The Team Relay at the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships provided fast and tactical racing on a compact 1.9 km circuit, with 25 teams lining up to contest the rainbow jerseys. Following an exciting race and a post-race review of the results, Poland 1 secured a third consecutive Team Relay world title.
The action started immediately during the opening relay when Germany 1 launched an early attack, briefly opening a gap on the rest of the field. As often seen in team relay racing, the advantage proved difficult to maintain, and during the second relay the leading teams regrouped.
A decisive selection was made shortly afterwards as six teams moved clear of the field. Slovenia, the Netherlands, Poland 1, Italy, Canada 3 and France 1 established a gap that continued to grow throughout the race. By the final relay, the leading teams had built an advantage of approximately 30 seconds over the nearest chasers.
One of the standout performances of the day came from Wojtek Szczepanik of Poland 1. The Polish rider produced the fastest relay of the entire competition, averaging 45.7 km/h, and succeeded in bridging the gap to the leading group, ensuring Poland remained firmly in contention for the medals.
With seven teams together at the front, the final relay became a tactical affair. Several riders tested their rivals, but no decisive move succeeded on the closing lap of the fast Kutchan circuit. The medals would therefore be decided in a sprint finish.
Japan 2 crossed the line first, but following a review by the race jury, the team was disqualified for an infringement of the relay regulations. The revised classification awarded victory to Poland 1, allowing the defending champions to claim a third consecutive Team Relay world title.
The winning Polish quartet of Maciej Rogulski (50+), Alina Mylka (Women), Jakub Ruciński (40+) and Wojtek Szczepanik (Men) completed the race at an average speed of 42.04 km/h.
France 1, represented by Gwenaelle Legendre, John Thomas, Gael Poisson and Damien Degot, claimed the silver medal after another strong and consistent team performance.
The bronze medals went to Canada 3, with Michelle Gagnon, Dominic Chalifoux, Bruce Bird and Chris Caruana completing the podium after remaining among the front-runners throughout the race.
Team Relay Podium 🥇🥈🥉
🥇 Poland 1
Maciej Rogulski, Alina Mylka, Jakub Ruciński, Wojtek Szczepanik
🥈 France 1
Gwenaelle Legendre, John Thomas, Gael Poisson, Damien Degot
🥉 Canada 3
Michelle Gagnon, Dominic Chalifoux, Bruce Bird, Chris Caruana
The victory confirms Poland’s dominance in the Team Relay discipline, with the nation successfully defending the title won in both of the previous editions. Meanwhile, Szczepanik’s relay at 45.7 km/h stood as the fastest individual relay performance of the day.
