UCI Road World Championships 2021

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LEUVEN BELGIUM SEPTEMBER 26 Julian Alaphilippe of France celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 94th UCI Road World Championships 2021 Men Elite Road Race a 2683km race from Antwerp to Leuven flanders2021 on September 26 2021 in Leuven Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Julian Alaphilippe of France defended his world title with a solo victory at Flanders Worlds(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Day 7 - Julian Alaphilippe defends world title with stunning victory in Flanders World Championships

UCI Road World Championships 2021: Men's Elite Road Race - As it happened

Julian Alaphilippe (France) went on the offensive and rode solo across the line at the elite men's road race to take back-to-back titles at the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday.

From among a select group of 17 riders, the Frenchman attacked a third time as the race wound down to 20 kilometres from the finish in Leuven, and this assault on the  Sint Antoniusberg proved decisive. 

Four riders gave chase, but could not close down a gap that reached 32 seconds by the time they crossed the finish of the 168.3km race, Dylan van Baarle (Netherlands) taking the silver medal. Michael Valgren (Denmark) just grabbed the bronze medal, surging in front of Jasper Stuyven (Belgium), and Neilson Powless (USA) was fifth.

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Elite men's road race - top 10
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Julian Alaphilippe (France) 5:56:34
2Dylan van Baarle (Netherlands) 0:00:32
3Michael Valgren Hundahl (Denmark)
4Jasper Stuyven (Belgium)
5Neilson Powless (United States Of America)
6Thomas Pidcock (Great Britain) 0:00:49
7Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) 0:01:06
8Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) 0:01:18
9Florian Senechal (France)
10Sonny Colbrelli (Italy)

Day 6 - Elisa Balsamo wins elite women's world title at Flanders World Championships

UCI Road World Championships 2021: Women's Elite Road Race - As it happened

Elisa Balsamo (Italy) took the victory in the elite women’s road race at the UCI World Championships with an incredible sprint to beat Marianne Vos (Netherlands), who was forced to settle for the silver medal in Leuven, Belgium.

Her compatriot Elisa Longo Borghini made a strong move on the final climb, which acted as a perfectly-timed lead-out for Balsamo, who jumped off her wheel inside 100 metres to go to take the world title. Vos tried to come around the Italian but she didn't have enough power to do so and finished second. Katarzyna Niewiadoma finished third to take bronze for Poland.

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Elite women's road race - top 10
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Elisa Balsamo (Italy) 3:52:27
2Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
3Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) 0:00:01
4Kata Blanka Vas (Hungary)
5Arelnis Sierra (Cuba)
6Alison Jackson (Canada)
7Demi Vollering (Netherlands)
8Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark)
9Lisa Brennauer (Germany)
10Coryn Rivera (USA)

Day 6 - World Championships: Zoe Backstedt wins junior women's road race title

Zoe Backstedt (Great Britain) won the junior women’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships in a two-woman sprint against Kaia Schmid (USA).

The two riders broke clear on the third of five laps in Leuven, then worked well together all the way to the finale to sprint for victory, with Backstedt edging it by a bike length. Linda Reidmann (Germany) led home the chasing group to win the bronze medal ahead of Elise Uijen (Netherlands) and Makayla MacPherson (USA). 

Day 5 - World Championships: Baroncini wins U23 men's road race title for Italy

Using a solo atttack with 5.5 kilometres to the sloping Geldenaaksevest finish in Leuven, Filippo Baroncini won the men's under-23 world title for Italy. He catapulted from the front group on the penultimate climb, the Wjinpers, and held off a charging Biniam Girmay (Eritrea) who took the silver. Olav Kooij (Netherlands) finished just behind to take bronze. 

Baroncini's winning attack scooped up Mauro Schmid (Switzerland) and Arthur Kluckers (Luxembourg), who were leading the race at the time. Equally as exciting was the medal performance by Girmay, who made history in becoming the first Eritrean and the first black African to win a medal at the Road World Championships.

Day 5 - Per Strand Hagenes wins junior men's road race title at Flanders World Championships

Per Strand Hagenes (Norway) took the rainbow stripes in the junior men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships on Friday, riding solo across the line in Leuven. Trailing 19 seconds later was European Champion Romain Gregoire (France) for the silver. Madis Mihkels (Estonia) took the bronze in the 28-rider bunch sprint, another five seconds back. 

Hagenes, who will ride for Jumbo-Visma’s development squad in 2022, attacked on the penultimate climb of Wijnpers to wipe out a six-man move at the beginning of the final lap and earn the victory.

Day 4 - Germany win team time trial mixed relay title at Flanders World Championships

UCI Road World Championships 2021: team time trial mixed relay - As it happened

With the most balanced six-rider squad over the 44.5km course, Germany won the team time trial mixed relay on Wednesday at the UCI Road World Championships in Bruges. It was just the second time a mixed relay event has been held at Worlds, the inaugural event won by the Netherlands in 2019 and Germany taking the silver.

This time out under bright, blue skies in the Flanders region of Belgium, the top two teams swapped positions, Germany taking gold and the Netherlands taking silver, 13 seconds slower. Italy improved from a fourth place in 2019 in Harrogate to the bronze medal. The Italians delivered huge disappointment for the team from Switzerland, who were bumped from the podium by only five hundredths of a second.

The first leg of the race saw the German men - Tony Martin, Max Walscheid and Nikias Arndt - post the second fastest time, followed by the women - Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger - who carried the team to the top spot. It was a special victory for Germany, as riders celebrated the final pro race for Martin at the finish.

A total of 12 nations and a composite team field by the UCI World Cycling Centre took part in the team time trial mixed relay.

Day 3 - Wang wins junior men's time trial title at Flanders World Championships

Gustav Wang (Denmark) setting an early time of 25:37 on the 22.3km course across Flanders, Belgium and held on to win the rainbow jersey in the junior men’s time trial at the UCI Road World Championships. 

From the early group of starters in the field of 78 juniors, Joshua Tarling (Great Britain) was the second rider on the course and was in the hot seat for a short time until Wang took over for more than an hour. Tarling held on for silver, 20 seconds back. 

The final rider down the start ramp was race favourite, European Champion Alec Segaert (Belgium), who had to settle for third place at 29 seconds. 

Day 3 - Alena Ivanchenko wins junior women's time trial title at Flanders World Championships

Junior women's time trial European Champion Alena Ivanchenko (Russia) secured the rainbow jersey on Tuesday at the UCI Road World Championships as the fastest rider on the 19.3km course Tuesday. 

Her time of 25:05 was 10 seconds faster than Great Britain’s Zoe Backstedt, who earned the silver medal, and 25 seconds better than Germany's Antonia Niedermaier, who took the bronze. The podium trio were the only riders to break the 26-minute mark on the fast, flat course between between Knokke-Heist and Bruges, which avoided some of the longer sections covered in the elite races.

Day 2 - Ellen van Dijk wins elite women's time trial title at Flanders World Championships

UCI Road World Championships 2021: Elite women's time trial - As it happened

Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) won the elite women's individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Bruges, Belgium on Monday. It was the second rainbow jersey of her career, last winning eight years ago in 2013.

The Dutch rider covered the 30.3km flat route with a winning time of 36:05 to beat silver medallist Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) by 10 seconds. Olympic Champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) claimed bronze, taking third at 24 seconds.

From the 50 riders to compete, Van Dijk was the 20th rider to take on the course from Knokke-Heist to Bruges. Reusser, who was the 49th rider on the course, was slightly faster at the first two intermediate checkpoints, but lost time in the final section to finish 10 seconds slower than Van Dijk.

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Elite Women's Time Trial
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) 0:36:05
2Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) 0:00:10
3Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) 0:00:24
4Amber Leone Neben (United States Of America) 0:01:24
5Lisa Brennauer (Germany) 0:01:30
6Juliette Labous (France) 0:01:47
7Lisa Klein (Germany) 0:01:52
8Joscelin Lowden (Great Britain) 0:02:00
9Riejanne Markus (Netherlands)
10Alena Amialiusik (Belarus) 0:02:19

Day 2 - World Championships: Johan Price-Pejtersen wins U23 men's time trial title

Johan Price-Pejtersen (Denmark) won the Under-23 men’s individual time trial on the 30.3km flat course between Knokke-Heist and Bruges. As the final rider to cross the line, he unseated Luke Plapp (Australia) with a time of 34:29, 10 seconds faster than the Australian. 

The bronze medal went to Florian Vermeersch (Belgium), who was  two seconds faster than Søren Wærenskjold (Norway). A total of 66 riders completed the course, with the top 10 riders finishing within 59 seconds of each other.

Price-Pejtersen took his second big international victory in just one week in the race agains the clock, having won the U23 European title.

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U-23 Men
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Johan Price-Pejtersen (Denmark) 0:34:30
2Luke Plapp (Australia) 0:00:10
3Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) 0:00:11
4Søren Wærenskjold (Norway) 0:00:13
5Mick van Dijke (Netherlands) 0:00:24
6Daan Hoole (Netherlands) 0:00:40
7Ethan Vernon (Great Britain) 0:00:44
8Michel Hessmann (Germany) 0:00:48
9Filippo Baroncini (Italy) 0:00:58
10Magnus Sheffield (United States) 0:00:59

Day 1 - Filippo Ganna wins elite men's time trial title at Flanders World Championships

UCI Road World Championships 2021: Elite men's time trial – As it happened

Filippo Ganna (Italy) successfully defending his title the men's time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Flanders, Belgium on Sunday. The Italian was the last man on the flat 43.3km course, and rocketed to the win with five seconds to spare on Belgian Wout van Aert, who had set the fastest time at both intermediate time checks.

The bronze was taken by Belgian Remco Evenepoel, 44 seconds back, who took the final podium spot two seconds better than Kasper Asgreen (Denmark).

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Elite Men's Time Trial
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Filippo Ganna (Italy) 0:47:48
2Wout van Aert (Belgium) 0:00:05
3Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) 0:00:43
4Kasper Asgreen (Denmark) 0:00:45
5Stefan Küng (Switzerland) 0:01:06
6Tony Martin (Germany) 0:01:17
7Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) 0:01:25
8Ethan Hayter (Great Britain) 0:01:26
9Edoardo Affini (Italy) 0:01:48
10Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) 0:01:52

State of the nations

2021 World Championships previews and conclusions

2021 World Championships stories and features

Road Races

Time Trials

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Worlds overview

The 2021 UCI Road World Championships return to a full schedule in Belgium for a 94th edition of the annual competition. The Flanders region of Belgium will host racing from September 19 to 26, with 11 rainbow jerseys up for grabs. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Road World Championships, first contested for amateurs in 1921. 

Racing will be spread across four host cities - host cities Knokke-Heist, Bruges, Antwerp and Leuven. Last fall the junior and Under-23 events were not held due to COVID-19 coronavirus restrictions, but all disciplines are back on the schedule this year. It is the ninth time Belgium has hosted the Road World Championships, and sixth time across Flanders. 

Time trials

The start of the time trials is situated on the North Sea beach and will take riders through the centre of Knokke-Heist. The routes will then go inland for finishes in Bruges. 

The elite men open competition on Sunday, September 19 with a 43.3km race against the clock. Elite women and Under-23 men will ride a 30.3km course the next day, and juniors will compete on September 21, the junior men riding 22.3km and the junior women riding 19.3km. 

The team time trial mixed relay was introduced in Harrogate in 2019 and is back on the schedule on September 22. The event will see national teams of three men and three women. The men's teams will start in Knokke-Heist and ride in the direction of Bruges, over a similar route as the other TTs. Upon arrival after 22.5 km in Bruges, the women's team will take over, for a 22km route and finish in Bruges.

The reigning champions will be back to defend – Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) for the elite women and Filippo Ganna (Italy) for the elite men.

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Elite Men's ITT course 2021 UCI Road World Championships
Individual time trial map for elite men at 2021 UCI Road World Championships(Image credit: Flanders 2021/UCI)

Road races

The junior men will contest the first road race, taking place on Friday, September 24 across 121.4 kilometres on a circuit course in Leuven. The competition will start at the famous Ladeuzeplei. With eight laps on a local circuit in Leuven, with four hills on each lap, and a winner crowned on the slightly uphill Geldenaaksevest.

Then the U23 men will battle on a 160.9km course that begins in Antwerp and ends in Leuven, using the same local circuit as the juniors for two-and-a-half laps, and also take on a Flandrien circuit that offers six climbs.

Saturday is a day for the women, with the junior women riding a 75km Leuven circuit course, followed by the elite women taking on a 157.7km course with 1,047 metres of elevation gain from Antwerp to Leuven. After arriving in Leuven, the riders will take on the local circuit one and a half times, then the Flandrien loop, and finish with two and a half more laps of the local circuit to determine the winner of the rainbow jersey.

Sunday will focus on the elite men, for a monster 268.3km ride with 2,562 metres of elevation gain from the Grote Markt in Antwerp to Geldenaaksevest in Leuven. In total they will ride eight times on the local Leuven circuit and twice around the Flandrien loop.

The defending champion for elite women is Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) and for the elite men is Julian Alaphilippe (France).

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Road race map for elite men at 2021 UCI Road World Championships
Road race map for elite men(Image credit: Flanders 2021/UCI)

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