2008

Varese, Italy

Bert Grabsch

Germany

2007

Stuttgart, Germany

Fabian Cancellara

Switzerland

2006

Salzburg,  Austria

Fabian Cancellara

Switzerland

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 Jalabert

France

1996

Lugano,  Switzerland

Alex Zlle

Switzerland

1995

Paipa-Tunja,  Colombia

Miguel Indurain

Spain

1994

Catania,  Italy

Chris Boardman

United Kingdom

The UCI Road World Championships, referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial.

• The winner of the UCI Road World Championships Road Race is considered the World Cycling Champion (or World Road Cycling Champion) and earns the right to wear the Rainbow Jersey for a full year in road race or stage events. The event is a single 'massed start' road race, the winner being the first across the line at the completion of the full race distance.

• The winner of the UCI Road World Championships Time Trial is considered the World Time Trial Champion and earns the right to wear the Rainbow Jersey for a full year in individual time trial (ITT) events or stages (for example, the prologue and ITT stages at the Tour de France or other stage races).

Both the road race and individual time trial events are competed by riders organized by national cycling teams versus commercially sponsored or trade teams, which is the standard in professional cycling.