UCI announce 2020, 2021 world championship hosts

The 100th anniversary of the road cycling world championships will see the peloton return to Flanders for the first time since the Zolder world championships in 2002, where Robbie McEwen claimed silver for Australia.

Mario Cipollini, wins the world championships in Zolder ahead of Robbie McEwen in 2002 Source: FrontzoneSport

100 years after the innagural edition in 1921 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the road cycling world championships will journey to some of the most famous roads in world cycling. 

The 'hellingen', the cobbled climbs of the Flanders region will form the bulk of the challenge for the riders as they attempt to take the rainbow jersey. 

The last time the world championships were held in the Flemish region of Belgium was when Zolder hosted the 2002 edition, in the easternmost part of the Flemish region, Limburg. 

That race saw a sprint finish, with Mario Cipollini taking the win over Robbie McEwen, with Susanne Ljungskog taking the womens race.

A new host has also been announced for the 2020 world championships, with Switzerland set to host the event.

Vicenza in Italy was the provisional host for the 2020 Worlds and had previously announced a race start from Piazza San Marco in Venice.

The awarding of the hosting rights was contingent upon the organising committee’s ability to secure government funding. Vicenza’s failure to obtain the required support has seen the UCI opt instead to hold the World Championships in Switzerland.

The 2020 Worlds look set to take place on a tricky course in the Rhone valley, "in the heart of the Alps", according to a UCI statement.

It will be the 11th time that the Worlds take place in Switzerland, and the first time that the event will be held in the French-speaking part of the country. The Worlds last took place in Switzerland in Mendrisio in 2009, when Cadel Evans and Tatiana Guderzo were the elite road race world champions.