World Cycling Championship
The first professional World Cycling Championship took place in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was won by Alfredo Binda, of Italy.
The event is a 'massed start' road race, with the winner the first across the line at the completion of the full race distance. There are also world cycling championships for track cycling and individual time trial disciplines, among others.
The World Cycling Championship, along with the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, forms the Triple Crown of Cycling.
World Cycling Champions:
- 1927 - Alfredo Binda, (Italy)
- 1928 - Georges Ronsse, (Belgium)
- 1929 - Georges Ronsse, (Belgium)
- 1930 - Alfredo Binda, (Italy)
- 1931 - Learco Guerra, (Italy)
- 1932 - Alfredo Binda, (Italy)
- 1933 - Georges Speicher, (France)
- 1934 - Karel Kaers, (Belgium)
- 1935 - Jean Aerts, (Belgium)
- 1936 - Antonin Magne, (France)
- 1937 - Eloi Meulenberg, (Belgium)
- 1938 - Marcel Kint, (Belgium)
No championships
1939-
1945 due to
World War II
- 1946 - Hans Knecht, (Switzerland)
- 1947 - T. Middelkamp, (Netherlands)
- 1948 - Briek Schotte, (Belgium)
- 1949 - Rik Van Steenbergen, (Belgium)
- 1950 - Briek Schotte, (Belgium)
- 1951 - Ferdi Kubler, (Switzerland)
- 1952 - Heinz Müller, (Germany)
- 1953 - Fausto Coppi, (Italy)
- 1954 - Louison Bobet, (France)
- 1955 - Stan Ockers, (Belgium)
- 1956 - Rik Van Steenbergen, (Belgium)
- 1957 - Rik Van Steenbergen, (Belgium)
- 1958 - Ercole Baldini, (Italy)
- 1959 - André Darrigade, (France)
- 1960 - Rik Van Looy, (Belgium)
- 1961 - Rik Van Looy, (Belgium)
- 1962 - Jean Stablinski, (France)
- 1963 - Benoni Beheyt, (Belgium)
- 1964 - Jan Janssen, (Netherlands)
- 1965 - Tom Simpson, (Great Britain)
- 1966 - Rudi Altig, (Germany)
- 1967 - Eddy Merckx, (Belgium)
- 1968 - Vittorio Adorni, (Italy)
- 1969 - Harm Ottenbros, (Netherlands)
- 1970 - Jean-Pierre Monsere, (Belgium)
- 1971 - Eddy Merckx, (Belgium)
- 1972 - Marino Basso, (Italy)
- 1973 - Felice Gimondi, (Italy)
- 1974 - Eddy Merckx, (Belgium)
- 1975 - Hennie Kuiper, (Netherlands)
- 1976 - Freddy Maertens, (Belgium)
- 1977 - Francesco Moser, (Italy)
- 1978 - Gerrie Knetemann, (Netherlands)
- 1979 - Jan Raas, (Netherlands)
- 1980 - Bernard Hinault, (France)
- 1981 - Freddy Maertens, (Belgium)
- 1982 - Giuseppe Saronni, (Italy)
- 1983 - Greg LeMond, (United States)
- 1984 - Claude Criquielion, (Belgium)
- 1985 - Joop Zoetemelk, (Netherlands)
- 1986 - Moreno Argentin, (Italy)
- 1987 - Stephen Roche, (Ireland)
- 1988 - Maurizio Fondriest, (Italy)
- 1989 - Greg LeMond, (United States)
- 1990 - Rudy Dhaenens, (Belgium)
- 1991 - Gianni Bugno, (Italy)
- 1992 - Gianni Bugno, (Italy)
- 1993 - Lance Armstrong, (United States)
- 1994 - Luc Leblanc, (France)
- 1995 - Abraham Olano, (Spain)
- 1996 - Johan Museeuw, (Belgium)
- 1997 - Laurent Brochard, (France)
- 1998 - Oskar Camenzind, (Switzerland)
- 1999 - Óscar Freire, (Spain)
- 2000 - Romans Vainsteins, (Latvia)
- 2001 - Óscar Freire, (Spain)
- 2002 - Mario Cipollini, (Italy)
- 2003 - Igor Astarloa, (Spain)