Kigali: Vallières is Canada’s first world road champion

 

History making world title for Magdeleine Vallieres

Magdeleine Vallières, the 24-year-old from Sherbrooke, Quebec stunned everyone winning gold in the women's road race in Kigali.

She is the first Canadian, man or woman, to become an elite road race world champion and will have the honour of wearing the rainbow jersey for the next year, including at the 2026 Road World Championships in Montreal.

The 11 laps of the 164.6km circuit race was made brutal with 3,350m of climbing. The stinging climbs and relentless pace took their toll and several attempts to break away at the front were reeled in by a reduced peloton. But Vallières, Fisher-Black and Garcia made their attack stick and toward the medals. Vallières made her attack on the final climb in the last two kilometres and she made it stick to get the win by 23 seconds ahead of Niamh Fisher-Black of New Zealand. Mavi Garcia of Spain was four seconds back for the bronze. 

Vallières was not predicted to win the race, her result was no fluke. She was clever and raced ambitiously. As was one of 10 riders in the lead group with two laps remaining, she was always at the front looking for her opportunity to make a break. 

Magdeleine Vallières had just one prior road race victory, the Trofeo Palma Femina in 2024. She was the runner-up in the women's road race at the 2024 Canadian Championships and finished 14th at last year's world championships. Only four other Canadians had ever stood on an elite road race podium at the world championships, all bronze medals: Steve Bauer and Michael Woods in the men's event in 1984 and 2018, respectively, and Alison Sydor, Linda Jackson in the women's event in 1991 and 1996, respectively. 

"The girls believed in me, so I believed in myself. I knew I wouldn't win in the sprint. I saw Fisher-Black was fading and told myself I had to go. I can hardly believe it. I just got in the right break. I prepared well, I knew I was on good form, so I tried. I told myself I didn't want to have any regrets. It's great to win here, and with the worlds next year in Montreal, it's been perfect. It was my dream to win it, and now it's come true - it's crazy."

-Magdeleine Vallières