The famous World Cycling Championship is controlled by the UCI, and is a solitary 'massed start' road cycling race. The winner is the first contestant to cross the line at the finishing point of the entire race distance.
The winner receives the prerogative to have the famous Rainbow jersey on for a whole year. Contrasting other races sanctioned by UCI, World Cycling Championship is contested by nationalities, instead of by profit-making teams. The competition is typically held near the season's end in Europe, regularly right after Vuelta a Espana.
There are additional world cycling contests for individual trial time (ITT) and track cycling disciplines, amongst other ones.
World Time-Trial Championship, an ITT competition, is regularly held at the same venue and the same week as the road cycling race. The victor of this contest as well earns the prerogative to have a faintly dissimilar rainbow jersey for all ITT events within an entire year.
World Cycling Championship, together with the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France make up the Cycling Triple Crown.
The debut professional World Cycling Championship was held in 1927 at the Nurburgring, Germany and the winner was Alfredo Binda of Italy.
Only four professional cyclists have successfully defended and won two subsequent titles of World Cycling Championship victors (one Italian and three Belgians): Gianni Bugno (Italy, 1991-1992), Rik Van Looy (Belgium, 1960-1961); Rik Van Stenbergen (Belgium, 1956-1957); Georges Ronsse (Belgium, 1928-1929).
World Cycling Champions:
2005: Madrid, Spain: Tom Boonen, Belgium;
2004: Verona, Italy: Vascar Freire, Spain;
2003: Hamilton, Canada: Igor Astarloa, Spain;
2002: Zolder/Hasselt, Belgium: Mario Cipollini, Italy;
2001: Lisbon, Portugal: Oscar Freire, Spain;
2000 : Plouay, France: Romans Vainsteins, Latvia;
1999: Verona, Italy: Oscar Freire, Spain;
1998: Valkenburg, Netherlands: Oskar Camenzind, Switzerland
1997: San Sebastian, Spain: Laurent Brochard, France;
1996: Lugano, Switzerland: Johan Museeuw, Belgium;
1995: Duitama, Colombia: Abraham Olano, Spain;
1994: Agrigento, Italy: Luc Leblanc, France;
1993: Oslo, Norway: Lance Armstrong, USA;
1992: Benidorm, Spain: Gianni Bugno, Italy;
1991: Stuttgart, Germany: Gianni Bugno, Italy;
1990: Utsunomiya, Japan: Rudy Dhaenens, Belgium.
World Time-Trial Champions:
2005: Madrid, Spain: Michael Rogers, Australia;
2004: Bardolino, Italy: Michael Rogers, Australia;
2003: Hamilton, Canada: Michael Rogers, Australia;
2002: Zolder/Hasselt, Belgium: Santiago Botero, Colombia;
2001: Lisbon, Portugal: Jan Ullrich, Germany;
2000: Plouay, France: Serhiy Honchar, Ukraine
1999: Treviso, Italy: Jan Ullrich, Germany;
1998: Valkenburg, Netherlands: Abraham Olano, Spain;
1997: San Sebastian, Spain: Laurent Brochard, France;
1996: Lugano, Switzerland: Alex Zelle, Switzerland;
1995: Paipa-Tunja, Colombia: Miguel Indurain, Spain;
1994: Catania, Italy: Chris Boardman, UK.