2023 UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS “MEGA-EVENT” COMES TO SCOTLAND NEXT AUGUST

2023 UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 

UNVEILS FULL SCHEDULE FOR 

INAUGURAL MEGA-EVENT IN SCOTLAND

 

• A total of 13 UCI Cycling World Championships will be combined into an 11-day mega-event for the first time
• Over 1 million spectators and around 1 billion television viewers expected to enjoy elite finals every day of the UCI Cycling World Championships 

 

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, today unveiled the official schedule of the inaugural multi-discipline cycling event, giving cycling fans around the world a first sight of the full scale of the historic festival of cycling coming to Glasgow and across Scotland for 11 days (August 3-13, 2023).

From the Highlands to the Borders and across the central belt, the carefully created schedule boasts a world class line-up of elite cycling competitions, designed to unite Scotland while sharing an inspirational cycling message with the world.

The schedule was designed by the UCI, the Organising Committee of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, host cities and key stakeholders to give an unrivaled live spectator and TV viewing experience, packed full of daily elite finals and nonstop action with at least three disciplines on display each day of the UCI Cycling Worlds.

Thousands of the world’s top cycling athletes will compete across the 13 UCI World Championships, with only a select few earning the title of UCI World Champion and the prestige of the rainbow jersey. With inclusivity at its core, the event will also feature para-cycling and junior competitions.

In a first for a UCI World Championships, the Women Elite road race will bring the curtain down on the competitions, on Sunday, August 13. In addition to championing female cyclists, the decision to stage the Men Elite road race on the opening weekend and the Women Elite road race on the closing day was taken to ensure the best possible alignment with the UCI Road International Calendar, in particular with respect to their respective Tours de France.

The opening weekend of the Championships (5-6 August) will include exhilarating action in Glasgow, Fort William and across Scotland. The Men Elite road race will take place in the stunning scenery of central Scotland while the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will host Track finals each day. Fans will be able to witness the fast and exhilarating Mountain Bike Downhill competitions against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Nevis Range.

At the other end of the country, Glentress Forest in the Tweed Valley will host tough endurance racing with the Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon.

The full schedule of events across all 11-days, including BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, Gran Fondo, Indoor Cycling and Trials can be found at the website for the cyclingworldchamps.com/schedule 

This is the first time all 13 UCI World Championships will be combined into one mega-event, making it a cycling event unmatched in size and scale. The anticipated global TV audience will place the Cycling World Championships in the top-10 most watched sporting events in the world, rivaling the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and placing Scotland on the world stage as a destination for elite cycling and cycle tourism.

 

Here’s the full press release:

2023 UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

UNVEILS FULL SCHEDULE FOR
INAUGURAL MEGA-EVENT IN SCOTLAND

 A total of 13 UCI Cycling World Championships will be combined into an 11-day mega-event

for the first time

 Over 1 million spectators and around 1 billion television viewers expected to enjoy elite

finals every day of the UCI Cycling World Championships

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, today unveiled the official schedule of the inaugural
multi-discipline cycling event, giving cycling fans around the world a first sight of the full scale of the
historic festival of cycling coming to Glasgow and across Scotland for 11 days (August 3-13, 2023).
From the Highlands to the Borders and across the central belt, the carefully created schedule boasts
a world class line-up of elite cycling competitions, designed to unite Scotland while sharing an
inspirational cycling message with the world.
The schedule was designed by the UCI, the Organising Committee of the 2023 UCI Cycling World
Championships, host cities and key stakeholders to give an unrivalled live spectator and TV viewing
experience, packed full of daily elite finals and nonstop action with at least three disciplines on
display each day of the UCI Cycling Worlds.

Thousands of the world’s top cycling athletes will compete across the 13 UCI World Championships,
with only a select few earning the title of UCI World Champion and the prestige of the rainbow
jersey. With inclusivity at its core, the event will also feature para-cycling and junior competitions.
In a first for a UCI World Championships, the Women Elite road race will bring the curtain down on
the competitions, on Sunday, August 13. In addition to championing female cyclists, the decision to
stage the Men Elite road race on the opening weekend and the Women Elite road race on the
closing day was taken to ensure the best possible alignment with the UCI Road International
Calendar, in particular with respect to their respective Tours de France.
The opening weekend of the Championships (5-6 August) will include exhilarating action in Glasgow,
Fort William and across Scotland. The Men Elite road race will take place in the stunning scenery of
central Scotland while the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will host Track finals each day. Fans will be able
to witness the fast and exhilarating Mountain Bike Downhill competitions against the awe-inspiring
backdrop of the Nevis Range.
At the other end of the country, Glentress Forest in the Tweed Valley will host tough endurance
racing with the Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon.
The full schedule of events across all 11-days, including BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, Gran Fondo,
Indoor Cycling and Trials can be found at the website for the cyclingworldchamps.com/schedule
This is the first time all 13 UCI World Championships will be combined into one mega-event, making
it a cycling event unmatched in size and scale. The anticipated global TV audience will place the
Cycling World Championships in the top-10 most watched sporting events in the world, rivalling the
Olympics and Commonwealth Games and placing Scotland on the world stage as a destination for
elite cycling and cycle tourism.
David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale said: “Glasgow and the whole of
Scotland are creating sporting history by hosting this multi-discipline cycling event for the first time.
The UCI Cycling World Championships were one of my visions when I was first elected President of
the UCI in 2017. That vision is now becoming a reality and the inaugural edition is really taking
shape. The unveiling of the schedule enables us to visualise what awaits during these 11 days of non-
stop cycling action. The entire cycling community can definitely expect great things!”
Paul Bush OBE, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said “Unveiling the full
schedule for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is an incredibly exciting milestone in the
build-up to the largest cycling event in history. Fans from around the world can start planning their
trips to Scotland to celebrate the power of the bike across 13 exhilarating UCI World Championships.
The first-of-its-kind event further strengthens our position as a world leading events destination and
reinforces Scotland’s place as the perfect stage for events, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in
2023.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We are looking forward to welcoming people to Scotland
for a packed 11 days of competition next August. The strength and breadth of competition and
viewing experiences really does have something for everyone. What’s more, along with a host of
diverse and wholly inclusive events, it feels fitting to close these UCI World Championships with the
Women’s Elite road race.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow is proud to be hosting 8 of
the 13 UCI World Championships and we are delighted with the breadth of action taking place in the
city throughout the 11 days, showcasing our amazing venues and giving citizens and visitors alike the
chance to experience first-hand, elite sporting competitions. I am particularly excited to see the
Women’s Elite road race scheduled as the final event, finishing in George Square, the civic heart of
Glasgow.

“As a UCI Bike City and European Capital City of Sport for 2023, we look forward to welcoming
thousands of visitors to our wonderful city, not only to enjoy the event, but to embrace all that
Glasgow has to offer in terms of art, culture and entertainment.”
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place across 11 days from 3 to 13 August 2023
in venues and locations in Glasgow and across Scotland. More than a million spectators are
anticipated as well as a global television audience of over one billion, making it one of the world’s
top 10 watched sporting events next summer.
The event is being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City
Council, UK Sport and British Cycling as principal funders. The partnership aims to create a blueprint
for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative, and distinctive whilst
bringing all cycling disciplines together every four years, one year ahead of the Olympics.
For further information on the UCI Cycling World Championships, visit
www.cyclingworldchamps.com

 

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Lindsey Taylor, Senior Communications Lead
(m) +44 (0)7500 918 210
[email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS
As a brand-new event, it is important the Championships are referenced correctly in copy. Please
refer to the Championships either as the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and
across Scotland or the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds.
The Championships should not be referenced as Glasgow 2023 or Scotland 2023. Thank you for
your support on this matter
2023 UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
From 3-13 August 2023, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will be hosted in Glasgow and across
Scotland. It will be the single biggest cycling event in history, bringing together for the first time 13 existing UCI
World Championships into one mega event.
This historic and innovative event will welcome more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists from more than
120 countries and crown over 190 UCI World Champions across 13 UCI World Championships, which includes:
BMX Freestyle Flatland; BMX Freestyle Park; BMX Racing; Gran Fondo; Indoor Cycling; Mountain Bike Cross-
country; Mountain Bike Downhill; Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon; Para-cycling Road; Para-cycling
Track; Road; Track; Trials.

The anticipated global TV audience will place the event in the top-10 most watched sporting events in the
world, rivalling the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and placing Scotland on the world stage as a
destination for elite cycling and cycle tourism.
Currently the UCI stages annual UCI World Championships in each of its disciplines in different host cities
around the world throughout the year. Starting with the inaugural event in 2023, the UCI Cycling Worlds will
bring these championships together every four years, the year prior to the Olympics
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is more than just an event. It will be a catalyst for behavioural
change across Scotland by giving everyone the opportunity to experience the freedom riding a bike can bring
to their lives. By working in collaboration with cycling and wider partners, it will amplify and unify existing
work and activity across health, transport, tourism and participation.
The event will be delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK
Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow Life and VisitScotland with its EventScotland team through 2023 Cycling World
Championships Ltd, with the partnership creating a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural
event is authentic, innovative, and distinctive. www.cyclingworldchamps.com
Venues and Locations already announced include:
 BMX Freestyle Park (Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow)
 BMX Freestyle Flatland (Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow)
 BMX Racing (Glasgow BMX Centre, Glasgow)
 Gran Fondo (TBC)
 Indoor (Emirates Arena, Glasgow)
 Mountain Bike Cross Country (Glentress)
 Mountain Bike Downhill (Fort William)
 Mountain Bike Marathon (Glentress)
 Para-cycling Road (Dumfries & Galloway)
 Para-cycling Track (Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow)
 Road Road Race Finish: George Square, Glasgow, Time Trial: Stirling)
 Track (Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow)
 Trials (Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow)
About the UCI
Founded on April 14, 1900, in Paris, France, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing
body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms and for all people: as a competitive sport, a
healthy recreational activity, a means of transport, and also just for fun. The UCI manages and promotes the
ten cycling disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, cyclo-cross, trials, indoor
cycling, cycling esports and gravel. Five of these are featured on the Olympic Games programme (road, track,
mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle), two in the Paralympic Games (road and track), and four in the
Youth Olympic Games (road, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle). For more
information: www.uci.org
About the Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is a principal funding partner of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Scotland
is known internationally as the Perfect Stage for Major Events. The Scottish Government and partners want
this event to be a catalyst for behaviour change across Scotland and positively impact on areas such as tourism
and participation in sport and active travel.
About Glasgow Life
Glasgow Life is a charity working for the benefit of the people of Glasgow. We believe everyone deserves a
great Glasgow life and we find innovative ways to make this happen across the city’s diverse communities.
Our programmes, experiences and events range from grassroots community activities to large-scale cultural,
artistic and sporting events which present Glasgow on an international stage. Our work is designed to promote

inclusion, happiness and health, as well as support the city’s visitor economy, in order to enhance Glasgow’s
mental, physical and economic wellbeing. For more information on our work,
see http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk
About UK Sport
UK Sport’s Major Events Programme is projected to invest almost £40 million of National Lottery funding
through to 2025 to support the bidding and staging of major events on home soil, as well as providing
specialist support to organisers. Events are supported not only for their likely performance impact on British
athletes, but also to maximise wider sporting, social, cultural, and economic benefits. In addition, UK Sport also
invests major event funding on behalf of Government including £9m into the 2019 UCI World Road Cycling
Championships and £15m into the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
About VisitScotland
VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit
of tourism to Scotland. The organisation’s key objective is to contribute to Scotland Outlook 2030, the national
tourism strategy ambition of pursuing a sustainable and responsible tourism agenda. This will be supported by
five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and
Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement. Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around
£12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish
GDP (in basic prices).
For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and
frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/. Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made
available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas,
bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh). For holiday information on Scotland go
to www.visitscotland.com For information about business tourism in Scotland go to
businessevents.visitscotland.com. Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
About British Cycling
British Cycling is the national governing body for cycling as recognised by the UCI – the international federation
for the sport. Based in Manchester at the National Cycling Centre, British Cycling works across all levels and six
disciplines of the sport (BMX, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-cross, Road, Track and Cycle Speedway), from providing
the support and encouragement people need to get riding their bikes for the first time, to being home to the
hugely successful Great Britain Cycling Team. Continued success at the highest level is inspiring a boom in
participation across the nation. There have never been more opportunities to ride a bike, be it for fun or sport,
and British Cycling is at the heart of this growth. British Cycling also works hard to represent cyclists’ interests
at all levels, including campaigning on important issues including road safety. As a membership organisation,
British Cycling provides a suite of benefits and support to its members who currently number over 150,000. All
membership revenue is invested back into cycling.
About Sportive Breaks
As the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships official fan and amateur participant and experience provider
Sportive Breaks will provide a range of travel and experience packages. Sportive Breaks has a wealth of
experience working across major events and will provide fans and amateur participants with travel,
accommodation and VIP experiences across the biggest cycling event ever held. The VIP experiences on offer
will give fans the chance to completely immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this inaugural and history
making event.
About CSE
With 2,500 elite athletes competing across multiple championships and venues in Glasgow and across
Scotland, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships official athlete travel provider CSE will be on hand with
accommodation and travel solutions for National Federations ahead of the event. CSE have over 20 years’
experience working across major and global events and have a comprehensive understanding of each of the
cycling championships.

David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale said: “Glasgow and the whole of Scotland are creating sporting history by hosting this multi-discipline cycling event for the first time. The UCI Cycling World Championships were one of my visions when I was first elected President of the UCI in 2017. That vision is now becoming a reality and the inaugural edition is really taking shape. The unveiling of the schedule enables us to visualise what awaits during these 11 days of non-stop cycling action. The entire cycling community can definitely expect great things!”   

Paul Bush OBE, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, said “Unveiling the full schedule for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is an incredibly exciting milestone in the build-up to the largest cycling event in history. Fans from around the world can start planning their trips to Scotland to celebrate the power of the bike across 13 exhilarating UCI World Championships. The first-of-its-kind event further strengthens our position as a world leading events destination and reinforces Scotland’s place as the perfect stage for events, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in 2023.”

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We are looking forward to welcoming people to Scotland for a packed 11 days of competition next August. The strength and breadth of competition and viewing experiences really does have something for everyone. What’s more, along with a host of diverse and wholly inclusive events, it feels fitting to close these UCI World Championships with the Women’s Elite road race.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow is proud to be hosting 8 of the 13 UCI World Championships and we are delighted with the breadth of action taking place in the city throughout the 11 days, showcasing our amazing venues and giving citizens and visitors alike the chance to experience first-hand, elite sporting competitions. I am particularly excited to see the Women’s Elite road race scheduled as the final event, finishing in George Square, the civic heart of Glasgow.

 

“As a UCI Bike City and European Capital City of Sport for 2023, we look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to our wonderful city, not only to enjoy the event, but to embrace all that Glasgow has to offer in terms of art, culture and entertainment.”

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place across 11 days from 3 to 13 August 2023 in venues and locations in Glasgow and across Scotland. More than a million spectators are anticipated as well as a global television audience of over one billion, making it one of the world’s top 10 watched sporting events next summer.

The event is being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport and British Cycling as principal funders. The partnership aims to create a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative, and distinctive whilst bringing all cycling disciplines together every four years, one year ahead of the Olympics.

For further information on the UCI Cycling World Championships, visit www.cyclingworldchamps.com