Brandon McNulty follows Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong as US riders to win cycling world title

Joking with his wife before the biggest single-day race in cycling, Brandon McNulty said it would take a miracle to become world champion.

Well, “I guess, today, miracles happen,” McNulty said after becoming the first American to win the men’s road race at the world champonships since Lance Armstrong did it in 1993.

On Monday, McNulty — known mainly as a support rider to cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar on his trade team, UAE Team Emirates — was still marveling about how he pulled off a solo breakaway with 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) to go in Sunday’s grueling race in Montreal — which lasted more than six hours.

McNulty crossed the finish line 13 seconds ahead of Australia’s Michael Matthews, with the Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel in third.

“I’m not sure yesterday will ever sink in and I’m still at a loss for words,” McNulty said in an Instagram post.

“Thank you to these seven guys who showed up yesterday with 100% belief that we could win this bike race with one of us,” he added, in appreciation of his American teammates. “I know none of us will ever forget this day.”

The only other American men to claim the title were Greg LeMond in 1983 and 1989 and Armstrong in 1993.

Armstrong retains his 1993 title despite being stripped of his seven Tour de France victories because he won it before the period in which he was found guilty of doping.

“Hands down the most exciting race of the year and a deserved winner,” Armstrong wrote on X. “A thing of beauty.”

The 28-year-old McNulty, who is from Phoenix, Arizona, won the junior time trial at worlds 10 years ago and has claimed stage wins at both the Giro d’Italia and Spanish Vuelta.

Still, he wasn’t considered a favorite to take the rainbow jersey.

But with two-time defending champion Pogacar out injured, the other contenders struggled with tactics and McNulty used his time trialing expertise to hold off the chasers.

“The King of Montreal,” Pogacar said on Instagram, also referring to a race in Montreal last year where McNulty and Pogacar finished 1-2. “Proud of you.”

Two other Americans finished in the top 10 on Sunday: former junior world champion Quinn Simmons in fourth and Matteo Jorgenson in eighth.

The title comes after McNulty was the subject of a road rage incident before a time trial at this year's Tour de France.

McNulty was confronted by an angry motorist who overtook him on his way to the start of the 16th stage. Mauro Gianetti, the chief executive of the UAE team, said the driver of the car was furious and that he stopped his vehicle after overtaking McNulty, who then collided with the vehicle.

Two days later, McNulty abandoned the Tour.

AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin contributed.

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Brandon McNulty, of the United States, centre, Michael Matthews, of Australia, right, and Mathieu van der Poel, of the Netherlands, pose for a selfie following the men's elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships cycling event in Montreal on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Brandon McNulty, of the United States, second right, races in the peloton during the men's elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships cycling event in Montreal, on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Brandon McNulty, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships cycling event in Montreal on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Brandon McNulty, of the United States, celebrates winning the men's elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships cycling event in Montreal, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Brandon McNulty, of the United States, is hugged by his wife Summer after winning the men's elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships cycling event in Montreal on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

The New York Giants acquired quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick, adding another young player at the most important position in football less than a week after learning Jaxson Dart would be out for at least the rest of the regular season.

The Vikings announced the trade Monday pending McCarthy passing a physical. Dart had surgery last week on his left knee after getting injured early in a loss at the Los Angeles Rams.

Jameis Winston started and the Giants beat Tennessee on Sunday, despite not scoring a touchdown and having just 238 yards of offense. Coach John Harbaugh said afterward that Winston would get the nod again this Sunday against Arizona but hinted that the Giants were not content to stand pat in Dart's absence.

“The plans are the plans,” Harbaugh said. “The opportunities that you have are the opportunities you have. No matter what, we’re going to do everything we can to make our team as strong as we can based on what options we have.”

The first opportunity turned out to be adding McCarthy, the 10th pick in the 2024 draft who lost the starting job in Minnesota to Kyler Murray and fell behind Carson Wentz on the depth chart. McCarthy started 10 games last season, completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

McCarthy missed what would have been his rookie season after injuring his right knee. He was picked a year ahead of Dart, but each was born in 2003, with McCarthy being just four months older.

Long term, that sets up a fascinating situation for New York, with Dart, Winston and McCarthy all under contract for next season. For now, McCarthy provides competition for Winston, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that another QB is added to the mix.

By making this aggressive move, Harbaugh, general manager Joe Schoen and the Giants are doubling down on trying to contend this season, even after losing Dart and with concerns over edge rusher Brian Burns' knee injury that knocked the organization's best defensive player out of the game against the Titans.

There is familial familiarity with McCarthy, who won the national title at Michigan in his final college season playing for John's younger brother Jim Harbaugh.

For the Vikings, the trade served as yet another reminder of the quarterback carousel the franchise has continually found itself on. Murray and Wentz are set to be free agents next spring, so the organization will yet again be forced to make multiple decisions and evaluations about who to build around for next season and beyond. Murray became the ninth different starting quarterback since Kirk Cousins took the field at Green Bay on Oct. 29, 2023, and tore his Achilles tendon.

McCarthy was the fifth quarterback taken among the record six selected in the first 12 picks in the 2024 draft, when Caleb Williams to Chicago, Jayden Daniels to Washington and Drake Maye to New England went with the first three spots. Michael Penix was picked eighth by Atlanta, followed by McCarthy at No. 10 and Bo Nix to Denver at No. 12.

McCarthy lost only three games as the starter through high school and college, including a 27-1 record at Michigan on the way to the championship, but he came to the Vikings with minimal experience as a pro-style passer after being in Jim Harbaugh's run-heavy offense. The energy and toughness that helped McCarthy become a winner and a leader at the lower levels worked against him at times last season, with a tendency for recklessness and a pattern of inaccuracy that contributed to his disappointing debut.

Coach Kevin O’Connell’s credentials as a play designer, play caller and QB mentor gave the Vikings plenty of confidence that McCarthy could thrive with them, but a torn meniscus in his first preseason game required surgery and delayed his first professional game until Sept. 8, 2025.

The success Sam Darnold had under O’Connell in 2024 contributed to the decision to let him leave as a free agent and build around McCarthy and his salary cap-friendly rookie contract, but the combination of immaturity, inexperience and injuries was too much for the Vikings to overcome last year. McCarthy missed time because of a sprained ankle, a concussion and a broken hand.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

FILE - Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy looks to pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)

FILE - Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up with teammates before an NFL preseason football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Aug. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)

FILE - Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before an NFL preseason football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Aug. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)