Nineteen-year-old Ashlin Barry gave himself an unforgettable birthday present on Friday 25 September 2026, soloing to victory in the under-23 men’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, Canada — becoming the first American man to win the title.
Riding for the Visma-Lease a Bike Development squad, Barry was part of an early breakaway that spent more than 100 kilometres off the front during the 174.2-kilometre race, which covered 13 laps of a demanding circuit featuring the Camillien-Houde and Côte de la Polytechnique climbs. With 30 kilometres remaining, he dropped his final companion, Denmark’s Kristian Egholm, and rode the rest of the way alone, crossing the line in 04:17:35.
Spain’s Héctor Álvarez outsprinted the chase group for silver, with Norway’s Jesper Stiansen taking bronze. Both finished 53 seconds behind Barry. France’s Aubin Sparfel also finished in the chase group at the same gap.
The win carries deep family history. Barry’s mother, Dede Demet-Barry, won on these same Montréal roads in 2002 and took Olympic time-trial silver in 2004. His father, Michael Barry, raced professionally for more than a decade and competed in his final road race in Montréal in 2012, watched by a young Ashlin from the roadside.
“Just complete disbelief, honestly,” Barry said after the finish. “It really felt like a home race out there.”
The victory follows a breakout junior career for Barry, including a silver medal in last year’s junior time trial at the 2025 Worlds in Kigali.
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