Sharp and stylish, these vintage cycling posters will get you on the bike

Hans Knecht recorded the highlight of his career by winning the rainbow jersey in his own country, as the World Championships made a return following World War 2. Belgium filled the other spots on the podium with Marcel Kint finishing second and Rik Van Steenbergen third.

Briek Schotte, nicknamed ‘Iron Briek’ for the incredible stamina he showed on the bike would win yet another World Championships gold for Belgium. 

Fausto Coppi continued his dominance after World War II as he won gold for Italy in the Professional Road Race. Italy also won gold in the Amateur Road Race.

Rik Van Steenbergen would nab his third and final World Championships rainbow jersey, and only one in his home country in 1957. On a course comprising 12 laps around 23.8-kilometre route, Van Steenbergen pulled ahead with 150 metres to go and held on to win.

The King of the Classics, Rik Van Looy, flexed his muscles to edge a competitive field and win back to back World Championships titles.

In one of his 105 wins as a professional, Frenchman Jean Stablinski would edge Ireland’s Seamus Elliott and Belgium’s Jos Hoevenaers to win the race.

At the age of 23 and in front of his jubilant compatriots, Benoni Beheyt would claim the win of his career as the Belgian won the men’s road race in a scintillating finish.

Tommy Simpson became Britain’s first World Road Cycling Champion as he held off Germany’s Rudi Altig to win by three bike lengths. Reporters at the time claim Tommy Simpson had no support at the World Championships and had to steal food and drink from other teams.

Having suffered a crushing defeat to Britain’s Tommy Simpson the year before, Rudi Altig, put things right by winning the race near his hometown. The win was not without controversy, as Altig and the other top three finishers refused to give urine samples for a drugs check. The three were disqualified and suspended, but ten days later the UCI allowed the result to stand.

Cheered on by Italian fans after a 90 kilometre breakaway, Vittorio Adorni, won gold 10 minutes clear of the field, four years after he picked up a silver medal. 

The relatively unknown Harm Ottenbros would capture his most memorable victory on the bike by edging Julien Stevens of Belgium by a few centimetres to take the victory. The Dutchman, Ottenbros was a late call up to the team after its leader, Jan Janssen fell ill.

Seven weeks following the Tour de France, Belgium’s Eddy Merckx would win his second rainbow jersey on a hilly and technical course. After attacking on the second to last lap, Merckx and Italy’s Felice Gimondi reached the finish, where Merckx won the race by four bike lengths.

After a number of close calls, Italy’s Felice Gimondi would finally win his first and only World Championships gold. The man nicknamed ‘The Phoenix’ became the second cyclist, after Jacques Anquetil, to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling.

After not even reaching the podium the year before, Belgium’s Eddy Merckx won the rainbow jersey for a record third time. It was an incredible year for the man widely seen as the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling, as he completed the Triple Crown, winning two Grand Tour races and the World Championships in a calendar year.

Dutchman Hennie Kuiper would spoil the party in Belgium as he beat hometown hero, Roger De Vlaeminck, to win his one and only World Championships title. It was a tough race, stretching over 260 kilometres with 21 ascents of a three kilometre climb.

The renowned tactician and clever sprinter, Jan Raas, won the road race in his own country in front of 20,000 spectators. There are claims that Raas was helped by his teammates during a climb and that he grabbed a service vehicle in an already fortuitos race where Italy’s Giovanni Battaglin fell in a crash caused by Raas in the last 200 metres of the race.

Having just missed out on gold the year before, Italy’s Giuseppe Saronni won the Professional Road Race edging the famed Greg LeMond by five seconds.

In a race where 117 riders started and only 46 finished, American Greg LeMond won gold. He became the first rider from the United States of America to win the World Championships.

At the age of 38, Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk surprised many as he outsprinted favourites Greg LeMond and Stephen Roche to become the oldest men's individual road race world champion. 

At the age of 38, Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk surprised many as he outsprinted favourites Greg LeMond and Stephen Roche to become the oldest men's individual road race world champion. 

Italy’s Moreno Argentin, also known as Il Capo (The Boss) would win the men’s road race. Hometown hero Greg LeMond would finish a disappointing seventh.

In a race that was later dominated by a lawsuit between Steve Bauer and Claude Criquielion over a crash near the finish line, Italian Maurizio Fondriest won gold.

Belgium’s Rudy Dhaenens would stand atop the podium in the men’s Professional Road Race having pipped compatriot Dirk De Wolf. Just two years later Dhaenens would be forced to stop his career because of heart problems.

In the first of his two straight years as back to back World Champion, Italy’s Gianni Bugno won the rainbow jersey in a tight finish between him, Dutchman Steven Rooks and Spaniard Miguel Induráin.

France’s Laurent Brochard would win the men’s road race and Britain’s Chris Boardman would finish with a bronze medal in the men’s time trial.

 In the very early stages of his career, Switzerland’s Oscar Camenzind, would win the men’s road race. American Lance Armstrong’s fourth place finish would be stripped by USADA due to doping.