Brief History: UCI and the UCI World Championships

The UCI World Championships are prestigious annual cycling events that crown the world’s champions across multiple cycling disciplines. A lesser known fun historical fact about the UCI World Championships among the community is that the event was established prior to UCI’s formation with the first official event being hosted in 1893 by the International Cycling Association (ICA). However, internal divisions arose among the member nations (Britain, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and Germany), primarily centered on differing interpretations of amateurism and voting rights. These disagreements led to the formation of a rival organization, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) by  Belgium, the U.S., Frace, Italy, and Switzerland on April 14th, 1900 in Paris. Over the next few years, the UCI surpassed the ICA in influence, becoming the official promoter of UCI World Championship and the dominant global governing body of cycling.

Today the UCI’s headquarters is located in Aigle, Switzerland. It oversees international competitive cycling events across multiple disciplines including road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, BMX racing, BMX freestyle, cyclocross, trials, and indoor cycling for both men and women from amateurs to professionals. Currently, the main functions and responsibilities of the UCI are the promotion of cycling, event management, doping control, and being the regulatory authority concerning cycling. It issues racing licenses to cyclists, enforces disciplinary rules, and collaborates with national federations and other stakeholders to develop cycling as a sport and recreational activity worldwide. Parallel to the UCI’s growth of the year, the UCI gradually started promoting more and more disciplines of world championship with the latest addition of Gravel World Championships in 2022. As of today, The UCI promotes 14 different world championship disciplines.

The UCI Road World Championship is amongst one of the most popular world championships disciplines promoted by the UCI today. The first of its kind took place in 1921 with the only one event, men’s road race for amateurs. The first Road World Championship for professionals took place in July 1927 at Nüburgring, Germany. Over the next few decades, multiple categories were established; women’s road race in 1958, men’s team time trial in 1962, individual time trial in 1994, and more. Currently, it includes 13 categories of road races and time trials for the elite, junior, under-23s, and mixed events. Winners of each category are given rainbow jerseys to wear until the next championship. The event is held towards the end of the year annually located in a different city or region every year. This year, in 2024, the 2024 UCI Road World Championships returned to Switzerland andis being held in Zurich from September 22nd, to September 29th, 20.

UCI Road World Championships 2024 Races Event Timeline

UCI Road World Championships 2024 Race Routes

All of the races (road and time trials) of the 2024 UCI Road World Championships will finish in Sechseläutenplatz, the largest town square located in the center of Zurich. The starting point will vary depending on the event; it may start at Sechseläutenplatz, Gossau, Uster, or Winterthur.

The Women’s Elite and Mens under-23 time trial will share the same route beginning in Gossau with a total distance of 29.9 kilometers covered. It will work over the foothills of Pfannenstiel covering an elevation gain of 327 meters.

Image credit: Zurich 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships

The Men’s Elite time trial will cover most of the Women’s elite route with an additional 16.2 kilometers with a total distance of 46.1 kilometers. It will start in Oerlikon toward Dübendorf then following Lake Greifensee before heading toward Monchaltorf then eventually finishing on the same route as the women’s. This route will cover an additional 86 meters in elevation with the total elevation gained reaching 413 meters.

Image credit: Zurich 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships

The Men’s and Women’s Junior time trials share almost the same route with the Men’s covering an additional 6.1 kilometers and 4 meters in elevation with the total distance of 24.9 kilometers and 40 meters of elevation gained. Both the routes run along Lake Zurich, looping around, and finishing near the starting point in Sechseläutenplatz.

Image credit: Zurich 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships

The mixed relay teams time trial will begin and finish in Sechseläutenplatz. It will cover two laps of 26.85 kilometers with a total distance of 53.7 kilometers and an elevation gain of 948 meters. For this race, the men will go first and then followed by the women. This course is challenging as it depletes the athletes’ energy significantly from the very beginning. After 2 kilometers, the athlete will hit Zürichbergstrasse, an 800 meter climb with the average gradient of 8.5%, peaking at 15.9%. Following the steepest climb of the route, the athletes will endure another challenging climb of Witikonerstrasse, a 4.1 kilometers climb with the average gradient of 3.8%, peaking at 8%. 

Image credit: Zurich 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships

The Women’s Junior, Elite, Under-23, and the Men’s Junior and Under-23 will share the same route with variations on the numbers of laps around Greifensee and the city circuit. It will start in Uster, looping around Greifensee back to the starting point, head towards Maur, and eventually joining the city circuit at Binz. The route before joining the city circuit covers 46.75 kilometers with 498 meters of elevation gained and the city circuit will cover 26.85 kilometers with an elevation gain of 474 meters. Below are the total number of laps, distance covered, and total elevation gained for the different events.

Image credit: Zurich 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships

Women’s Junior: 1 Greifensee Lap + 1 City Circuit | 73.6 km | 972 m

Men’s Juniors: 1 Greifensee Lap + 3 City Circuits | 127.2 km | 1,913 m

Mens under 23: 2 Greifensee Laps + 4 City Circuits | 173.6 km | 2,483 m

Women’s Elite & Under-23: 1 Greifensee Lap + 4 City Circuits | 154.1 km | 2,384 m

The startpoint for the Men Elite race will be in Winterthur. It will cover a total distance of 273.9 kilometers with an elevation of 4,470 meters. The event will conclude with seven laps of a 27 kilometer circuit around Zurich. The most challenging part with the highest gradient will be the climbs of Kyburg which is 1.2 kilometers long with a maximum gradient of 16%, averaging at 12%.

Image credit: Zurich 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships

How to Watch UCI Road Cycling World Championships 2024

For most of the world, the live action will be broadcasted over TV channels and streaming services that comes at a cost. Luckily for people in the UK, BBC will offer free live streaming services that will be available on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, the BBC Sport website, and app. Below is the list of TV channels and live streaming options suggested by the cyclist: 

The UCI Road World Championships, a pinnacle event in the cycling calendar, have a rich history dating back to 1921. The event's evolution, from its humble beginnings to its current status as a global spectacle, mirrors the growth and development of cycling itself. The UCI, as the governing body, has played a pivotal role in promoting and regulating the sport, ensuring its continued popularity and prestige.

As the 2024 Championships take place in Zurich, Switzerland, cyclists from around the world will compete for the coveted rainbow jersey. The challenging courses, combined with the intense competition, promise to deliver thrilling races that will captivate fans and solidify the UCI Road World Championships' place as a must-watch event in the sporting calendar.