The 2022 UCI Road World Championships will be held from 18 to 25 September 2022 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. This event is one of the most prestigious cycling competitions in the world, and it is an incredible opportunity for the city of Wollongong to showcase itself to the world.
The 2022 UCI Road World Championships return to Australia this weekend, with a familiar group of competitors for the rainbow jersey in the top road races.
The 2022 UCI World Road Championships are being held this year in Wollongong, Australia. The celebrations began on Sunday with the elite individual time trial events (won by Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands and Tobias Foss of Norway) and will continue throughout the week with junior and under-23 events.
While we like getting to know the sport’s future stars, the finest races to watch this weekend are the top women’s and men’s road races, with the winner of each event winning the right to wear the rainbow jersey as the reigning world road race champion for the following calendar year.
Everything you need to know is summarized below:
The Path 2022 UCI Road World Championships:
The elite women and men will race 164.3km and 266.9km, respectively, with both events beginning in Helensburgh, a small town about 28 miles south of Sydney, and ending with a long ride down the coast on the Grand Pacific Drive, Australia’s version of California’s Pacific Coast Highway, to Wollongong.
Following the finish line in Wollongong, both fields will complete one loop of a 34.2km circuit that will take them up and over Mount Keira (8.7km @ 5%). This is hardly the most difficult hill the riders have faced this season, but it is a long drag with a high incline in the middle that reaches 15%. It could force a selection in the women’s race, especially if the competition’s stronger teams ride at a fast pace.
After a steep descent, everyone returns to Wollongong, where the women will do six laps of a 17.1km “city” circuit. This shorter circuit includes the shorter but steeper Mount Pleasant (1.1km @ 7%) ascent, which should serve as the finale’s strategic focus point. The riders will reach the summit for the final time just 8 kilometers from the finish line, making it ideal for a late-race attack. The men’s race follows an identical schedule, but covers 12 laps of the downtown Wollongong circuit.
While we’ve been mistaken in the past, we don’t anticipate large groups sprinting for the win in either event, as Mount Pleasant provides an excellent launchpad for punchier riders to escape. It could all come down to who attacks first and who leads the pursue. The Dutch women and Belgian men have the strongest teams in their respective events, and if someone makes a move and they are unable or unable to arrange a cohesive chase, an upset victory is possible—not uncommon in an event where riders aren’t riding with their typical trade teams.
How to Watch the 2022 UCI Road World Championships on TV and Full events highlights:
The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) website has a list of the official broadcasters showing the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.
If you subscribed to FloBikes ($150/year or $12.50/month) during the Spring Classics and never canceled, you’re in luck: it’s the only legal way to watch the event in the United States and Canada. The men’s and women’s competitions will be streamed live and on-demand on FloBikes.com, the FloSports iOS app, and the FloSports apps for Amazon FireTV, Roku, and Apple TV.
Because the races are held in Australia, which is 14 hours ahead of New York City, the timing is ideal for late-late Friday and Saturday night viewing parties, especially if you live on the West Coast. The women’s race begins at 10:25 p.m. EDT and is expected to end about 3 a.m. Saturday morning. The men’s event begins around 8:15 p.m. EDT and concludes about the same time on Sunday morning.
We’ll probably watch the start of both races before going to bed—after turning off our phones to avoid spoilers sent by West Coast friends. Before we check our social media accounts the next morning, we’ll brew some coffee and watch the FloBikes rerun to see how the excitement plays out.
READ MORE: The 2022 UCI Road World Championships: A Preliminary Look
Watch Out For 2022 UCI Road World Championships:
ANNEMIEK VLEUTTEN (NETHERLANDS) – Van Vleuten, who won the world title in 2019, is the overwhelming favorite once again. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Giro Rosa, Tour de France Femmes, and the latest Cerazit Challenge have all been won by the soon-to-be 40-year-old. She’s known for long-distance attacks, such as the one she launched on Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes to take the yellow jersey, so don’t be surprised if she goes on the offensive early to try to surprise the opposition.
Marianne Vos (Nederland) – We could probably name every one of van Vleuten’s teammates as a contender—the Dutch squad is that strong—but we’ll focus on just one: Vos, who has won nearly every women’s race on the calendar, including world crowns in 2006, 2012, and 2013. Her best opportunity to win would be in a sprint after winning two stages and the green jersey at the Tour de France Femmes and four stages at the Tour of Scandinavia in August.
Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) – Longo Borghini is a Classics specialist who has won the Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda (twice), and Tour of Flanders. She is the top non-Dutch candidate, having won this year’s Paris-Roubaix.
Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma – Niewiadoma would almost certainly have won every race on the women’s calendar by now if her career hadn’t coincided with a period of Dutch dominance. Instead, she is frequently forced to settle for podium places and top-5 performances, such as her bronze medal from last year’s race in Leuven. But she’s always a threat, and if the Dutch and Italian teams spend too much time marking each other, she could steal the victory.
Belgium’s Wout van Aert – Van Aert, maybe the sport’s most skilled Classics rider, has yet to win the three most important events on his bucket list: the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Worlds. After winning three stages, the green jersey, and assisting his team to win yellow at the Tour de France, the Belgian went immediately back to work, winning and finishing in the top five in the four races he entered to prepare for worlds. The only disadvantage is that he is the overwhelming favorite, and no one will work with him in the end.
Tadej Pogaar (Slovenia) – After placing second in this year’s Tour, the two-time Tour de France champion had some time off, but he positioned himself as a worlds favorite by outsprinting van Aert to win the recent Grand Prix cycliste de Montréal. While noted for his stage racing prowess, Pogaar is one of the world’s top all-around cyclists, as seen by victories in races such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia, and Strade Bianche. Pog has the complete backing of his teammates despite the absence of Primo Rogli from this year’s Slovenian squad.
Mathieu van der Poel (Nederland) – After pulling out of the Tour de France, significant doubts regarding the Dutch superstar’s fitness surfaced. However, the two-time Tour of Flanders winner has won the previous three races he’s contested and seems set to compete for the rainbow jacket on a course that’s ideal for him.
Belgian Remco Evenepoel – We wouldn’t have been surprised if Evenepoel called it quits after winning the Tour of Spain two weeks ago. However, the 22-year-old went directly to Australia and won bronze in the individual time trial. On paper, he’s riding for van Aert, but we anticipate he’ll be granted more freedom and may take advantage if teams allow him to escape.
2022 UCI Road World Championships- Women’s elite individual time trial (TT) results – Podium, top eight, U23 winner
- Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) 44:28:60 – Gold medallist.
- Grace Brown (Australia) 44:41:33 – Silver medallist.
- Marlen Reusser (Belgium) 45:10:28 – Bronze medallist.
- Vittoria Guazzini (Italy) 45:20:71 – Fastest rider under the age of 23 to complete the course, to claim the rainbow bands for the age category.
- Leah Thomas (USA) 45:47:07.
- Kristen Faulkner (USA) 45:54:05.
- Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) 46:11:62.
- Georgia Baker (Australia) 46:15:04.
2022 UCI Road World Championships- Men’s elite individual time trial (TT) results – Podium, top eight
- Tobias Foss (Norway) 40:02:78 – Gold medallist.
- Stefan Kung (Switzerland) 40:05:73 – Silver medallist.
- Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) 40:11:94 – Bronze medallist.
- Ethan Hayter (Great Britain) 40:42:73.
- Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) 40:49:59.
- Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) 40:50:91.
- Filippo Ganna (Italy) 40:58:10.
- Nelson Oliveira (Portugal) 41:01:76.
The men’s under 23 individual time trial takes place on Monday (see full schedule below).
2022 UCI Road World Championships: Schedule and results
Over 300,000 fans are expected to line the track, with during 300 million viewers worldwide watching the event 2022 UCI Road World Championships over the eight days of competition.
The following is the schedule for the eight-day 2022 UCI Road World Championships festival.
(All times are local – AEST/UTC+10)
- Sunday 18 September
09:35 – Women’s Elite individual time trial – won by Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands). Under 23 title won by Vittoria Guazzini (Italy).
13:30 -Men’s Elite individual time trial – won by Tobias Foss (Norway).
- Monday 19 September
13:20 Men’s Under 23 individual time trial
- Tuesday 20 September
9:30 Women’s Junior individual time trial
13:20 Men’s Junior individual time trial
- Wednesday 21 September
14:20 Team time trial mixed relay
- Friday 23 September
8:30 Men’s Junior road race
13:00 Men’s Under 23 road race
- Saturday 24 September
8:00 Women’s Junior road race
11:55 Women’s Elite road race
- Sunday 25 September
10:00 Men’s Elite road race
A more detailed schedule and live updates 2022 UCI Road World Championships are available on the Race Hub of the 2022 UCI Road World Championships Wollongong
There are two main reasons why the city of Wollongong is an ideal location for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships. First, Wollongong is a beautiful city with a lot to offer visitors. The city is situated on the coast, and there are plenty of beaches, parks, and other attractions to enjoy. Secondly, Wollongong has a strong cycling culture, and the city is home to a number of professional and amateur cyclists. This means that there will be plenty of support for the event from the local community.
The 2022 UCI Road World Championships will be held from 18 to 25 September 2022 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. This event is one of the most prestigious cycling competitions in the world, and it is an incredible opportunity for the city of Wollongong to showcase itself to the world. The city of Wollongong is an ideal location for the event for two main reasons: first, because it is a beautiful city with a lot to offer visitors; and secondly, because it has a strong cycling culture.
