How to watch UCI Road Cycling World Championships 2024: free live streams and key dates

Belgian Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step pictured in action ahead of the 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships
(Image credit: JASPER JACOBS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

The action starts on Sunday September 22 with both the women’s and men’s time trials then concludes seven day’s later with the men’s Elite Road race on Sunday the 29th. Here's where to watch World Cycling Championship 2024 live streams online from anywhere – including a FREE option.

In the men’s time trial the favourite is surely the current Olympic and defending world champion, Remco Evenepoel. The course with its significant amount of climbing favours him ahead of the likes of Filipo Ganna, local hero Stefan Kung and the young Brit Josh Tarling.

In the women’s time trial expect a close battle between American Chloe Dygert, Olympic champion Grace Brown of Australia, Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky and Britain’s Anna Henderson who took silver in Paris.  

When it comes to the men’s road race the out and out favourite to win on the extremely hilly course in and around Zurich is Tadej Pogačar. Aiming to be only the third person ever to win the Tour of Italy, the Tour de France and the world championships in the same year. On paper it looks a nailed on certainty but it’s never that clean cut in real life. 

The women's road race took a while longer to really burst into life than the races earlier in the week as the riders battled against the constant cold and wet. When it did though the cream rose to the top as all the big names found themselves in contention for the rainbow stripes and taking the win for the second time in two years was Lotte Kopecky.

The championships finish today with the men's road race with Pogačar the favourite but after seeing the large frame of Niklas Behrens win the Under 23 title, Mathieu van der Poel will certainly believe he too could grab the jersey for a second time.  

Aside from these four blue Ribbon events, titles will also be decided in the Junior ranks and the men's U23, full details on timings, TV channels and live streams can be found below.

Watch UCI Road Cycling World Championships Quick Guide

Race dates

  • Event dates: Sept 22 – Sept 29
  • Start times: Vary each day. See below for details.

Best free streams

2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships FREE live stream broadcasters

If you live in the UK, Australia, Italy, France or Spain then you can look forward to a free UCI Road Cycling World Championships live stream in 2024.

That's because the free-to-air BBC has rights to the action in Britain, SBS in Australia, RAI in Italy, France.TV in France and RTVE in Spain.  

But what if you're based in one of these countries but aren't at home to catch the free UCI Road Cycling World Championships coverage? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home?

Don't worry — you can watch via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.

Use a VPN to watch UCI Road Cycling World Championships from anywhere

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How to watch 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships live streams in the US

Cycling fans in the U.S. can watch the 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships on FloBikes  A subscription to FloBikes will set you back US$149.99 for the year or US$29.99 on a monthly basis. 

And if you're currently out of the U.S. but still want to watch the race, then don't forget to explore NordVPN set out above.

How to watch 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships live streams in the UK and Europe

Selected races will be FREE and live on the BBC starting with the elite time trial's on September the 22nd 

Live coverage of the entire UCI Road Cycling World Championships 2024 will also be broadcast on Eurosport and Discovery+.

A 'standard' subscription to Discovery+ which includes Eurosport's cycling coverage will set you back £6.99 per month. The package includes year-round cycling streams as well as other live sports including snooker, tennis, motorsports and more.

A premium subscription, which includes all that plus TNT Sports (Premier League, Champions League and Europa League football plus rugby, wrestling, UFC, and MotoGP) costs an additional £30.99 per month.

If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use NordVPN to watch from abroad.

How to watch 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships live streams in France

France.tv is televising the UCI Road World Championships in France. To watch the UCI Road World Championships click the link and stream the races!

And if you're currently out of France but still want to watch the race, then don't forget to explore NordVPN set out above.

Can I watch a 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships live stream for free?

What is the 2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships Route?

As is traditional with all world championship road races the courses for 2024 are based on a circuit, this time a 26.9 kilometre loop around the centre of Zurich. Featuring two significant climbs, the Zürichbergstrasse, which is 1.1km long with an average gradient of 8% and the Witikon, which is slightly longer at 2.3km, with an average gradient of 5.7% it is not a race for sprinters.

Although the circuit will be the scene for the finish of each race the starting points and the amount of circuits ridden differ. The men’s 273.9km route starts in the town of Winterthur and it is 85.9 kilometres before their 7 laps of the finish circuit begin. The rest of the road races begin in the town of Uster with a number of laps around the Greifensee before heading into the city. The Junior men complete three finish circuit laps, junior women do one, and both the the U23 men and Elite women do 4 laps. 

As for the time trials both courses finish with a run along the side of the Zurichsee and both pass through the foothills of the Pfannenstiel however then men's route at 46.1km starts in the city before looping out and the women’s at 29.9km starts in Gossau. 

2024 UCI Road Cycling World Championships schedule

Sunday, September 22 | Women’s Elite Individual Time Trial, 29.9km, 12:00 - 14:15

Sunday, September 22 | Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial, 46.1km, 14:45-17:30

Monday, September 23 | Men’s Junior Individual Time Trial, 24.9km, 9:15-11:30

Monday, September 23 | Men’s Under 23 Individual Time Trial, 29.9km, 14:45-17:30

Tuesday, September 24 | Women’s Junior Individual Time Trial, 18.8km, 8:30-10:30 

Wednesday, September 25 | Mixed Relay/Team Time Trial, 53.7km, 14:00-17:30

Thursday, September 26 | Women’s Junior Road Race, 73.6km, 10:00-12:00

Thursday, September 26 | Men’s Junior Road Race, 127.2km, 14:15-17:15

Friday, September 27 | Men’s Under 23 Road Race, 173.6km 12:45-16:45

Saturday, September 28 | Women’s Elite/U23 Road Race, 154.1km, 12:45-16:45

Sunday, September 29 | Men’s Elite Road Race, 273.9km, 10:30-17:00

Women's road race route map

UCI Men's road race 2024 route

(Image credit: UCI)

What are the UCI Cycling World Championships 2024 predictions?

It looks like the onus to try and stop the race becoming a coronation falls on the shoulders of double olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and Switzerland’s Marc Hirschi who has won the last five races he has started. Also in the mix will be Pogačar's compatriot Primoz Roglic, Adam Yates, Richard Carapaz, Matteo Jorgenson and if it comes to a sprint from a small group Biniam Girmay. Oh, and don’t forget defending champion Mathieu van der Poel. He says the course has too much climbing in it for him but if he arrives in his best shape expect fireworks. 

In the women’s race all eyes will be on Lotte Kopecky to repeat her triumph from Glasgow last year. She is the overwhelming favourite and establishing herself as the outstanding rider of her generation. Of her rivals she will be be pushed all the way by France’s Juliette Labous and Evita Muzic, Australia’s Neve Bradbury and Olympic Road Race winner America’s Kirsten Faulkner. 

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Simon Warren
Contributor

Simon Warren has been obsessed with cycling since the summer of 1989 after watching Greg Lemond battle Laurent Fignon in the Tour de France. Although not having what it took to beat the best, he found his forte was racing up hills and so began his fascination with steep roads. This resulted in his 2010’s best-selling 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, followed to date by 14 more guides to vertical pain. Covering the British Isles, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain he has been riding and racing up hills and mountains for over 30 years now. He hosts talks, guides rides, has written columns for magazines and in 2020 released his first book of cycling routes, RIDE BRITAIN. Simon splits his time between working as a graphic designer and running his 100 Climbs brand and lives in Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District with his wife and two children.