Saint Lucia’s Denver Alphonse Jr endured a tough campaign at the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, Canada. The 19-year-old from La Caye, Dennery, competed in the Men Under-23 division against top young cyclists in both the individual time trial and the road race.
During Tuesday’s time trial, a bystander threw an object at Alphonse soon after his back tyre slipped. The Entrepot Secondary School graduate finished in 66th place, 12 minutes and 6.78 seconds behind the winner.
Friday’s tough 174.2 km road race included about 3,497 metres (11,473 feet) of climbing. Riders completed 13 laps of a 13.4-kilometre (8.3-mile) circuit around Mount Royal in Montréal, following the same route as the classic Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.
Alphonse trained in Martinique and at the UCI Training Centre in Canada, but found it hard to keep up with the large, fast European-style peloton and did not finish the road race. Even so, he stayed positive.
“The World Championship experience has come to an end. The level of competition was everything I expected. My training served me well, and I was able to actively contribute during the race,” he said.
“Although I didn’t finish, I am content with where I stand, knowing the standard here is exceptionally high. From here, we take those lessons and keep building and improving. I am proud to continue representing my country, Saint Lucia.”
The 2026 Road World Championships were the biggest event Montréal has held since the 1976 Olympic Games. Over eight days, 1,000 athletes from more than 80 countries competed in a series of 13 events, with more than 200 million television viewers across 140 countries.
