All the headline numbers – and a few more esoteric ones – of what will be the biggest cyclng event in history.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships takes place in Glasgow and across Scotland from Thursday 3 August to Sunday 13 August. It’s set to be the biggest cycling event ever. And here’s why…
13 different UCI World Championships take place at the same place and at the same time: for BMX Freestyle Flatland; BMX Freestyle Park; BMX Racing; indoor cycling; mountain bike cross-country; mountain bike downhill; mountain bike cross-country marathon; para-cycling road; para-cycling track; road; track; trials; Gran Fondo.
2,600 More than 2,600 athletes will compete in Glasgow over the 11 days of competition.
8,000 A further 8,000 amateur cyclists are expected to compete in Glasgow at the Gran Fondo.
1,000,000 Over one million spectators are expected to attend the competitions in person
100 Maximum number of points each rider’s aiming for per round at the BMX Freestyle Park. Points are awarded based on tricks (style, technique, variety, originality, degree of difficulty), hang time (the higher the jump, the higher the score) use of the park (taking unique lines, performing wall rides) and overall flow of the routine.
6,500 The riders in the Men Elite road race will burn up to – and perhaps more than – 6,500 calories. They face 277km of which 3,176m is climbing.
329,000,000 The last time the UCI Road World Championships were held in Great Britain, a record-breaking television audience of 329-million people from 124 countries tuned into the week-long event. With cycling more popular than ever, plus the amalgamation of so many UCI World Championships under one umbrella, the event in Glasgow look set to dwarf those figures.
113,000,000 Glasgow’s Emirates Arena, which will host the indoor cycling, and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which will stage the track and para-cycling track events, cost a combined £113-million to build. The incredible sporting venue opened in October 2012.
14 Cycle ball is a two-a-side game where each team battles to outscore the other over two 14-minute halves. Riders use their front or rear wheel to control the ball. Headers are allowed and goalies can also use their hands. If a foot touches the floor, the rider must leave and re-enter the field of play. The possession game is key and the most skilled riders keep the ball glued to their wheels to avoid losing it to a well-timed tackle.
4 The most versatile (and strong and stamina-packed and fastest…!) rider will win the omnium events in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome as all four events take place in one day: scratch, tempo, elimination and points race. The omnium rewards consistency as the winning rider must finish strongly in all four events.
1868 The first official road race – over 1200 metres at the Park of Saint-Cloud in Paris - dates back to 1868. It was won by British rider James Moore.
4,000 More than 4,000 volunteers will support the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
1,930 The Women Elite face 1,930m of climbing in their road race within a total distance of 157km. The Men’s Under-23 riders stretch to 172km and 2,123m of climbing.
200 Over 200 rainbow jerseys will be won over 11 days of exhilarating action. The first jerseys and gold medals will be awarded in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on Thursday 3 August in the track and para-cycling track disciplines. The final day of competition, on Sunday 11 August, will see rainbow jerseys given out in the indoor cycling, para-cycling road, BMX racing and road.
11 Great Britain’s Jack Carthy will be aiming for his 11th UCI World title in the trials event, which takes place in Glasgow Green. How does Trials work? The concept is simple: cross the gates “clean” without setting any feet or part of the bike on the ground, except the rubber of the tyres.
75 The fastest, most powerful track cyclists could reach speeds of 75km/hr-plus in their pursuit of a rainbow jersey.