The dates for the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland were announced during a press conference today by the event’s organisers, 2023 Cycling World Championships Ltd, and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
From 3 to 13 August 2023, the UCI Cycling World Championships will deliver one of the most important moments in the history of the sport, bringing the global cycling family together for the first time.
The dates of the 11-day mega event were revealed during a virtual international press conference with the participation of UCI President David Lappartient, UCI Director General Amina Lanaya, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Paul Bush and the event’s CEO Trudy Lindblade.
David Lappartient said the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and Scotland in 2023 would have a transformational effect on the sport.
David Lappartient, UCI President said: “Today’s announcement of the dates is an important milestone in the organisation of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Bringing our existing UCI World Championships together at the same time and in one venue every four years was one of my visions before my election as UCI President in 2017. We have been working towards this ever since.
“I am delighted that the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will take place in Glasgow and Scotland. With their experience hosting high-level international sporting events, Glasgow’s iconic sports venues, and the stunning Scottish scenery, we have all the ingredients for an exceptional 11 days of competition.”
Paul Bush, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said: “This will quite simply be the biggest cycling event ever held and we are proud that venues in Glasgow and across Scotland will be used to create cycling history. It is an honour that the UCI has entrusted us with hosting the first ever UCI Cycling World Championships and we look forward to welcoming the cyclists, federations and fans from around the world from 3-13 August 2023.”
Bringing together 13 UCI World Championships across cycling’s different disciplines, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will deliver an event never seen before on the world stage. It is expected to welcome more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists from at least 120 countries and crown over 190 UCI World Champions. More than one million spectators are awaited, with a global TV audience in excess of one billion expected to make it one of the Top 10 watched sporting events on the planet.
To date, six venues have been announced, with additional locations to be confirmed in the coming weeks and months. Confirmed venues in Glasgow include:
Kelvingrove Park for BMX Freestyle Park, BMX Freestyle Flatland and trials
Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood for BMX Racing (Elite and amateur Challenge categories)
Emirates Arena for indoor cycling (artistic cycling and cycle-ball)
Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome for track and para-cycling track
George Square for the finish line of the road cycling events.
In addition to the five venues in Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway, in the west of Scotland’s Southern Uplands, will provide the stunning backdrop for the para-cycling road races and time trials, continuing the region’s long association with world-class cycling events, including the Tour of Britain on 10 separate occasions.