Cycling World Championships

Lotte Kopecky won her third world championship this week when the Belgian cyclist broke free in the closing kilometers of the women's road race Sunday. She also won the points and elimination races on the track. Demi Vollering of the Netherlands won a sprint over Cecilie Ludwig of Denmark to round out the medals. In the other finals on the last day of cycling worlds, Romain Mahieu led a French sweep of the BMX racing podium alongside Arthur Pilard and Joris Daudet, while Bethany Shriever of Britain won the women’s BMX race ahead of Laura Smulders of the Netherlands and Alise Willoughby of the U.S.

he cycling world championships begins Thursday in Scotland, and for the first time, nearly all of the UCI's titles will be contested at one time and in one place. The sport's global governing body wants to bring its many disciplines under one banner every four years, coinciding with the next year's Olympics, in the hopes of drumming up interest for the sport. The UCI estimates that 2,600 athletes will compete during the competition; another 8,000 amateurs are expected to ride in a Gran Fondo.