10 conclusions from the 2021 UCI Road World Championships

LEUVEN BELGIUM SEPTEMBER 26 A general view of the Peloton passing through Leuven City while fans cheer during the 94th UCI Road World Championships 2021 Men Elite Road Race a 2683km race from Antwerp to Leuven flanders2021 on September 26 2021 in Leuven Belgium Photo by Kristof Ramon PoolGetty Images
The peloton passing through Leuven during the elite men's road race at the 2021 Road World Championships (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

The week-long festival of cycling that is the UCI Road World Championships drew to a close on Sunday as a scintillating elite men's road race in Leuven wrapped up what has been an exciting and captivating 100th anniversary Championships.

Along the way there was joy for Italy and disappointment for the host nation. A series of fresh young riders made a name for themselves as old favourites returned – and bowed out. The massive crowds that lined the route electrified the atmosphere after well over a year of disrupted, largely spectator-free racing.

Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.