Road Racing in Montreal: The 2026 World Championships

A2+ reading homework. Read the text, learn the new words, and complete the exercises on your own.

Reading

Every year, the best road cyclists in the world meet at the UCI Road World Championships. In 2026, the event takes place in Montreal, Canada, from 20 to 27 September. For eight days, riders race on a circuit through the streets of the city.

How does a road race work? All the riders start together. The route follows a circuit, and the riders go around it many times. One time around the circuit is called a lap. The rider who finishes the full distance in the fastest time wins.

Riders do not race alone; they come with a team. Teammates share water, block the wind, and help their leader save energy. Thousands of spectators stand along the route and cheer for hours. At the end, the first rider to cross the finish line is the new world champion.

Exercise 1: Key Vocabulary

Match each word from the text with its definition.

• route
• circuit
• lap
• rider
• team
• spectator
• finish line
• distance

• the way the race goes through the city
• a loop of streets that riders repeat
• one time around the circuit
• a person who races on a bicycle
• a group of riders who work together
• a person who watches the race
• the place where the race ends
• how long the race is, in kilometres

Exercise 2: Comprehension

Read the text again and choose the correct answer for each question.

1. In which city do the 2026 championships take place?

• Toronto
• Montreal
• Ottawa

2. How many days does the event last?

• Two days
• Eight days
• Thirty days

3. When does the event start?

• On 20 September
• On 27 September
• On 20 August

4. How do the riders start the race?

• One by one
• In two groups
• All together

5. Why do teammates block the wind?

• To help their leader save energy
• To stop the spectators
• To make the race longer

6. Who becomes the world champion?

• The rider with the most teammates
• The last rider to finish
• The first rider to cross the finish line

Exercise 3: Use the New Words

Complete each sentence with a word from the word bank. Type the word in the gap.

Word bank: circuit · distance · finish line · lap · rider · route · spectators · team

1. The race follows a ______ through the streets of the city.

2. The riders go around the ______ many times.

3. One time around is called a ______ .

4. Each ______ wears a helmet and rides a road bike.

5. A ______ of riders works together during the race.

6. Many ______ stand at the side of the road and cheer.

7. The first person to cross the ______ wins the race.

8. The total ______ of the race is many kilometres.

Exercise 4: True or False?

Read each sentence and choose True or False.

1. The 2026 championships take place in Montreal.

• True
• False

2. The event lasts two weeks.

• True
• False

3. One time around the circuit is called a lap.

• True
• False

4. The riders start the race one by one.

• True
• False

5. Spectators stand along the route.

• True
• False

6. Teammates do not help each other.

• True
• False

Exercise 5: Your Turn

Write 40-60 words about a sport you enjoy watching. What is the sport? Where do you watch it? Why do you like it? Try to use at least two words from this lesson.

This lesson is interactive: open this page in a browser to fill in the answers and get them checked automatically. Teachers can copy the lesson and edit every part of it.