The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial. In addition, women's world championship events are held for the same events in the same manner ; under 23 world championship for cyclists under the age of 23 years old; junior world championships for cyclists under the age of 19 years old.
- The winner of the UCI Road World Championships Road Race 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 'massed start' road race, the winner being the first across the line at the completion of the full race distance.
- The winner of the UCI Road World Championships Time Trial is considered the World Time Trial Champion and earns the right to wear the Rainbow Jersey for a full year in individual time trial (ITT) events or stages (for example, the prologue and ITT stages at the Tour de France or other stage races).
Both the road race and individual time trial events are competed by riders organized by national cycling teams as opposed to commercially sponsored or trade teams, which is the standard in professional cycling.
[edit] History
The first professional World Cycling Championship took place in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was won by Alfredo Binda, of Italy. The recent years, the race is held towards the end of the European season, usually following the Vuelta a España. 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.
The elite men's race is usually won by riders on the UCI ProTour or its predecessor, the UCI World Cup. 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.
[edit] Medalists
Only five cyclists have successfully defended their title (three Belgians and two Italians): 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).
[edit] Multiple winners
| Wins | Name and country | Years |
| 3 |  Alfredo Binda (ITA) | 1927, 1930, 1932 |
 Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) | 1949, 1956, 1957 |
| Eddy Merckx (BEL) | 1967, 1971, 1974 |
 Óscar Freire (ESP) | 1999, 2001, 2004 |
| 2 | Georges Ronsse (BEL) | 1928, 1929 |
| Briek Schotte (BEL) | 1948, 1950 |
| Rik Van Looy (BEL) | 1960, 1961 |
| Freddy Maertens (BEL) | 1976, 1981 |
 Greg LeMond (USA) | 1983, 1989 |
| Gianni Bugno (ITA) | 1991, 1992 |
| Paolo Bettini (ITA) | 2006, 2007 |
[edit] Medallists by nation
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The record of Russia includes a silver medal won by a Russian rider in a team representing the Soviet Union
