2019 UCI Road World Championships

The start of the men's road race in Leeds

Mads Pedersen surprised in the men's road race by becoming the first Danish world champion in the event after winning the sprint in a three-man breakaway.[23] Italy's Matteo Trentin started the sprint but took silver while Stefan Küng of Switzerland took bronze.[24] One of the favourites, Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands, had also been in the breakaway but could not follow it on the last lap and finished over ten minutes behind. The day was marred by atrocious, torrential, downpours and bitterly cold, windy weather. This left four men where Italy's Gianni Moscon later lost contact; he finished in fourth place but was unable to help his teammate Trentin. Three-time champion Peter Sagan of Slovakia made a late breakaway from a larger chase group but could not catch the leaders and came fifth, followed by Michael Valgren of Denmark.[25]

Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten won the race, after a solo breakaway for more than 100 km (62 mi). Defending champion Anna van der Breggen, also of the Netherlands, finished as runner-up, with Australian cyclist Amanda Spratt finishing in third.[26][27]

The men's time trial was 54 km (34 mi). Defending champion Rohan Dennis of Australia won by more than a minute. The silver went to the 19-year-old Belgian Remco Evenepoel who skipped the under-23 event after winning both the road race and time trial for juniors in 2018. Italy's Filippo Ganna rounded out the podium.[28]

The women's time trial was 30.3 km (18.8 mi). The American Chloé Dygert Owen won by 1 minute 32 seconds, the largest margin ever in a world championship time trial. Anna van der Breggen took silver. Two-time defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten, had to settle with bronze. Four days later she won the road race after riding solo for more than three times as long.[29]

The new mixed team time trial relay was 27.6 km (17.1 mi) in total, one lap for three men and one for three women. The inaugural event was won by one of the favourites, the Dutch team, with the female trio of Lucinda Brand, Riejanne Markus, Amy Pieters, and the male triumvirate Koen Bouwman, Bauke Mollema and Jos van Emden. Germany and the host Great Britain took silver and bronze, 23 seconds and 51 seconds behind.[30]

The start of the men's under-23 road race in Doncaster

As usual, there were only under-23 events for men. In the road race, Nils Eekhoff of the Netherlands won the sprint in a seven-man group but was later disqualified for drafting behind his team car for too long after a crash. The gold then went to Italy's Samuele Battistella. Stefan Bissegger of Switzerland was elevated to silver and Tom Pidcock got into the podium with a bronze for the British hosts.[31]

The Danish favourite Mikkel Bjerg won his third consecutive gold in the under-23 time trial. The Americans Ian Garrison and Brandon McNulty took silver and bronze one second apart, but 27 seconds behind Bjerg who started as the last rider.[32]

Both junior road races were won by Americans. Quinn Simmons finished solo in the men's race[33] while Megan Jastrab won a sprint for women.[34] The victories contributed to the United States winning the most golds in the 2019 championships, three in total.

Antonio Tiberi of Italy won the junior time trial for men by 8 seconds.[35] Russia's Aigul Gareeva won for women by four seconds.[36]