Video: With the 2015 UCI road world championships starting, take a look back at last year’s competition

With the 2015 UCI road world championships getting underway in Richmond, Virginia, bringing the world of cycling to the city’s doorstep and the road-riding season to a climax, a look back at 2014’s race seems to be in order.

The event kicked off on September 21, 2014, with twelve competitions for elite, U23 and junior riders heating up the asphalt of Ponferrada, Spain. For the host country, it was the seventh time that the event had been held on its soil, with Spanish athletes taking a single bronze medal and a 14th-place ranking. Germany, on the other hand, turned in the best national performance in terms of medal count, with three gold medals and two silvers, followed closely by Australia with two gold, four silver, and two bronze.

The United States — this year’s host country — came in third in terms of medal standing, claiming two gold medals and a single silver and bronze medal. Canada, however, took no medals by the end of competition, but the event was nonetheless a testament to Canuck riders. The men’s time trial saw Svein Tuft ranked 28th with a time of 3:18.18, while Karol-Ann Canuel, 51:26 behind the winner of the women’s time trial, was ranked sixth.

Topping last year’s performance, no doubt, will be the team’s top priority this year in Richmond.