The World Cycling Championships is one of the most important events for cyclists, not only because you are the best in the world (that day anyway) but mainly because you can ride in the jersey of world champion for a whole year.
Cycling races were already organized at the end of the 19th century, but for the 1st World Championship cycling it was waiting until 1927, the women even had to wait until 1958. Only in 1994 the first World Championship time trial was organized.
Below are some facts about the World Cycling Championships
World Cycling Championships men on the road
1927: the 1st World Cycling Championships for men was organized in 1927 in Nürburg. The winner was the Italian Alfredo Binda, ahead of his fellow countrymen Costantino Girardengo and Domenico Piemontese
Alfredo Binda the 1st world road champion ever
1939 – 1945: no World Cup was organized during World War II
27 gouden medailles: Belgium is still the country with the most gold medals. For the total number of medals, Belgium (50 medals) trails Italy with 56 medals.
3 times world champion Only 5 riders have become world road champion three times: Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen, Eddy Merckx, Oscar Freire, and Peter Sagan.
2 times world champion: Nine riders became world champion twice in their careers, namely Georges Ronsse, (Iron) Briek Schotte, Rik Van Looy, Freddy Maertens, Greg Lemond, Gianni Bugno, Paolo Bettini, Julian Alaphilippe, and Tadej Pogacar.
2 times in a row: Georges Ronsse, Rik Van Steenbergen, Rik Van Looy, Gianni Bugno, Paolo Bettini, Julian Alaphilippe, and Tadej Pogacar became world champions twice in a row. Peter Sagan even three times.
Jean Pierre Monseré: unfortunately died in March 1971 in the jersey of world champion
Joop Zoetemelk: is still the oldest world champion ever, Zoetemelk was exactly 38 years and 272 days when he won in 1985
Karel Kaers: is the youngest world champion ever, he was only 20 years and 46 days in 1934
Peter Sagan: is the 1st rider to win 3 times in a row
Becoming Champion of the world in the jersey of Olympic champion: 3 riders achieved the title of world road champion as Olympic champion, namely Ercole Baldini (1958), Hennie Kuiper (1975) and Paolo Bettini (2006 and 2007)
World Cycling Championships on the road ladies
1958: the women's road world championships are being organized for the first time in Reims, France. The winner is Elsy Jacobs from Luxembourg, there were only 29 participants.
Jeannie Longo: won the World Cup no less than 5 times and is therefore the undisputed record holder. She did that 4 times in a row, from 1985 to 1989 because there was no World Cup in 1988
1984, 1988 and 1992: because the Olympic games took place no Championship was organized
Yvonne Reynders: the Belgian cyclist became world champion 4 times, in 1959, 1961, 1963 and 1966
Marianne Vos: became world champion 3 times, in 2006, 2012 and 2013
14 gouden medailles: The Netherlands has won the most gold medals ahead of France (10) and Belgium (6)
37 medailles: ook hier leidt Nederland vóór Italië
World time trial on the road men
1994: the 1st World Championship time trial on the road was won by Chris Boardman before the Italian Andrea Chiurato and a young Jan Ullrich
Michael Rogers: was the first to win 3 times in a row, from 2003 to 2005
4 times world Champion Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin both became 4 times world time trial champions on the road
Remco Evenepoel: He immediately secured a silver medal on his first participation in 2019, and this at the age of 20. He is currently already a three-time world time trial champion and could join Cancellara and Martin in 2026.
7 gold medals Germany is the country with the most gold medals, ahead of Switzerland and Australia (both 5).
17 medals here too Germany leads before Great Britain (10) and Switzerland (9)
World Championship time trial on the road ladies
Karen Kurreck: this American was crowned world champion in 1994 in Agrigento, Italy
Jeannie Longo: the female Eddy Merckx won the title 4 times, in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2001
twice the Netherlands Leontien Van Moorsel, Annemiek Van Vleuten, and Ellen van Dijk all won twice in a row for the Netherlands.
8 gouden medailles: The United States and the Netherlands won the most gold medals, 8 each.
20 medailles: Here too, the Netherlands ranks number 1 with 20 medals, followed by the United States and Germany.
