WorldTour Riders Return to Lace-Up Shoes at Worlds
At least 18 elite riders at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal — including Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič — raced in traditional lace-up cycling shoes rather than modern dial-closure systems. Shoe brand Specialized attributes the choice to gains in aerodynamics, weight, and fit precision. The trend illustrates a deliberate performance trade-off: riders are surrendering mid-race adjustability for optimised shoe fit.
- 18-plus WorldTour starters at Worlds chose lace-up over dial-closure shoes.
- Aerodynamics, weight savings, and precise fit are the cited advantages.
- Riders accept loss of on-the-fly adjustment as the performance trade-off.
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