Africa-Press – Rwanda. The UCI Road World Championships remain the pinnacle of professional cycling, bringing together the world’s top riders to compete for the coveted rainbow jersey.
From the cobbled roads of Flanders to the alpine climbs of Innsbruck, each edition has drawn global audiences in the hundreds of millions.
The upcoming 2025 Kigali race, the first to take place on African soil, is expected to set a new benchmark, potentially becoming the most-watched event in UCI history.
But which are the seven most watched World Championship races?
1. Zurich, Switzerland (2024)
Zurich 2024 attracted over 300 million viewers globally and approximately 1 million spectators on site.
It was the first occasion where the UCI Road World Championships and the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships were held together in the same city and timeframe.
Winners included Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia, Men’s Elite Road Race), Lotte Kopecky (Belgium, Women’s Elite Road Race), Filippo Ganna (Italy, Men’s Time Trial), Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands, Women’s Time Trial), and Niklas Behrens (Germany, Men’s U23 Road Race).
2. Yorkshire, UK (2019)
The 2019 championships were broadcast to 329 million viewers across 124 countries, representing a 31% increase from the previous year and extending coverage to 24 additional countries.
Mads Pedersen (Denmark) won the Men’s Road Race, while Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) claimed the Women’s Road Race title.
3. Wallongong, Australia (2022)
The UCI premier road cycling event which took place in Wallongong, Australia, in 2022 was broadcast across 59 countries, reaching a total audience of 132 million viewers.
On social media, coverage of the event generated 7.5 million impressions on Instagram, 14.3 million on Twitter, and a total reach of 14.3 million on Facebook.
With a total of over 236,000, on-site attendance, the event generated over Euros 35.6 million.
4. Flanders, Belgium (2021)
The Flanders championships reached over 108 million people via UCI digital platforms, generating 26 million video views and attracting 1.2 million website visits.
Frenchman Julien Alaphilippe won the Men’s Elite Road Race while Italian Elisa Balsamo won the Women’s Elite Road Race with Filippo Ganna (Italy) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) taking the time trial titles.
5. Glasgow, Scotland, UK (2023)
The Glasgow championships drew more than 80 million viewers in Europe, with global coverage spanning 93 channels in 130 countries, highlighting its international appeal.
Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) captured attention as a leading contender, while the Men’s Elite Road Race was won by Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands). The Women’s Elite Road Race victory went to Demi Vollering (Netherlands).
6. Imola, Italy (2020)
Imola 2020 generated 48.4 million live viewing hours, up 22% from 2019. Women’s Elite viewership rose 75% compared to 2017, while the Men’s Elite race increased by 54%.
Julian Alaphilippe (France) won the Men’s Road Race, Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) took the Women’s Road Race, Filippo Ganna (Italy) won the Men’s Time Trial, and Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) secured the Women’s Time Trial.
7. Innsbruck, Austria (2018)
Innsbruck 2018 delivered 47 million viewing hours across Europe, including 21.5 million hours for the Men’s Road Race alone on free-to-air broadcasts.
The Men’s Road Race winner was Alejandro Valverde (Spain), while Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) dominated both the Women’s Road Race and Time Trial events.
Rohan Dennis (Australia) also claimed the Men’s Time Trial title.
And Kigali?
For the first time, Africa will host the UCI Road World Championships.
Kigali’s demanding course features 5,475 meters of climbing at an altitude of 1,850 meters, creating one of the toughest profiles in recent memory.
The event is projected to attract over 330 million viewers across 124 countries. That would make it the biggest coverage the race has ever had.
Star competitors include Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia), Wout van Aert (Belgium), and Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) will be eyeing the crown in the Men’s Elite Road Race, while the likes of Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands), Lotte Kopecky (Belgium), and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa) are expected in the capital seeking to claim the Women’s Elite Road Race.
Time trial favorites include Filippo Ganna (Italy), Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands), and Stefan Küng (Switzerland).
Rwanda’s Moise Mugisha will also compete alongside international prospects such as Romain Grégoire (France) and Antonio Morgado (Portugal).
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