Date: 2nd February 2022

The dates for the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships, taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland, have been announced today during a press conference by the event’s organisers, 2023 Cycling World Championships and the 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 across Scotland in 2023 would have a transformational effect on the sport.

David Lappartient 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 across 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.

Taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023, the unprecedented event will welcome more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists from more than 120 countries with more than 190 UCI World Champions crowned.

More than one million spectators are expected to attend the Championships, with a global TV audience of around one billion making it one of the Top 10 watched sporting events on the planet.

The 13 UCI World Championships included in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are: BMX Freestyle Flatland; BMX Freestyle Park; BMX Racing; Gran Fondo; Indoor Cycling; Mountain Bike Cross-country; Mountain Bike Downhill; Mountain Bike Marathon; Para-cycling Road; Para-cycling Track; Road; Track; Trials.

To date, six venues have been announced in Glasgow and across Scotland, with additional venues and locations to be confirmed in the coming weeks and months to ensure a pan-Scotland delivery and to capture the imagination of the entire country.

The Venues

Kelvingrove Park will be packed with action as it welcomes cycling’s newest Olympic discipline BMX Freestyle Park as well as BMX Freestyle Flatland and trials. BMX Freestyle Park sees riders perform a sequence of tricks as they travel between obstacles such as spines, walls and box jumps. In BMX Freestyle Flatland, cyclists perform tricks on flat, smooth surfaces, often balancing on one wheel. Meanwhile trials requires cyclists to demonstrate control, stability, and speed as they accumulate points for passing over course sections without their feet or any part of the bike, excluding the tyres, touching the ground’

• BMX Racing heads to the Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood, where fans will see the world’s best compete in high-speed sprint races across a purpose-built racetrack including a starting hill, straights and bermed corners. The event will also include BMX Challenge races for amateur riders.

• The Emirates Arena will come alive with cycling’s awe-inspiring disciplines of artistic cycling and cycle-ball. Artistic cycling is performed indoors with riders completing tricks to music on specialised fixed-gear bikes. Cycle-ball is a non-contact team sport in which opposing sides consisting of two riders aim to outscore each other within the game. Participants shoot at the goal using the front and back wheel of their bike as well as their heads. Riders’ feet are not allowed to touch the floor and they are unable to use their hands apart from when goalkeepers are defending within the penalty area.

• A favourite amongst spectators, track cycling and para-cycling track will be on display at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in 2023. This sees cyclists compete in a variety of exciting events which require speed, stamina, and tactical skills for both endurance riders and sprinters.
• The city’s famous George Square will play host to the finish line of the road cycling events. The roads and landmarks around the city will showcase this exciting event which traditionally attracts huge crowds of spectators.  

In addition to the five venues in Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway will provide the stunning backdrop for para-cycling road, continuing the region’s long association with world-class cycling events, including the Tour of Britain on 10 separate occasions.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships were awarded to Glasgow and Scotland as a result of significant previous experience hosting high-profile sporting events. Glasgow and Scotland have become a sporting hotspot by welcoming unforgettable competitions such as this summer’s UEFA EURO 2020 matches, the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the multi-sport Glasgow 2018 European Championships as well as cultural events including the world-renowned Edinburgh Festivals.

Since the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, participation sessions at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome have experienced positive uptake and cycling numbers have risen across Scotland. It is hoped the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships can continue the increase of pedal power in Scotland, inspiring the next generation of riders across a variety of cycling disciplines.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow Life and VisitScotland. The partnership aims to create a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive.

The UCI, cycling’s world governing body, currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The UCI Cycling World Championships will bring these championships together every four years, the year prior to the Olympics, starting with the inaugural event in 2023.