OTTAWA, ON (August 26, 2026) – Cycling Canada is beyond thrilled to unveil and celebrate the eleven Elite and U23 women who will be representing Team Canada at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal this year. The team includes some of Canada’s top cycling talent of all time and we are excited to watch them all represent Canada with pride during this historical moment as they take on the world’s best right here at home.
ELITE WOMEN – 2026 UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NATIONAL TEAM
- Adèle Normand – Alma, Quebec (RR)
- Alison Jackson – Vermilion, Alberta (RR)
- Magdeleine Vallières Mill – Sherbrooke, Quebec (RR)
- Maggie Coles-Lyster – Maple Ridge, British Columbia (RR)
- Nadia Gontova – Richmond, British Columbia (RR+ITT)
- Olivia Baril – Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec (RR)
- Sarah Van Dam – Victoria, British Columbia (RR)
RR = Road Race, ITT = Individual Time Trial
Canada’s Elite Women’s roster brings together a powerhouse lineup of proven WorldTour leaders, grand tour stage winners, and world champions capable of rising to the challenge. 2025 Road World Champion Magdeleine Vallières Mill leads a stacked team that features Paris-Roubaix Femmes winner and three-time national road champion Alison Jackson. Joining them is proven climber Olivia Baril, who will be there on the climbs of the Montreal circuit to help Magdeleine defend her rainbow stripes.
Adding strength to the lineup is 2026 national road race champion Maggie Coles-Lyster, fresh off winning the Tour Down Under one-day event, grabbing podium finishes on stages of the Giro d’Italia Women and Tour of Britain, and claiming Commonwealth Games bronze on the track. The roster is rounded out by Canadian Time Trial Champion, Nadia Gontova, bringing international GC podium consistency. Sarah Van Dam brings experience from an incredible 2026 season, highlighted by 2nd on Stage 2 at the Tour de Suisse, 4th on Stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes, and 5th overall at the Tour Down Under. Adèle Normand, whose strong WorldTour season and growing results in European stage racing will make her a key contributor on the Montreal circuit.
U23 WOMEN – 2026 UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NATIONAL TEAM
- Alexandra Volstad – Calgary, Alberta (RR)
- Ava Holmgren – Orillia, Ontario (RR+ITT)
- Isabella Holmgren – Orillia, Ontario (RR)
- Kiara Lylyk – Guelph, Ontario (RR)
- Sidney Swierenga – Vancouver, British Columbia (RR+ITT)
RR = Road Race, ITT = Individual Time Trial
Canada’s U23 squad features an exceptionally deep group of rising talent who have already made an impact at both the continental and WorldTour levels. Isabella Holmgren headlines the roster following a remarkable 2026 road season where she captured the Youth Classification white jersey and finished 7th overall at the Giro d’Italia Women, took 8th overall at the Tour de France Femmes, placed 9th at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes, alongside many other strong results. Isabella is also one of Canada’s strongest mountain bike riders, capturing both the XCO and XCC world champion title in 2025. Joining her is her sister Ava Holmgren, who brings a proven track record in Europe with stage podium results at Tour de Normandie Féminin and top-10 finishes in major European one-day races. The pair will work together as they compete for the rainbow jersey.
The U23 roster is further strengthened by U23 national time-trial champion and Commonwealth Games track cyclist Alexandra Volstad, who brings top-10 European classics experience and elite national podium finishes. Kiara Lylyk, comes in with multiple international top-five results, a best young rider jersey at the Volta a Portugal Feminina, and a top-five WorldTour stage result at Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina, while Sidney Swierenga rounds out the team with strong GC results and youth classification success.
For this Elite and U23 women’s team, competing at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships is a defining moment for Canadian cycling. Returning to Montréal 52 years after the city hosted the historic 1974 edition, these eleven athletes represent what it means to be a gracious champion. From proven WorldTour stars, an extraordinary wave of rising U23 talent, and a world champion, this team will compete on home soil to defend the rainbow stripes.
For more information about the event, schedule, and how to watch, please visit the Montreal 2026 website.
