BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Great Britain's Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl won silver in the women's B road race at the UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich.

Fresh from claiming two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Unwin and Holl finished second to Irish tandem Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly.

Unwin, alongside pilot Holl, also picked up silver in the women's B individual time trial on Sunday.

It is the fifth time the duo have won a medal at the World Championships, after gold in 2021 and 2022, while they won silver in 2023.

Read more here.

BBC Sport

For its 97th edition, the Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships are heading to Zurich. It’s the third time that the city has hosted the event, having previously held the championships in 1929 and 1946.

The Men’s Elite race starts in Zurich’s North-East region; winding through Alpine foothills, forming a 273.9km course with an accumulated elevation of 4,470 metres. The Women’s begins in Uster, east of the city; in what is a technical, challenging 154km course with 2400m elevation.

BBC Sport

The biggest names of the men’s and women’s pelotons will be pushing for the podium in Zurich…

Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel rode to glory in Glasgow last year and looks set to be one of the favourites in the Men’s Elite race; alongside Belgium’s Wout van Aert and Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively last year. Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, who became the first man to win both road cycling events at the same Olympic games, will be hoping to add to his recent success.

GB's Anna Henderson, Sarah Storey and Josh Tarling all look set to join the start list. Swiss rider Stefan Kung also makes the lineup, hoping to impress his home crowd.

In the Women’s Elite, Team USA will be fronted by the in-form Kristen Faulkner, fresh from winning two Olympic golds in the Road Race and Team Pursuit; alongside Chloe Dygert.

Lotte Kopecky will be aiming to retain her world title, but the Belgian rider will face stiff competition from last year’s runner up Demi Vollering, despite her disappointing finish in Paris. 23-year old British rider Pfeiffer Georgi - who finished 5th in Paris - will also be hoping to make her mark on the world stage in Zurich.

Image source, Getty Images

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How do I start?

Just hop on a bike and you're good to go. British Cycling, external, Scottish Cycling,, externalWelsh Cycling, external and Cycle NI, external have information about clubs and racing tracks, and the Breeze , externalprogramme for women cyclists offers a range of safe and sociable cycle routes for all abilities. If you don't have access to a bike there are hundreds of bike rental facilities across the UK.

What is cycling?

Road cycling, the most common form of cycling, is simply riding a bike outside for exercise, sport or to get from A to B. Track cycling adds a competitive element and sees riders race around a specialist track at high speeds.

Is it for me?

From young children on stabilisers, through to adults going for long countryside rides, cycling is for everyone. Sick of being stuck in traffic? Cycling to work is also one of the easiest ways to fit exercise into your daily routine. There are also a number of cycling clubs around the UK, where coffee and cake stops are as important as the route you ride!

What to expect when I start?

• An hour-long road race can burn up to 844 calories and an hour on the track can burn up to 782 calories.
• To ensure you're riding safely you should wear a helmet, reflective clothing and equip your bike with lights in winter.
• Regardless of how and where you cycle, you'll be increasing muscle strength and stamina whilst decreasing your body-fat levels.
• There are cycling clubs across the UK so it's an excellent way to make friends and develop communication skills.
• Paracycling, external takes a number of forms including Handcycling, where competitors power the bike with their hands and arms and tandem bikes for blind or visually impaired athletes and their assistants.
• It's a low-impact type of exercise, so it's easier on your joints than running or other similar activities.
• Go Ride, external introduces young riders to the sport and improves their bike handling skills. Go Ride Racing is a competition programme which offers entry level competitions for young riders.