McNulty Seals the Deal: World Champ's First Rainbow Win at Veneto Classic

Three weeks after shocking the peloton in Montréal, Brandon McNulty had one last shot at cementing his new rainbow status before the 2026 road season closed its books. At the Veneto Classic on Sunday, the American delivered — emphatically, and in a style that looked awfully familiar to everyone who watched him solo away in Canada.

McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) powered clear of breakaway partner Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility) with 10 kilometres remaining on the 157.6 km route from Cittadella to Bassano del Grappa, crossing the line more than a minute ahead of the Norwegian in what was effectively a one-man time trial finale. It was professional victory number 24 for the 28-year-old Arizonan, and the one that finally let him parade the rainbow jersey on a top step.

The Race That Took All Day to Break Open

The Veneto Classic has quietly become one of Italy's most interesting autumn tests. Its route through the Venetian pre-Alps mixes smooth tarmac with punchy climbs and, crucially, a late unpaved passage — the Diesel Farm sector — that tears the peloton apart in the final 10 kilometres. This year's edition ran 157.6 km, and for the opening two-thirds of the race, no move stuck.

A powerful 21-rider lead group eventually established itself, with UAE stacking the odds by placing Filippo Baroncini, Benoît Cosnefroy and Pavel Sivakov around their world champion. Among the other major names making the selection were Marc Hirschi, Diego Ulissi and Charmig, who has been in outstanding form throughout the autumn.

McNulty triggered the first serious selection roughly 64 kilometres from home, forming a six-rider lead group before chasers clawed back contact. Further attacks followed, and eventually it came down to two: McNulty and Charmig, alone at the front with 40 kilometres left to race.

Diesel Farm: Where the Race Was Won

The key obstacle on the Veneto Classic route is Diesel Farm — just over a kilometre of unpaved climbing averaging better than 10 per cent gradient. It is preceded by the Strada Soarda (500 metres at 9.4 per cent), which summits four kilometres from the finish in Bassano del Grappa. On paper, these are not enormous numbers. In practice, after nearly four hours of racing, they are leg-snappers.

McNulty and Charmig had built a 30-second lead over the chasers with 34 kilometres to go, and that gap roughly doubled as the groups behind them fractured. Then, with 10 kilometres remaining, McNulty went again. His acceleration over Diesel Farm left Charmig flailing, and by the six-kilometre mark the world champion had a 20-second cushion that grew with every pedal stroke.

He finished 1:05 ahead of Charmig, who held on for solo second. Pavel Sivakov emerged from a battered chase group to collect third, 1:30 back, giving UAE Team Emirates-XRG a remarkable 1-3 on the day.

The Rainbow Jersey Effect — and How McNulty Handled It

Winning a world title changes everything about how you race. Every team studies your tendencies, every move you make is covered, every attack you launch is marked. McNulty acknowledged the shift frankly after the finish. "When you're in the jersey like this, you're watched by everyone," he said. "But the team is super strong and did everything."

His route to the rainbow bands was itself spectacular. In Montréal at the UCI Road World Championships in late September, McNulty launched a solo attack from 33 kilometres out, holding off Michael Matthews and Mathieu van der Poel to become only the third American man to wear the elite men's road race rainbow jersey — following Greg LeMond (1983 and 1989) and Lance Armstrong (1993), a 33-year wait ended in one explosive afternoon.

Since then, he had posted a second place at the Coppa Agostoni and fifth at Il Lombardia, results that show the jersey came with a target painted on his back. Sunday's win was his first time stepping back onto the top step since the world title itself.

What the Numbers Say About McNulty's Late-Season Form

Look past the headline result and the data paints the picture of a rider who has peaked at exactly the right moment of his career. His season tally now sits at 24 professional victories. The Veneto Classic win clocked in at 3 hours 32 minutes 57 seconds for 157.6 km — a race average of just over 44 km/h over terrain that includes multiple categorised climbs and an unpaved sector.

The pattern of his attacks — both in Montréal and here — shows a rider who thrives when races become selective time-trial efforts on punishing gradients. His ability to sustain a high power output after repeated accelerations is the calling card of an elite all-rounder, and it is a pattern that should concern rivals heading into 2027.

What This Means for Your Riding

McNulty's finishing move at Veneto Classic is a textbook example of tactical patience followed by a single decisive effort. He didn't chase every move; he let UAE's team structure do the work in the early race, conserved enough to launch hard once when it mattered, and then rode as if the finish line was a TT effort. For amateur riders tackling hilly sportives or gravel events with mixed-surface climbs, that sequencing — containment, positioning, one explosive push — is the most energy-efficient way to race. Save the matches, pick your climb, and don't look back.