The professional World Cycling Championship road race is a one-day cycling event 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 event can be held over either a relatively flat course which favors Cycling sprinters (such as 2005 champion Tom Boonen), or over a hilly course (as planned for Salzburg 2006) which favors more of a climbing specialist or all-round type of cyclist.

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 cycling teams. The race is usually held towards the end of the European season, usually following the Vuelta a España.

In the past there were separate events for amateur riders, mainly from Eastern bloc countries.

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 successfully 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).

World Cycling Champions

Road

Sprint

Time-Trial