Why are so many top riders absent from the World Championships?

World Championships absentees
The 2022 Worlds will be without some big names (Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2022 UCI Road World Championships will, as ever, showcase the world's best cyclists battling for one of the most prestigious prizes in professional cycling: a rainbow jersey. However, there is a sense that the fields are not what they could be. 

On the elite men's side in particular, there are a host of big-name absences, owing to a wide range of reasons. 

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.