UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race

UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race
Race details
DateEnd of season
DisciplineRoad race
TypeOne-day
OrganiserUCI
History
First edition1927 (1927)
Editions90 (as of 2023)
First winner Alfredo Binda (ITA)
Most wins
3 times
Most recent Mathieu van der Poel (NED)

The UCI Road World Championships Elite Men's Road Race is a one-day event for professional cyclists that takes place annually. The winner is considered the World Cycling Champion (or World Road Cycling Champion) and earns the right to wear the Rainbow Jersey for a full year in road race or stage events. The event is a single 'mass start' road race with the winner being the first across the line at the completion of the full race distance. The road race is contested by riders organized by national cycling teams as opposed to commercially sponsored or trade teams, which is the standard in professional cycling.

History

The first professional World Cycling Championship took place in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was won by Alfredo Binda, of Italy. In recent years, the race is held towards the end of the European season, usually following the Vuelta a España.

The elite men's race is usually won by riders on the UCI World Tour or its predecessors. However, in the past there were separate events for amateur riders, mainly from Eastern bloc countries.

For men at the elite professional level, the World Cycling Championship, along with the Tour de France, and the Giro d'Italia, forms the Triple Crown of Cycling.

Course

The event can be held over either a relatively flat course which favors cycling sprinters or over a hilly course which favors more of a climbing specialist or all-round type of cyclist. It usually involves laps of a circuit with a total race distance over 250 kilometres (160 mi) in length.

Medalists

Alfredo Binda, posing with his third World Championship jersey in 1932
Eddy Merckx celebrating his first professional World Championship in 1967, after winning it as amateur in 1964
Maurizio Fondriest (left) as World Champion at the 1989 Giro d'Italia
Paolo Bettini in the rainbow jersey at the 2008 Tour of California
Cadel Evans in the rainbow jersey at the 2010 Tour de France
Mark Cavendish (centre) is crowned World Champion following the 2011 road race.
Alejandro Valverde wins the 2018 road race in Innsbruck.

Seven cyclists have successfully defended their title (three Belgians, two Italians, a Slovakian and a French): Georges Ronsse (Belgium, 1928–29); Rik Van Steenbergen (Belgium, 1956–57); Rik Van Looy (Belgium, 1960–61); Gianni Bugno (Italy, 1991–92); Paolo Bettini (Italy, 2006–07), Peter Sagan (Slovakia, 2015–17) and Julian Alaphilippe (France, 2020–21). Sagan is the only rider with three straight titles (2015–17). Spaniard Alejandro Valverde has the most total medals by any individual rider with seven (1 gold in 2018; 2 silver in 2003, 2005; 4 bronze in 2006, 2012–14).

Championships Gold Silver Bronze
Men road race medallists
1927 Nürburgring
details
 Alfredo Binda (ITA)  Costante Girardengo (ITA)  Domenico Piemontesi (ITA)
1928 Budapest
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 Georges Ronsse (BEL)  Herbert Nebe (GER)  Bruno Wolke (GER)
1929 Zürich
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 Georges Ronsse (BEL)  Nicolas Frantz (LUX)  Alfredo Binda (ITA)
1930 Liège
details
 Alfredo Binda (ITA)  Learco Guerra (ITA)  Georges Ronsse (BEL)
1931 Copenhagen
details
 Learco Guerra (ITA)  Ferdinand Le Drogo (FRA)  Albert Büchi (SUI)
1932 Rome
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 Alfredo Binda (ITA)  Remo Bertoni (ITA)  Nicolas Frantz (LUX)
1933 Montlhéry
details
 Georges Speicher (FRA)  Antonin Magne (FRA)  Marinus Valentijn (NED)
1934 Leipzig
details
 Karel Kaers (BEL)  Learco Guerra (ITA)  Gustave Danneels (BEL)
1935 Floreffe
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 Jean Aerts (BEL)  Luciano Montero (ESP)  Gustave Danneels (BEL)
1936 Bern
details
 Antonin Magne (FRA)  Aldo Bini (ITA)  Theo Middelkamp (NED)
1937 Copenhagen
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 Éloi Meulenberg (BEL)  Emil Kijewski (GER)  Paul Egli (SUI)
1938 Valkenburg
details
 Marcel Kint (BEL)  Paul Egli (SUI)  Leo Amberg (SUI)
1946 Zürich
details
 Hans Knecht (SUI)  Marcel Kint (BEL)  Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL)
1947 Reims
details
 Theo Middelkamp (NED)  Albert Sercu (BEL)  Sjefke Janssen (NED)
1948 Valkenburg
details
 Briek Schotte (BEL)  Apo Lazaridès (FRA)  Lucien Teisseire (FRA)
1949 Copenhagen
details
 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL)  Ferdinand Kübler (SUI)  Fausto Coppi (ITA)
1950 Moorslede
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 Briek Schotte (BEL)  Theo Middelkamp (NED)  Ferdinand Kübler (SUI)
1951 Varese
details
 Ferdinand Kübler (SUI)  Fiorenzo Magni (ITA)  Antonio Bevilacqua (ITA)
1952 Luxembourg
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 Heinz Müller (FRG)  Gottfried Weilenmann Jr. (SUI)  Ludwig Hörmann (FRG)
1953 Lugano
details
 Fausto Coppi (ITA)  Germain Derycke (BEL)  Stan Ockers (BEL)
1954 Solingen
details
 Louison Bobet (FRA)  Fritz Schaer (SUI)  Charly Gaul (LUX)
1955 Frascati
details
 Stan Ockers (BEL)  Jean-Pierre Schmitz (LUX)  Germain Derycke (BEL)
1956 Copenhagen
details
 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL)  Rik Van Looy (BEL)  Gerrit Schulte (NED)
1957 Waregem
details
 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL)  Louison Bobet (FRA)  André Darrigade (FRA)
1958 Reims
details
 Ercole Baldini (ITA)  Louison Bobet (FRA)  André Darrigade (FRA)
1959 Zandvoort
details
 André Darrigade (FRA)  Michele Gismondi (ITA)  Noël Foré (BEL)
1960 Karl-Marx-Stadt
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 Rik Van Looy (BEL)  André Darrigade (FRA)  Pino Cerami (BEL)
1961 Bern
details
 Rik Van Looy (BEL)  Nino Defilippis (ITA)  Raymond Poulidor (FRA)
1962 Salò di Garda
details
 Jean Stablinski (FRA)  Shay Elliott (IRL)  Jos Hoevenaers (BEL)
1963 Ronse
details
 Benoni Beheyt (BEL)  Rik Van Looy (BEL)  Jo de Haan (NED)
1964 Sallanches
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 Jan Janssen (NED)  Vittorio Adorni (ITA)  Raymond Poulidor (FRA)
1965 San Sebastián
details
 Tom Simpson (GBR)  Rudi Altig (FRG)  Roger Swerts (BEL)
1966 Nürburgring
details
 Rudi Altig (FRG)  Jacques Anquetil (FRA)  Raymond Poulidor (FRA)
1967 Heerlen
details
 Eddy Merckx (BEL)  Jan Janssen (NED)  Ramón Sáez (ESP)
1968 Imola
details
 Vittorio Adorni (ITA)  Herman Van Springel (BEL)  Michele Dancelli (ITA)
1969 Zolder
details
 Harm Ottenbros (NED)  Julien Stevens (BEL)  Michele Dancelli (ITA)
1970 Leicester
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 Jean-Pierre Monseré (BEL)  Leif Mortensen (DEN)  Felice Gimondi (ITA)
1971 Mendrisio
details
 Eddy Merckx (BEL)  Felice Gimondi (ITA)  Cyrille Guimard (FRA)
1972 Gap
details
 Marino Basso (ITA)  Franco Bitossi (ITA)  Cyrille Guimard (FRA)
1973 Barcelona
details
 Felice Gimondi (ITA)  Freddy Maertens (BEL)  Luis Ocaña (ESP)
1974 Montreal
details
 Eddy Merckx (BEL)  Raymond Poulidor (FRA)  Mariano Martínez (FRA)
1975 Yvoir
details
 Hennie Kuiper (NED)  Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL)  Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (FRA)
1976 Ostuni
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 Freddy Maertens (BEL)  Francesco Moser (ITA)  Tino Conti (ITA)
1977 San Cristóbal
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 Francesco Moser (ITA)  Dietrich Thurau (FRG)  Franco Bitossi (ITA)
1978 Nürburgring
details
 Gerrie Knetemann (NED)  Francesco Moser (ITA)  Jørgen Marcussen (DEN)
1979 Valkenburg
details
 Jan Raas (NED)  Dietrich Thurau (FRG)  Jean-René Bernaudeau (FRA)
1980 Sallanches
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 Bernard Hinault (FRA)  Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA)  Juan Fernández (ESP)
1981 Prague
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 Freddy Maertens (BEL)  Giuseppe Saronni (ITA)  Bernard Hinault (FRA)
1982 Goodwood
details
 Giuseppe Saronni (ITA)  Greg LeMond (USA)  Sean Kelly (IRL)
1983 Altenrhein
details
 Greg LeMond (USA)  Adri van der Poel (NED)  Stephen Roche (IRL)
1984 Barcelona
details
 Claude Criquielion (BEL)  Claudio Corti (ITA)  Steve Bauer (CAN)
1985 Giavera del Montello
details
 Joop Zoetemelk (NED)  Greg LeMond (USA)  Moreno Argentin (ITA)
1986 Colorado Springs
details
 Moreno Argentin (ITA)  Charly Mottet (FRA)  Giuseppe Saronni (ITA)
1987 Villach
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 Stephen Roche (IRL)  Moreno Argentin (ITA)  Juan Fernández (ESP)
1988 Ronse
details
 Maurizio Fondriest (ITA)  Martial Gayant (FRA)  Juan Fernández (ESP)
1989 Chambéry
details
 Greg LeMond (USA)  Dimitri Konychev (URS)  Sean Kelly (IRL)
1990 Utsunomiya
details
 Rudy Dhaenens (BEL)  Dirk De Wolf (BEL)  Gianni Bugno (ITA)
1991 Stuttgart
details
 Gianni Bugno (ITA)  Steven Rooks (NED)  Miguel Induráin (ESP)
1992 Benidorm
details
 Gianni Bugno (ITA)  Laurent Jalabert (FRA)  Dimitri Konychev (RUS)
1993 Oslo
details
 Lance Armstrong (USA)  Miguel Induráin (ESP)  Olaf Ludwig (GER)
1994 Agrigento
details
 Luc Leblanc (FRA)  Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)  Richard Virenque (FRA)
1995 Duitama
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 Abraham Olano (ESP)  Miguel Induráin (ESP)  Marco Pantani (ITA)
1996 Lugano
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 Johan Museeuw (BEL)  Mauro Gianetti (SUI)  Michele Bartoli (ITA)
1997 San Sebastián
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 Laurent Brochard (FRA)  Bo Hamburger (DEN)  Léon van Bon (NED)
1998 Valkenburg
details
 Oscar Camenzind (SUI)  Peter Van Petegem (BEL)  Michele Bartoli (ITA)
1999 Verona
details
 Óscar Freire (ESP)  Markus Zberg (SUI)  Jean-Cyril Robin (FRA)
2000 Plouay
details
 Romāns Vainšteins (LAT)  Zbigniew Spruch (POL)  Óscar Freire (ESP)
2001 Lisbon
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 Óscar Freire (ESP)  Paolo Bettini (ITA)  Andrej Hauptman (SLO)
2002 Zolder/Hasselt
details
 Mario Cipollini (ITA)  Robbie McEwen (AUS)  Erik Zabel (GER)
2003 Hamilton
details
 Igor Astarloa (ESP)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)  Peter Van Petegem (BEL)
2004 Verona
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 Óscar Freire (ESP)  Erik Zabel (GER)  Luca Paolini (ITA)
2005 Madrid
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 Tom Boonen (BEL)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)  Anthony Geslin (FRA)
2006 Salzburg
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 Paolo Bettini (ITA)  Erik Zabel (GER)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2007 Stuttgart
details
 Paolo Bettini (ITA)  Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS)  Stefan Schumacher (GER)
2008 Varese
details
 Alessandro Ballan (ITA)  Damiano Cunego (ITA)  Matti Breschel (DEN)
2009 Mendrisio
details
 Cadel Evans (AUS)  Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS)  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)
2010 Geelong
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 Thor Hushovd (NOR)  Matti Breschel (DEN)  Allan Davis (AUS)
2011 Copenhagen
details
 Mark Cavendish (GBR)  Matthew Goss (AUS)  André Greipel (GER)
2012 Valkenburg
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 Philippe Gilbert (BEL)  Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2013 Florence
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 Rui Costa (POR)  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2014 Ponferrada
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 Michał Kwiatkowski (POL)  Simon Gerrans (AUS)  Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2015 Richmond
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 Peter Sagan (SVK)  Michael Matthews (AUS)  Ramūnas Navardauskas (LTU)
2016 Doha
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 Peter Sagan (SVK)  Mark Cavendish (GBR)  Tom Boonen (BEL)
2017 Bergen
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 Peter Sagan (SVK)  Alexander Kristoff (NOR)  Michael Matthews (AUS)
2018 Innsbruck
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 Alejandro Valverde (ESP)  Romain Bardet (FRA)  Michael Woods (CAN)
2019 Yorkshire
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 Mads Pedersen (DEN)  Matteo Trentin (ITA)  Stefan Küng (SUI)
2020 Imola
details
 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)  Wout van Aert (BEL)  Marc Hirschi (SUI)
2021 Flanders
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 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)  Dylan van Baarle (NED)  Michael Valgren (DEN)
2022 Wollongong
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 Remco Evenepoel (BEL)  Christophe Laporte (FRA)  Michael Matthews (AUS)
2023 Glasgow
details
 Mathieu van der Poel (NED)  Wout van Aert (BEL)  Tadej Pogačar (SLO)

Most successful riders

Rank Name and country Gold Silver Bronze Total Winning years
1  Alfredo Binda (ITA) 3 0 1 4 1927, 1930, 1932
 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) 3 0 1 4 1949, 1956, 1957
 Óscar Freire (ESP) 3 0 1 4 1999, 2001, 2004
4  Eddy Merckx (BEL) 3 0 0 3 1967, 1971, 1974
 Peter Sagan (SVK) 3 0 0 3 2015, 2016, 2017
6  Rik Van Looy (BEL) 2 2 0 4 1960, 1961
 Greg LeMond (USA) 2 2 0 4 1983, 1989
8  Freddy Maertens (BEL) 2 1 0 3 1976, 1981
 Paolo Bettini (ITA) 2 1 0 3 2006, 2007
10  Georges Ronsse (BEL) 2 0 1 3 1928, 1929
 Gianni Bugno (ITA) 2 0 1 3 1991, 1992
12  Briek Schotte (BEL) 2 0 0 2 1948, 1950
 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) 2 0 0 2 2020, 2021
14  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) 1 2 4 7 2018
15  Learco Guerra (ITA) 1 2 0 3 1931
 Louison Bobet (FRA) 1 2 0 3 1954
 Francesco Moser (ITA) 1 2 0 3 1977
18  André Darrigade (FRA) 1 1 2 4 1959
19  Theo Middelkamp (NED) 1 1 1 3 1947
 Ferdinand Kübler (SUI) 1 1 1 3 1951
 Felice Gimondi (ITA) 1 1 1 3 1973
 Giuseppe Saronni (ITA) 1 1 1 3 1982
 Moreno Argentin (ITA) 1 1 1 3 1986

Medals per country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Belgium (BEL)27131252
2 Italy (ITA)19211656
3 France (FRA)10131538
4 Netherlands (NED)85619
5 Spain (ESP)661224
6  Switzerland (SUI)36615
7 United States (USA)3205
8 Slovakia (SVK)3003
9 Germany (GER)[1]27615
10 Great Britain (GBR)2103
11 Australia (AUS)1438
12 Denmark (DEN)1337
13 Norway (NOR)1203
14 Ireland (IRL)1135
15 Poland (POL)1102
16 Latvia (LAT)1001
 Portugal (POR)1001
18 Russia (RUS)[2]0314
19 Luxembourg (LUX)0224
20 Canada (CAN)0022
 Slovenia (SLO)0022
22 Lithuania (LTU)0011
Totals (22 entries)909090270
Notes

See also


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