The professional World Cycling Championship is organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and is a single 'massed start' road race, the winner being the first across the line at the completion of the full race distance.
The victor earns the right to wear the Rainbow jersey for a full year. Unlike other UCI-sanctioned races, the World Cycling Championship is competed for by nationality, not by commercial teams. The race is usually held towards the end of the European season, usually following the Vuelta a España.
There are also world cycling championships for track cycling and individual time trial (ITT) disciplines, among others.
The World Time-Trial Championship, an ITT event, is usually held on the same week and at the same venue as the road race. The winner of this event also earns the right to wear a slightly different rainbow jersey in ITT events for a full year.
The World Cycling Championship, along with the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, forms the Triple Crown of Cycling.
The first professional World Cycling Championship took place in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was won by Alfredo Binda, of Italy.
Only four cyclists have succesfully defended their title (three Belgians and one Italian): Georges Ronsse (Belgium, 1928-29); Rik Van Steenbergen (Belgium, 1956-57); Rik Van Looy (Belgium, 1960-61); Gianni Bugno (Italy, 1991-92).
Palmares
World Cycling Champions:
| Year |
Venue |
World Champion
|
| 1927 |
Nürburgring, Germany |
Alfredo Binda , Italy
|
| 1928 |
Budapest, Hungary |
Georges Ronsse, Belgium
|
| 1929 |
Zürich, Switzerland |
Georges Ronsse, Belgium
|
| 1930 |
Liège, Belgium |
Alfredo Binda, Italy
|
| 1931 |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Learco Guerra, Italy
|
| 1932 |
Rome, Italy |
Alfredo Binda, Italy
|
| 1933 |
Montlhery, France |
Georges Speicher, France
|
| 1934 |
Leipzig, Germany |
Karel Kaers, Belgium
|
| 1935 |
Floreffe, Belgium |
Jean Aerts, Belgium
|
| 1936 |
Bern, Switzerland |
Antonin Magne, France
|
| 1937 |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Eloi Meulenberg, Belgium
|
| 1938 |
Valkenburg, Netherlands |
Marcel Kint, Belgium
|
| No championships 1939-1945 due to World War II
|
| 1946 |
Zürich, Switzerland |
Hans Knecht, Switzerland
|
| 1947 |
Rheims, France |
Theo Middelkamp, Netherlands
|
| 1948 |
Valkenburg, Netherlands |
Briek Schotte, Belgium
|
| 1949 |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Rik Van Steenbergen, Belgium
|
| 1950 |
Moorslede, Belgium |
Briek Schotte, Belgium
|
| 1951 |
Varese, Italy |
Ferdi Kubler, Switzerland
|
| 1952 |
Luxembourg, Luxembourg |
Heinz Müller, FRG
|
| 1953 |
Lugano, Switzerland |
Fausto Coppi, Italy
|
| 1954 |
Solingen, FRG |
Louison Bobet, France
|
| 1955 |
Frascati, Italy |
Stan Ockers, Belgium
|
| 1956 |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Rik Van Steenbergen, Belgium
|
| 1957 |
Waregem, Belgium |
Rik Van Steenbergen, Belgium
|
| 1958 |
Rheims, France |
Ercole Baldini, Italy
|
| 1959 |
Zandvoort, Netherlands |
André Darrigade, France
|
| 1960 |
Chemnitz, GDR |
Rik Van Looy, Belgium
|
| 1961 |
Bern, Switzerland |
Rik Van Looy, Belgium
|
| 1962 |
Salò di Garda, Italy |
Jean Stablinski, France
|
| 1963 |
Ronse, Belgium |
Benoni Beheyt, Belgium
|
| 1964 |
Sallanches, France |
Jan Janssen, Netherlands
|
| 1965 |
San Sebastian, Spain |
Tom Simpson, UK
|
| 1966 |
Nürburgring, FRG |
Rudi Altig, FRG
|
| 1967 |
Heerlen, Netherlands |
Eddy Merckx, Belgium
|
| 1968 |
Imola, Italy |
Vittorio Adorni, Italy
|
| 1969 |
Zolder, Belgium |
Harm Ottenbros, Netherlands
|
| 1970 |
Leicester, Great Britain |
Jean-Pierre Monséré, Belgium
|
| 1971 |
Mendrisio, Switzerland |
Eddy Merckx, Belgium
|
| 1972 |
Gap, France |
Marino Basso, Italy
|
| 1973 |
Barcelona, Spain |
Felice Gimondi, Italy
|
| 1974 |
Montreal, Canada |
Eddy Merckx, Belgium
|
| 1975 |
Yvoir, Belgium |
Hennie Kuiper, Netherlands
|
| 1976 |
Ostuni, Italy |
Freddy Maertens, Belgium
|
| 1977 |
San Christóbal, Venezuela |
Francesco Moser, Italy
|
| 1978 |
Nürburgring, FRG |
Gerrie Knetemann, Netherlands
|
| 1979 |
Valkenburg, Netherlands |
Jan Raas, Netherlands
|
| 1980 |
Sallanches, France |
Bernard Hinault, France
|
| 1981 |
Prague, Czechoslovakia |
Freddy Maertens, Belgium
|
| 1982 |
Goodwood, UK |
Giuseppe Saronni, Italy
|
| 1983 |
Altenrhein, Switzerland |
Greg LeMond, USA
|
| 1984 |
Barcelona, Spain |
Claude Criquielion, Belgium
|
| 1985 |
Giavera di Montello, Italy |
Joop Zoetemelk, Netherlands
|
| 1986 |
Colorado Springs, USA |
Moreno Argentin, Italy
|
| 1987 |
Villach, Austria |
Stephen Roche, Ireland
|
| 1988 |
Ronse, Belgium |
Maurizio Fondriest, Italy
|
| 1989 |
Chambéry, France |
Greg LeMond, USA
|
| 1990 |
Utsunomiya, Japan |
Rudy Dhaenens, Belgium
|
| 1991 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
Gianni Bugno, Italy
|
| 1992 |
Benidorm, Spain |
Gianni Bugno, Italy
|
| 1993 |
Oslo, Norway |
Lance Armstrong, USA
|
| 1994 |
Agrigento, Italy |
Luc Leblanc, France
|
| 1995 |
Duitama, Colombia |
Abraham Olano, Spain
|
| 1996 |
Lugano, Switzerland |
Johan Museeuw, Belgium
|
| 1997 |
San Sebastian, Spain |
Laurent Brochard, France
|
| 1998 |
Valkenburg, Netherlands |
Oskar Camenzind, Switzerland
|
| 1999 |
Verona, Italy |
Óscar Freire, Spain
|
| 2000 |
Plouay, France |
Romans Vainsteins, Latvia
|
| 2001 |
Lisbon, Portugal |
Óscar Freire, Spain
|
| 2002 |
Zolder/Hasselt, Belgium |
Mario Cipollini, Italy
|
| 2003 |
Hamilton, Canada |
Igor Astarloa, Spain
|
| 2004 |
Verona, Italy |
Óscar Freire, Spain
|
| 2005 |
Madrid, Spain |
Tom Boonen, Belgium
|
| 2006 |
Salzburg, Austria |
|
World Time-Trial Champions:
| Year |
Venue |
World Champion
|
| 1994 |
Catania, Italy |
Chris Boardman, UK
|
| 1995 |
Paipa-Tunja, Colombia |
Miguel Indurain, Spain
|
| 1996 |
Lugano, Switzerland |
Alex Zülle, Switzerland
|
| 1997 |
San Sebastian, Spain |
Laurent Jalabert, France
|
| 1998 |
Valkenburg, Netherlands |
Abraham Olano, Spain
|
| 1999 |
Treviso, Italy |
Jan Ullrich, Germany
|
| 2000 |
Plouay, France |
Serhiy Honchar, Ukraine
|
| 2001 |
Lisbon, Portugal |
Jan Ullrich, Germany
|
| 2002 |
Zolder/Hasselt, Belgium |
Santiago Botero, Colombia
|
| 2003 |
Hamilton, Canada |
Michael Rogers, Australia †
|
| 2004 |
Bardolino, Italy |
Michael Rogers, Australia
|
| 2005 |
Madrid, Spain |
Michael Rogers, Australia
|
| 2006 |
Salzburg, Austria |
|
† David Millar won the race, but later confessed having used Epogen.
Therefore the UCI decided to grant the title to second-placed Rogers.
Country wins:
- Belgium, 25 wins
- Italy, 16 wins
- France, 8 wins
- Netherlands, 7 wins
- Spain, 5 wins
- Switzerland and United States, 3 wins
- Federal Republic of Germany, 2 wins
- United Kingdom, Ireland and Latvia, 1 win
See also