The UCI Road World Championships have been held annually for eighty nine years, located in a different city or region each year. The event can be held over a flat course which favours the sprinters, or a more hilly course which will give the climbing specialists an advantage. In each case the course is held on a circuit where the riders have to complete multiple laps. The UCI Road World Championships and two of the three Grand Tours, namely the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, form the Triple Crown of Cycling.
For the first time the UCI Road World Championships were held in the Middle East, in Doha, Qatar. Because of the heat in Qatar, the 2016 event was held in October instead of the traditional time of September, and the layout of the course seemed to favour the sprinters in the race.
The Men’s Elite Race
The men’s elite race was held on the Sunday in mid October, and in a close sprint finish, Peter Sagan of Slovakia became the sixth man in history, and the first since Bettini in 2006 and 2007, to win consecutive UCI Road World Championships titles, as he finished just in front of Mark Cavendish of Great Britain. The race was dominated in one area of the desert by a series of cross winds, with the riders from Belgium laying down the challenge. From that part of the race, Belgium combined with sprinters from Italy and Norway in a thirty man group, who dominated the race until the finish was in sight, and Tom Boonen ended with a third place. The UCI Road World Championships ended with an impressive podium, with three former world champions, and a current one, taking the medals.
The UCI is the Union Cycliste Internationale, and this organisation is the governing body of world cycling. It is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, and one of its missions is to develop and promote cycling in every country as a competitive sport, and as a healthy recreational activity for people of all ages, as well as a means of transport.
The Governing Body of All Cycling Disciplines
The UCI governs all disciplines of the sport of cycling, road, track, mountain bike and BMX cycling. The UCI also organises all trials, indoor cycling, and the para cycling events. Four of these disciplines are held as Olympic events, road, track, mountain bike and BMX cycling events. Road and track cycling events are also held at the Paralympic Games, and road, mountain bike and BMX events are held at the Youth Olympics.
World Champions
The UCI also promotes a number of its own events, including the UCI Road World Championships, which is held annually, as well as a range of other UCI World Championships and World Cups across all the other disciplines which make for some tense cycling betting action online. The UCI Road World Championships are held in a different country each year, and all the competitions are held to decide on the world champion in each particular event.
Championship winners are entitled to wear a white jersey with different coloured bands around the chest for the following year. This coveted trophy is known as the rainbow jersey most popular on NZ betting sites . The individuals or teams in each championship event who win first, second or third place are given gold, silver and bronze medals.
The UCI Road World Championships offer everyone a chance to watch sporting history being made, and for everyone interested in sports betting a chance to win some great rewards.