UCI Road World Championships

{{short description|Annual world championships for bicycle road racing}}

{{Infobox recurring event | name = UCI Road World Championships | native_name = | native_name_lang = | logo = Union Cycliste Internationale logo.svg | logo_caption = | image = | caption = | status = Active | genre = Road bicycle racing | date = August–September | frequency = Annually | location = Various | first = 1921 | prev = 2025 | next = 2026 | organised = UCI | website = | current = 2026 UCI Road World Championships | footnotes = }} The '''UCI Road World Championships''' are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the {{Lang|fr|Union Cycliste Internationale|italic=no}} (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and {{As of|2019||lc=y}}, a mixed team relay.

==Events== thumb|400x400px|Timeline of the UCI Road World Championships Races (1921-2025) All the world championship events are ridden by national teams, not trade teams such as in most other major races. The winner of each category is entitled to wear the rainbow jersey in races of that category<ref name=":1" /> (either mass start or time trial) until the next championships. It currently includes the following championships:

*Elite Men's road race *Elite Men's time trial *Under-23 Men's road race *Under-23 Men's time trial *Junior Men's road race *Junior Men's time trial *Elite Women's road race *Elite Women's time trial *Under-23 Women's road race *Under-23 Women's time trial *Junior Women's road race *Junior Women's time trial *Mixed team relay

Former events: *Men's amateur road race (1921–1995) *Men's team time trial (1962–2018) *Women's team time trial (1987–2018)

==History== [[File:Wereldkampioenentrui, lint en pet van Jean-Pierre Monseré, Leicester, 1970 (collectie KOERS. Museum van de Wielersport).jpg|thumb|260px|Outfit of Jean-Pierre Monseré as world champion (1970), consisting of victory ribbon, cap, medal and rainbow jersey (collection KOERS. Museum of Cycle Racing)]]

The first world championships took place in 1921, though the only event that was contested was the men's road race for amateurs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports123.com/rcy/mw-rra.html |title=Road Cycling: World Championships: Men: Road Race for Amateurs |publisher=Sports 123 |access-date=2013-10-15 |archive-date=2004-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040814043803/http://sports123.com/rcy/mw-rra.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first professional world championship took place in July 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany where Italian Alfredo Binda won the professional men's race and Belgian Jean Aerts won the men's amateur race. The women's road race was introduced in 1958.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Mikkelsen |first=Sebastian |date=7 August 2023 |title=Cycling: Full list of men's and women's road race world champions |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/cycling-list-men-women-road-race-world-champions |access-date=7 May 2024 |website=Olympics.com}}</ref> A men's team time trial, contested by national teams, was introduced in 1962. Beginning in 1972, the team time trial was discontinued in Olympic years only. Individual time trials in all categories were added in 1994, which was also the last year for the original incarnation of the men's team time trial. In 2012, the men's team time trial was reinstated, and a women's team time trial added to the program; both were contested by trade teams. In 2019, the team time trial events for men and women were replaced by a mixed relay team time trial.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cotton |first=Jim |date=2021-09-21 |title=Mixed relay team time trial explainer: What is it, how does it work, why should we care? |url=https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/mixed-relay-time-trial-explainer-what-is-it-how-does-it-work-why-should-we-care/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=Velo |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2020, no under-23 or junior races were contested at the Championships owing to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, under-23 riders were eligible to compete in the elite races.{{sfn|''Technical Guide''|2020|pp=32, 42}}

Until 1995, there were separate races for male professional and amateur riders. In 1996, the amateur category was replaced with a category for men under-23 years old, with the professional category becoming an open (later elite) category.

Since 1995 until 2022, the event has been held towards the end of the European season in late September, usually following the {{Lang|es|Vuelta a España|italic=no}}. Before that, the event had always been a summer race, held in late August or the first week of September (except for 1970, when it was a mid-season summer event). An exception to this was in 2023, when it was held in August as part of a combined multi-disciplinary UCI Cycling World Championships, intended to be held every four years. The next edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships will be held in the Haute-Savoie region of France in 2027.

The world championships are located in a different city or region every year. The event can be held over a relatively flat course which, in the case of the road race, favors cycling sprinters or a hilly course which favors a climbing specialist or all-rounder. In each case, the latter part of course is usually held on a circuit, of which the riders complete multiple laps.

The world championship road race and two of the three Grand Tours (namely the {{lang|it|Giro d'Italia|italic=no}} and the {{Lang|fr|Tour de France|italic=no}}) form the Triple Crown of Cycling.

==Editions== Note: Not held from 1939 to 1945 because of World War II.

{| | {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" |- !width=30|Edition !width=30|Year !width=150|Location !width=200|Host country !width=30|Events |- | align=center|1 || 1921 || Copenhagen || {{DEN}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|2 || 1922 || Liverpool || {{GBR2}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|3 || 1923 || Zürich || {{SUI}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|4 || 1924 || Paris || {{FRA}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|5 || 1925 || Apeldoorn || {{NED}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|6 || 1926 || Milan || {{flagcountry|ITA|1861}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|7 || 1927 || Nürburgring || {{GER}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|8 || 1928 || Budapest || {{flagcountry|HUN|1920}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|9 || 1929 || Zürich || {{SUI}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|10 || 1930 || Liège || {{BEL}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|11 || 1931 || Copenhagen || {{DEN}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|12 || 1932 || Rome || {{flagcountry|ITA|1861}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|13 || 1933 || Montlhéry || {{FRA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|14 || 1934 || Leipzig || {{flagcountry|GER|1933}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|15 || 1935 || Floreffe || {{BEL}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|16 || 1936 || Bern || {{SUI}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|17 || 1937 || Copenhagen || {{DEN}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|18 || 1938 || Valkenburg || {{NED}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|19 || 1946 || Zürich || {{SUI}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|20 || 1947 || Reims || {{FRA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|21 || 1948 || Valkenburg || {{NED}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|22 || 1949 || Copenhagen || {{DEN}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|23 || 1950 || Moorslede || {{BEL}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|24 || 1951 || Varese || {{ITA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|25 || 1952 || Luxembourg || {{LUX}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|26 || 1953 || Lugano || {{SUI}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|27 || 1954 || Solingen || {{FRG}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|28 || 1955 || Frascati || {{ITA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|29 || 1956 || Copenhagen || {{DEN}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|30 || 1957 || Waregem || {{BEL}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|31 || 1958 || Reims || {{FRA}} || align=center|3 |- | align=center|32 || 1959 || Zandvoort || {{NED}} || align=center|3 |- | align=center|33 || 1960 || Karl-Marx-Stadt || {{GDR}} || align=center|3 |- | align=center|34 || 1961 || Bern || {{SUI}} || align=center|3 |- | align=center|35 || 1962 || Salò di Garda || {{ITA}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|36 || 1963 || Ronse || {{BEL}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|37 || 1964 || Sallanches || {{FRA}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|38 || 1965 || San Sebastián || {{flagcountry|ESP|1945}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|39 || 1966 || Nürburgring || {{FRG}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|40 || 1967 || Heerlen || {{NED}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|41 || 1968 || Imola || {{ITA}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|42 || 1969 || Zolder || {{BEL}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|43 || 1970 || Leicester || {{GBR2}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|44 || 1971 || Mendrisio || {{SUI}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|45 || 1972 || Gap || {{FRA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|46 || 1973 || Barcelona || {{flagcountry|ESP|1945}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|47 || 1974 || Montreal || {{CAN}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|48 || 1975 || Yvoir || {{BEL}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|49 || 1976 || Ostuni || {{ITA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|50 || 1977 || San Cristóbal || {{flagcountry|VEN|1930}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|51 || 1978 || Nürburgring || {{FRG}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|52 || 1979 || Valkenburg || {{NED}} || align=center|4 |} |valign=top| {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" |- !width=30|Edition !width=30|Year !width=150|Location !width=200|Host country !width=30|Events |- | align=center|53 || 1980 || Sallanches || {{FRA}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|54 || 1981 || Prague || {{TCH}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|55 || 1982 || Chichester || {{GBR2}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|56 || 1983 || Altenrhein || {{SUI}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|57 || 1984 || Barcelona || {{ESP}} || align=center|1 |- | align=center|58 || 1985 || Giavera del Montello || {{ITA}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|59 || 1986 || Colorado Springs || {{USA}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|60 || 1987 || Villach || {{AUT}} || align=center|5 |- | align=center|61 || 1988 || Ronse || {{BEL}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|62 || 1989 || Chambéry || {{FRA}} || align=center|5 |- | align=center|63 || 1990 || Utsunomiya || {{flagcountry|JPN|1947}} || align=center|5 |- | align=center|64 || 1991 || Stuttgart || {{GER}} || align=center|5 |- | align=center|65 || 1992 || Benidorm || {{ESP}} || align=center|2 |- | align=center|66 || 1993 || Oslo || {{NOR}} || align=center|5 |- | align=center|67 || 1994 || Agrigento || {{ITA}} || align=center|7 |- | align=center|68 || 1995 || Duitama || {{COL}} || align=center|5 |- | align=center|69 || 1996 || Lugano || {{SUI}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|70 || 1997 || San Sebastián || {{ESP}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|71 || 1998 || Valkenburg || {{NED}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|72 || 1999 || Verona || {{ITA}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|73 || 2000 || Plouay || {{FRA}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|74 || 2001 || Lisbon || {{POR}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|75 || 2002 || Zolder || {{BEL}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|76 || 2003 || Hamilton || {{CAN}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|77 || 2004 || Verona || {{flagcountry|ITA|2003}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|78 || 2005 || Madrid || {{ESP}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|79 || 2006 || Salzburg || {{AUT}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|80 || 2007 || Stuttgart ||{{GER}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|81 || 2008 || Varese || {{ITA}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|82 || 2009 || Mendrisio || {{SUI}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|83 || 2010 || Geelong || {{AUS}} || align=center|6 |- | align=center|84 || 2011 || Copenhagen || {{DEN}} || align=center|10 |- | align=center|85 || 2012 || Valkenburg || {{NED}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|86 || 2013 || Florence || {{ITA}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|87 || 2014 || Ponferrada || {{ESP}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|88 || 2015 || Richmond || {{USA}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|89 || 2016 || Doha || {{QAT}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|90 || 2017 || Bergen || {{NOR}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|91 || 2018 || Innsbruck || {{AUT}} || align=center|12 |- | align=center|92 || 2019 || Harrogate || {{GBR2}} || align=center|11 |- | align=center|93 || 2020 || Imola{{Efn|Originally planned to be held in the Aigle and Martigny area in Switzerland, however this was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic}}|| {{ITA}} || align=center|4 |- | align=center|94 || 2021 || Flanders || {{BEL}} || align=center|11 |- | align=center|95 || 2022 || Wollongong || {{AUS}} || align=center|11{{Efn|13 titles were given out in the course of the 11 events, as women in the U23 age category participated in the elite events}} |- | align=center|96 || 2023 || Glasgow{{Efn|Held in conjunction with the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships}}|| {{GBR2}} || align=center|11{{Efn|13 titles were given out in the course of the 11 events, as women in the U23 age category participated in the elite events}} |- | align=center|97 || 2024 || Zurich{{Efn|Held alongside the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships}}|| {{SUI}} || align=center|11{{Efn|13 titles were given out in the course of the 11 events, as women in the U23 age category participated in the elite events}} |- | align=center|98 || 2025 || Kigali || {{RWA}} || align=center|13 |- | align=center|99 || 2026 || Montreal || {{CAN}} || align=center|13 |- | align=center|100 || 2027 || Haute-Savoie{{Efn|To be held in conjunction with the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships}}|| {{FRA}} || align=center|13 |- | align=center|101 || 2028 || Abu Dhabi || {{UAE}} || align=center|13 |- | align=center|102 || 2029 || Aarhus/Copenhagen ||{{DEN}} || align=center|13 |- | align=center|103 || 2030 || Brussels || {{BEL}} || align=center|13 |- | align="center" |104||2031||Trentino{{Efn|To be held in conjunction with the 2031 UCI Cycling World Championships}}||{{ITA}}|| align="center" |13 |} |}

==Hosts== :''Updated after 2025 UCI Road World Championships.''

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Times !! Nations |- | align=center|14 || {{ITA}} |- | align=center|11 || {{SUI}} |- | align=center|10 || {{BEL}} |- | align=center|9 || {{FRA}} |- | align=center|8 || {{GER}} - {{NED}} |- | align=center|7 || {{ESP}} |- | align=center|6 || {{DEN}} |- | align=center|5 || {{GBR2}} |- | align=center|3 || {{AUT}} |- | align=center|2 || {{AUS}} - {{CAN}} - {{NOR}} - {{USA}} |- | align=center|1 || {{COL}} - {{TCH}} - {{HUN}} - {{JPN}} - {{LUX}} - {{POR}} - {{QAT}} - {{RWA}} - {{VEN}} |}

== All medals == [[File:Wereldkampioenenwielerpak, Annemiek Van Vleuten, 2020 - frontaal (WU4697 - collectie KOERS. Museum van de Wielersport).jpg|thumb|Rainbow jersey of Annemiek van Vleuten, winner of the women's road race at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships (collection of KOERS. Museum of Cycle Racing)]]

:''Updated after the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.''

The medal table includes only medals won in senior events. Mixed-nationality team events, including the Team Time Trial held from 2012 to 2018, are excluded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rainbow Jersey |url=https://servicekoers.be/en/digi-expos/word-championships-jerseys |website=KOERS Museum |access-date=7 May 2026}}</ref>

{{Medals table | caption = | host = | flag_template = flagcountry | event = | team = | gold_ITA = 55 | silver_ITA = 50 | bronze_ITA = 45 | gold_BEL = 42 | silver_BEL = 34 | bronze_BEL = 33 | gold_NED = 41 | silver_NED = 35 | bronze_NED = 30 | gold_FRA = 35 | silver_FRA = 34 | bronze_FRA = 31 | gold_SUI = 18 | silver_SUI = 25 | bronze_SUI = 23 | gold_GER = 14 | silver_GER = 17 | bronze_GER = 21 | gold_GBR = 15 | silver_GBR = 11 | bronze_GBR = 13 | gold_URS = 12 | silver_URS = 16 | bronze_URS = 16 | name_URS = ''{{URS}}'' | gold_USA = 15 | silver_USA = 15 | bronze_USA = 13 | gold_GDR = 10 | silver_GDR = 2 | bronze_GDR = 4 | name_GDR = ''{{GDR}}'' | gold_ESP = 10 | silver_ESP = 14 | bronze_ESP = 18 | gold_SWE = 10 | silver_SWE = 5 | bronze_SWE = 7 | gold_POL = 7 | silver_POL = 7 | bronze_POL = 5 | gold_DEN = 7 | silver_DEN = 11 | bronze_DEN = 11 | gold_AUS = 7 | silver_AUS = 15 | bronze_AUS = 8 | gold_FRG = 4 | silver_FRG = 4 | bronze_FRG = 5 | name_FRG = ''{{FRG}}'' | gold_RUS = 4 | silver_RUS = 4 | bronze_RUS = 4 | gold_LTU = 3 | silver_LTU = 3 | bronze_LTU = 5 | gold_SVK = 3 | silver_SVK = 3 | bronze_SVK = 0 | gold_NOR = 3 | silver_NOR = 2 | bronze_NOR = 5 | gold_COL = 2 | silver_COL = 1 | bronze_COL = 2 | gold_BLR = 2 | silver_BLR = 0 | bronze_BLR = 1 | gold_LUX = 1 | silver_LUX = 3 | bronze_LUX = 4 | gold_NZL = 1 | silver_NZL = 4 | bronze_NZL = 2 | gold_UKR = 1 | silver_UKR = 2 | bronze_UKR = 1 | gold_IRL = 1 | silver_IRL = 1 | bronze_IRL = 4 | gold_LAT = 1 | silver_LAT = 1 | bronze_LAT = 0 | gold_POR = 1 | silver_POR = 0 | bronze_POR = 0 | gold_CAN = 1 | silver_CAN = 3 | bronze_CAN = 3 | gold_TCH = 0 | silver_TCH = 2 | bronze_TCH = 2 | name_TCH = ''{{TCH}}'' | gold_AUT = 0 | silver_AUT = 1 | bronze_AUT = 4 | gold_SLO = 2 | silver_SLO = 1 | bronze_SLO = 2 | gold_HUN = 0 | silver_HUN = 1 | bronze_HUN = 1 | gold_BRA = 0 | silver_BRA = 1 | bronze_BRA = 0 | gold_KAZ = 0 | silver_KAZ = 0 | bronze_KAZ = 2 | gold_CZE = 0 | silver_CZE = 0 | bronze_CZE = 1 | gold_FIN = 0 | silver_FIN = 0 | bronze_FIN = 1 | gold_URU = 0 | silver_URU = 0 | bronze_URU = 1 }} *

== Countries ==

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{Commons category}} {{reflist}}

{{UCI Road World Championships}} {{UCI Road World Championships events}} {{UCI World Championships}} {{International cycling}} {{Road bicycle racing}} {{Main world championships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uci Road World Championships}} Category:UCI Road World Championships Road World Championships Category:Road bicycle races Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1921