and women compete together in teams.

The race will start at 14:30 hours, and here we tell you everything about it and where to watch it for free.

How the mixed relay works in the World Championship

The format is very different from a conventional team time trial. Each team presents three men and three women, allowing for a combination of riders from different categories.

The three men start first and complete their course together. When the second of the three crosses the finish line, the female trio is released. From that moment on, the three female riders complete the same course, and the final stopwatch stops when the second woman crosses the finish line.

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This means that teams can afford to lose one unit in each block, but they need to keep at least two riders together. Managing pace and the ability to maintain a balanced block are especially important.

In Montreal, men and women will face 20.2 kilometers each, completing a total distance of 40.4 km. The course is different from that used in the individual time trials on Sunday, although it maintains the same start and finish areas.

It is basically a round trip course. The first part tends slightly downhill towards the river, and after the turn, the return accumulates a gentle upward trend. The finish can make a difference: the last kilometers rise, and the final 400 meters have an approximate gradient of 6%.

Italy, Switzerland, and Australia lead the list of favorites

The absence of the Netherlands and Belgium, who have again opted out of this event, opens up the competition for medals significantly.

Italy presents one of the strongest teams. The men's team will include Filippo Ganna, Mattia Cattaneo, and Matteo Sobrero, while the women's relay will consist of Vittoria Guazzini, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Monica Trinca Colonel. On paper, especially due to the time trial potential of their men, it is one of the teams to watch.

Switzerland is also not holding back. Stefan Bissegger, Stefan Küng, and Mauro Schmid will form their men's trio before handing over to Jasmin Liechti, Marlen Reusser, and Noemi Rüegg. The presence of Küng, Bissegger, and the newly crowned world time trial champion Marlen Reusser makes the Swiss team another major reference.

And we must not forget Australia, the reigning champion and winner of the last two editions. The Australians claimed the rainbow jersey in 2024 and did it again in Kigali 2025, where they surpassed France by just five seconds and Switzerland by ten.

This time they will compete with Conor Leahy, Michael Matthews, and Cameron Rogers, along with Georgia Baker, Mackenzie Coupland, and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, who arrives after being crowned the under-23 world time trial champion this Monday in Montreal.

France also presents a team very focused on the fight against the clock with Bruno Armirail and Rémi Cavagna accompanied by Jordan Labrosse, Juliette Berthet-Labous, Marion Borras, and Cédrine Kerbaol. Germany, the world champion in this event in 2021, is also among the teams with a chance to compete for medals.

Schedule and where to watch the Mixed Relay World Championship 2026 for free

The mixed relay of the Montreal World Championship takes place this Tuesday, September 22, starting at 14:30 hours, CEST time, with a finish expected around 17:15.

In Spain, it can be followed for free and live through Teledeporte and RTVE Play. RTVE will start its broadcast at 14:20 hours, ten minutes before the official start.

Here you can watch the Mixed Relay World Championship 2026 for free and live on RTVE Play.

The race will also serve as a transition between the individual time trials held during the first two days of the World Championship and the road races that will begin on Thursday in Montreal.