The event will mark the first time a rainbow jersey and medals are awarded in the road race and time trial.

The decision was announced at the UCI's Management Committee meeting in Switzerland.

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It is a step towards gender equality, however the governing body has come under criticism for the move.

The men's under 23 road race and time trial will be contested as separate events, as they have since 1996. The women's under 23 events, however, will be run as part of the elite women's races.

That means the first person within the age bracket to cross the finish line will be crowned world champion.

The event will be run under those conditions for three years before a separate race is established at the 2025 World Championships.

Wollongong 2022 officials recognise the path to gender equality is a lengthy one, but they are proud the first step will be taken at their event.

"Wollongong is a place that celebrates diversity, inclusion and equality in our community, and we are thrilled that the first ever Women's Under 23 Road World Championship gold medals and rainbow jerseys will be awarded in our Australian city," Chair Dean Dalla Valle said.

"This will add even more excitement to a high-energy world-class event and we look forward to welcoming all riders to the start line come September."

Event officials have maintained a focus on increasing opportunities for women since the World Championships were awarded to Wollongong in 2018.

In a first, both the men's and women's elite time trials will be held on the same course on the same day.

It's a route that takes in Gwynneville, Fairy Meadow and North Wollongong, with many cyclists eager to compare results across the genders.

"As an Organising Committee we have made clear our commitment to gender equality through the revolutionary move to host the Elite Women and Men Time Trial on the same day and over the same distance for the first time in the history of the World Championships," Wollongong 2022 chief executive Stu Taggart said.

"This is an important step toward even greater representation and acknowledgment of all athletes in World Championship cycling, and we are proud to be the first city to award these new medals and rainbow jerseys."

UCI president David Lappartient said it is a big step forward for women's cycling.

"This innovation, like the progress made in protecting the integrity of cycling and its players, makes our sport more inclusive, and we will continue our work in this respect in the coming years," Lappartient said.

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