What are the Cycling World Road Race Championships?

The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race, individual time trail and Team Time Trials.

All the world championship events, except team time trials from, are ridden by national teams, not trade teams such as in most other major races.

The winner of each category is entitled to wear the rainbow jersey in races of that category (either mass start or time trial) until the next championships.

What races are there?

There are 12 races in total, which are as follows:

  • Elite Men's road race

  • Elite Men's time trial

  • Men's team time trial

  • Under-23 Men's road race

  • Under-23 Men's time trial

  • Junior Men's road race

  • Junior Men's time trial

  • Elite Women's road race

  • Elite Women's time trial

  • Women's team time trial

  • Junior Women's road race

  • Junior Women's time trial

The Tour de France going through Haworth in 2014 Credit: PA

The world championship and two of the three Grand Tours (namely the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France) form the Triple Crown of Cycling.

Organisers Welcome to Yorkshire say that the Championships will visit all four corners of the county.

The bid is backed by the government who have promised a pot of gold at the end of the race for the rainbow jersey with a £15m pound pledge for future cycling infrastucture.