BMX Freestyle Flatland stars will match the athletic to the artistic and the inventive to the incredible as they chase the prestigious rainbow bands of UCI World Champion.
The 2023 UCI World Champions for BMX Freestyle Flatland will be crowned in Glasgow as part of the wider 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in the Scottish city and across the country from 3 to 13 August.
The Flatland competition will be hosted at a specially built arena on Glasgow Green park, close to the city centre. The BMX Freestyle Park and trials events will take place in the same complex.
More than 50 men and women are registered for the BMX Flatland competitions taking place from 8 to 10 August:
Tuesday 8: qualifications
Wednesday 9: semi-finals
Thursday 10: finals.
The current UCI World Champions, Japan's Moto Sasaki and France's Aude Cassagne, have both signed up to defend their rainbow jersey in Scotland. They both face tough competition…
Men: challenging the Japanese
Moto Sasaki will have to outperform his fellow countrymen Yu Shoji – winner of May’s UCI BMX Freestyle Flatland World Cup round in Montpellier, France – and Kio Hayakawa, who has also fared well in recent competitions. 2021 UCI World Champion Matthias Dandois (FRA) has put in the work at his home training spot and wants to take the title back to France – but there are riders from 19 different countries who have the same idea, not least Jean-William Prevost (CAN), Matt Wilhelm (USA) and Pakphum Poosa-Art (THA).
Women: Repeat for Cassagne?
Historically speaking, most Flatland talent comes from Japan. In Women Flatland, France's Aude Cassagne – who spoke to us during her preparations for the event – will have to put a great run together to hold off Japan's Kirara Nakagawa and Sakura Kawaguchi if she is able to successfully defend her title.
A panel of Flatland legends will form the UCI judging team and it will be up to them to decide who performs the best in both classes, when it really matters.
For those unable to attend the competitions, the event will also be broadcast live.