The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

[2] The first professional world championship took place in July 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany where Italian Alfredo Binda won the professional men's race and Belgian Jean Aerts won the men's amateur race.

Beginning in 1972, the team time trial was discontinued in Olympic years only.

Since 1995 until 2022, the event has been held towards the end of the European season in late September, usually following the Vuelta a España.

In each case, the latter part of course is usually held on a circuit, of which the riders complete multiple laps.