Witnessing generational talent - World Championships road races in pictures

When Zurich was announced as host for the 2024 UCI Road World Championships, certain riders were quick to mark it down in their diaries. More testing terrain than most World Championship hosts in recent times and the added spice of unpredictable Alpine weather - both of which duly delivered -  made for a salivating weekend of racing.

A series of laps in and around Zurich and its surrounding countryside over undulating 154km and 273km distances for the elite women and elite men respectively ensured that the rainbow jersey went onto deserved shoulders. 

Lotte Kopecky left it late - a few metres from the line, in fact - to seal back-to-back road race titles on a day of brutal weather and equally brutish climbs that decimated the peloton. 

The following day, and in drier conditions, Tadej Pogačar wasn't in the mood to hang around, delivering a tactical masterclass through an attack launched 100km from the line. Solo from over 50km to go, no one saw Pogačar again until they'd crossed the line.

His victory sees him follow Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche by completing the Triple Crown, after winning the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and World Championships in one year.

Cyclingnews has curated the best of the images from our friends at SWpix.com, highlighting some of the best angles of the weekend's action.

Amir Arsalan Ansari and Ahmad Badreddin Wais take to the sign-on stand representing the Refugee Cycling Team.

The return of a familiar face. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lined up for her first World Championships road race since 2017.

The Swiss team led the way in paying tribute to compatriot Muriel Furrer, who tragically died from the injuries she sustained in her crash during the junior women's road race.

The peloton crosses over the Limmat River which runs through the city, fed by Lake Zurich.

The World Championships road race always delivers a sea of colour with the array of national team jerseys on display.

Riders from Rwanda and Mongolia battle the elements in the Swiss countryside.

The elite women's race suffered from bad weather throughout, with wet weather clothing a necessity.

Jan Tratnik setting the pace in the breakaway after dropping back to collect his compatriot and leader Tadej Pogačar with 90km still to race. 

Justine Ghekiere leads the charge in the breakaway group.

After an incredible season, fatigue looked to be catching up with Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian struggled to keep in touch as the race splintered during the final stages. 

Olympic time trial silver medallist Anna Henderson with a facial expression that says all there is to know about the weather conditions in Zurich on Saturday.

Pavel Sivakov tries his best to hold the wheel of his trade teammate Pogačar. The Slovenian's power would eventually prove too much for the Frenchman though.

Biding her time, Lotte Kopecky with a steely focus as the race reaches it's crescendo.

Weather akin to that of early Spring Classics - no wonder there were 112 DNFs on Saturday.

Surrounded by noise, Tadej Pogačar strikes a calm figure as he powers towards the Triple Crown.

Demi Vollering follows the attacks as they come thick and fast in the closing kilometres.

Kopecky in her element. Once the race was set for a reduced sprint, she was the out and out favourite.

Back-to-back rainbow jerseys. The Belgian puts her hands to her head in disbelief after a gruelling 154km of racing.

Giro. Tour. Worlds. Tadej Pogačar joins Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche as the only male riders to win all three races in one year.

Wiping away the tears, Lotte Kopecky can hardly believe she's won the World Championships road race for a second consecutive season.

Tadej Pogačar may have been the rider to cross the line, but his Slovenian teammates and staff played a big part in ensuring their tactics played out perfectly.

You'd struggle to find a happier runner-up in Zurich than Ben O'Connor - the Australian capped an impressive season with a surprise road race silver medal.

Great Britain's Oscar Onley shone on Worlds debut, eventually finishing 16th.

Natnael Tesfazion is lauded as if he'd just won the rainbow jersey by the Eritrean contingent in Zurich.

After her Dutch team tackled the race head on - Demi Vollering has to settle for fifth in the reduced bunch sprint.

Puck Pieterse was the highest finisher of the U23 women in the elite women's race, earning her the rainbow jersey thanks to her thirteenth-place result.

A packed crowd, despite the rain, watch on as the Belgian national anthem rings out.

The first glimpses of Tadej Pogačar in the rainbow jersey. He seems to be at home in it already.

A euphoric Tadej Pogačar ticks another race off his to-do list. We wonder which race is next in the crosshairs for the unstoppable Slovenian?

Get unlimited access to all of our coverage of the 2024 UCI Road World Championships - including breaking news and analysis reported by our journalists on the ground from the junior, under-23, and elite time trials and road races as it happens and more. Find out more.