World Cycling Championships: Winners and records

Recent winners World Championships road race for men

2018: Alejandro Valverde (spa) – Innsbruck, aut
2017: Peter Sagan (svk) – Bergen, nor
2016: Peter Sagan (svk) – Doha, qat
2015: Peter Sagan (svk) – Richmond, usa
2014: Michal Kwiatkowski (pol) – Ponferrada, spa

World Championships road race for men records

Five riders claimed three World Championship titles: Alfredo Binda (Italy), Rik Van Steenbergen (Belgium), Eddy Merckx (Belgium), Óscar Freire (Spain) and Peter Sagan (Slovakia). Sagan is the only rider who won the rainbow jersey three times in a row. Furthermore, he is the only still capable to add to his tally.

The youngest rider ever to become World Champion was Karel Kaers (Belgium). He was only 20 years and 46 days of age when he took the title in 1934. The oldest World Champion ever is Joop Zoetemelk, who won the rainbow jersey in 1985 – his age at the time was 38 years and 272 days.