The UCI revealed the number of live hours viewed in "key markets" for the event, staged in Imola in Italy from September 24 to 27, rose from 39.6 million in 2019 to 48.4 million in 2020 - an increase of 22 per cent.

TV ratings in Switzerland "nearly tripled", while those France, Italy, Poland and Slovenia "almost doubled", according to UCI.

Cycling's world governing body described this year’s event as "one of the most challenging of all time" to stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Championships ha been scheduled to be held in Switzerland, only for Government restrictions to force it to be relocated. 

When Imola stepped in, Eurovision Services had to set up a host broadcasting operation with less than a month's planning.

Races were shown on free-to-air TV by 18 broadcasters, while Eurosport provided additional distribution throughout the continent.

The women’s and men’s elite road races were the most-watched in the past four years up 75 per cent and 54 per cent respectively on the 2017 figures.

UCI President David Lappartient said the "excellent" figures are a reward for the work undertaken with in Organising Committee and the European Broadcasting Union in to deliver "very high quality production".

"Despite a very short preparation time, the UCI was able to rely on the professionalism and determination of all its partners and thanks them for that," Lappartient said.

"The 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Emilia-Romagna provided the perfect showcase for cycling both in Europe and around the world and allowed us to attract new audiences.”

Marco Tinnirello, chief executive of Eurovision Services, added: "Setting up a host broadcasting operation from scratch less than a month before the event was an immense challenge.

"But thanks to their experience and excellent contacts, our team were unfazed by this. I was particularly pleased to see their hard work rewarded by the many compliments on social media specifically about the production."