Who are the most Successful Cyclist of the UCI Road World Championships ?

The world road championship is held in different modalities and categories. Unlike the grand tours, it is carried out in a single race in Time Trial and Road Cycling in the Under-23, female and elite categories. The contest has a third modality of Team Time Trial that is disputed in female and elite. Starting in 2011, the event incorporated the Youth Road Cycling World Championship for cyclists under 19 years of age, which was previously held separately.

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The winner of each category is awarded the Rainbow jersey that can be worn throughout the season until the tournament is played again. However, whoever has won this victory is allowed to wear the rainbow stripes on the cuffs and collar of their uniform as a reminder of their victory.

The most successful cyclists in the online race are: Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen, Eddy Merckx, Oscar Freire and Peter Sagan.

Alfredo Binda

The Italian, nicknamed "the Lord of the Mountain", was world champion of road cycling in the years 1927, 1930 and 1932. Binda is considered the first great runner in cycling history. He passed away on July 19, 1986, in his native Cittiglio, at the age of 84. He was the coach of the great Italian bicycle jewels Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi, whom he instructed under the premise: “You must always arrive. If you can't continue, you retire the next day ”.

Rik Van Steenbergen

The Belgian who achieved more than 965 victories as a sprinter is the most prolific winner in cycling history. He was world road cycling champion in 1949, 1956 and 1957. Van Steenbergen passed away on May 15, 2003 at the age of 78. Among his famous phrases we remember: “ Running for fun? How awful! Not in any way. I run to earn money. I need it for my wife and my five children. " From here he got the nickname "cyclist with the soul of a mercenary." In his honor there is a cycling event, the Rik Van Steenbergen Memorial. Only legends deserve such a tribute.

Eddy Merckx

Another great Belgian rider considered the best in cycling history. He was world road champion in 1967, 1971 and 1974. His ability in mountain stages, time trials and sprinting earned him the nickname "The Cannibal" of cycling. Merckx is one of the few living legends of the sport at 76 years of age. Among his famous phrases stands out: “The race is won by the cyclist who can suffer the most”.

Oscar Freire

The 45-year-old former Spanish cyclist is considered the best Iberian sprinter. He was world road champion in 1999, 2001 and 2004. He retired from professional cycling in 2012 at the age of 36. Since his retirement, he has served as a sportscaster and rally driver, his second passion. Among his famous phrases, stands out: "The fault of doping lies with the cyclists."

Peter Sagan

The 31-year-old Slovakian prodigy member of the German team Bora – Hansgrohe was world road champion in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He is one of the best classics in the history of contemporary cycling, winning the Rainbow jersey for three consecutive years, something that no runner had achieved so far. His power and explosiveness earned him the nickname "Terminator", due to the effort he places on bicycles. In 2016 he was chosen as the best cyclist of the year by the UCI World Tour and was awarded the Golden Bicycle. Among his famous phrases is: “In the world we have much bigger problems than winning or losing a race”.

This select group of cyclists has only won three titles each, no one in the history of the road cycling world championships has surpassed this mark.

Colombia is the only Latin American country to crown the podium of this championship with the Antioqueño cyclist Santiago Botero in the Time Attack modality in 2002 and, in this same modality, but in Sub-23, with the Cundinamarqués runner Fabio Duarte in 2006, who also took over the Arcoíris jersey in the Route Sub-23 modality in 2008.

The 2021 road cycling world championships will take place from September 14 to 26, 8 days of intense action that will bring together great talents of the sport in the contest for the coveted Rainbow jersey.