Setting the Worlds on Fire Challenge

Our inspiration for this challenge is the 2026 World Road Championships in Montreal where riders will have to climb the iconic Mount Royale lap after lap. The winner, the World Champion, will inevitably put on the afterburners (probably on the hill). 

The circuit was first used in1974, the first time the World Cycling Championships were held outside of Europe. Eddy Merckx won the men's and Genevieve Gambillon took the women's title.

Here's their stories: https://www.uci.org/article/50th-anniversary-of-the-1974-uci-road-world-championships-in-montreal-eddy/4RlHemhdDAiNHMk0uAC2QD

So…Let’s do our part and celebrate this year’s Worlds with a Challenge

The Challenge: You choose a hill that simulates the climb up Mount Royal officially known as “Voie Camillien-Houde”. 

The Challenge:

-            1. Find a hill

-            2. Name the hill

-            3. That’s your hill

-            4. Go up the hill 5 times between now and Halloween

-            5. Send us the name of your hill and its location to youngstraining@gmail.com

THEN...

-            6. You WIN

The Rules:

-            Your hill must have at least 90 meters or 300 feet of elevation gain

-            Your hill must have at least a 5% average grade

-            Your hill must be between 1km (5/8 mi) and 3km (2mi) long

-            You must be able to plot your hill (show it on a map even if it’s on ZWIFT)

-            You may enter as many as 3x (15 times up your hill)

-            Entries close on Devil’s Night (October30, 2026)

Entry example format:

Subject: Setting the Worlds on Fire Challenge

Roger - The graveyard shift - 5x - Strava segment: Griffith 1st Segment

(you may also show a pic of a map, map coordinates), or just plain location description)

EXAMPLE OF A HILL

Here’s my hill. I’ll call it “The graveyard shift” because it looks down on Forest Lawn Cemetery. Someone named the Strava segment (circled below):

THE SPECS ON THE CLIMB UP MOUNT ROYALE

THE WORLDS CIRCUIT