Update: Glasgow Awarded First Ever All-Discipline World Championships in 2023

Feb 8, 2019
by James Smurthwaite  
ee Atherton is very much in the ix here in Fort William and will be a podium threat on Sunday.

Glasgow has been awarded the first ever UCI all-discipline World Championships in 2023. The city will host the XC at Cathkin Braes, on the same course as the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the marathon in Glentress and the downhill at Fort William.

In total, 13 different championships will be held in and around the city from all different disciplines of cycling in the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships, which is now penciled in to happen every four years.

bigquotesI am delighted that the UCI has today awarded the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and Scotland. The creation and the implementation of this event was one of the commitments I had made during my campaign for UCI presidency and I am proud to have fulfilled it. I wish to thank Event Scotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling for their enthusiastic involvement in the very first edition of this historic event, which will uniquely showcase our sport and its different disciplines on an international stage. Glasgow and Scotland have a great deal of experience in the organization of major sporting events, notably multi-sports, such as the first edition of the European Sports Championships that it organized in 2018. I am convinced that the UCI Cycling World Championships will be a great success, and I look forward enormously to preparing them with our Scottish partners.—David Lappartient

List of UCI Mountain Bike World Championships awarded

2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Mont Sainte Anne (Canada)

2020 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Leogang (Austria)

2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Val di Sole (Italy)

2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Les Gets (France)

2023 UCI Cycling Championships: Glasgow (Scotland)

2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Vallnord Pal Arinsal (Andorra)

bigquotesFrom 2023, the UCI Cycling World Championships will be held every four years, in each pre-Summer Olympic year. Over several weeks, the host city and/or region will become the true cycling capital of the world.

With all of the cycling infrastructure already in Glasgow, it's no surprise it was chosen as the venue for the inaugural Cycling World Championships. However, with a new venue to find every four years, we wonder how many cities in the world are truly equipped to host all disciplines of cycling without some compromises on a true "World Championship" caliber course or track?

It's hard to say but it seems that the most difficult sport to build a proper venue for would, of course, be downhill - velodromes and XC courses are more easily built than mountains after all. We are reaching out to the UCI for further comment about how the selection is being made and what considerations for each sport's needs are and we'll make an update when we hear back.


Previous Story

We knew that an all-discipline World Championships was coming and we now have the first city to throw its hat into the ring - Glasgow, Scotland.

The host city will have to accommodate 13 different disciplines from downhill to BMX to track cycling. It's the first time the UCI has tried this and it is hoping to create a "mega event" with 100 countries represented and 200 World Championships awarded.

We were originally worried that mountain biking, and especially downhill, would struggle to find an appropriate venue. The need for a velodrome and BMX track means that you would probably have to look at Olympic cities and the only two that have come close to hosting a World Cup are Montreal (Mont Sainte Anne) and Sydney (Canberra).

So where does Glasgow come in? Well, as host of the Commonwealth Games it has pretty much all the facilities covered and the downhillers will be up in Fort William, which last hosted a World Champs in 2007. The cross country would be held at Cathkin Braes, on the Commonwealth Games course where Catharine Pendrel and Anton Cooper won gold, and the marathon at Glentress.

Catharine Pendrel back in action. Pendrel rode a solid race finishing in 16th.
The winner of the Commonwelath Games event in Glasgow, Catharine Pendrel

Glasgow City Council and EventScotland approached the UCI about hosting the event and have until February to put the city’s case forward. The event would create jobs, support businesses and attract visitors to the city, benefiting the Scottish economy by £67 million, reports Glasgow Live.

In a report to the committee, Depute Leader of the council, David McDonald, said: “This will be the biggest cycling event in the world. The huge media interest will guarantee worldwide broadcast coverage delivering massive international profile for both Glasgow and Scotland.”

“Being the first ever hosts of this event, which will become the pinnacle of the international cycling competition calendar, will cement Glasgow and Scotland’s position as a worldwide leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events.

“Uniquely, Glasgow and Scotland have the opportunity to host a World Championships of this scale, unchallenged, and without the resource and cost implications of undertaking a formal and time-consuming bid process as would be the case for any other World Championships.

“This represents a very clear statement of intent that the city and our partners are looking to host what would be a world first, in bringing together cycling disciplines for the inaugural World Cycling Championships to Glasgow and Scotland in 2023.”

A decision on whether to progress with the bid will be made by the city administrations committee next week. They have been recommended to approve the request for Glasgow to be a host city of this event.

Posted In:
Racing and Events


Author Info:
jamessmurthwaite avatar

Member since Nov 14, 2018
1,770 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
63145 views
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
62896 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
42389 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
40349 views
Brian's Randoms from Sea Otter 2024
38447 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in TWO WEEKS!
37749 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
37179 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
37103 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

113 Comments
  • 238 11
 The road cycling event will be one of the first sporting events in history where the crowd fails the drugs test.
  • 11 4
 "Ladies and gentlemen. Could you all please form an orderly queue and wait for your turn to piss in this bucket for us please. Thank you. One at a time please... pleablb...bb..."

This will be the first time a doping piss expert sadly drowns whilst on duty. Ticking that off as a failed test would be a bit of an understatement, wouldn't it?
  • 9 2
 Blatant ripoff of a frankie boyle joke referring to the 2014 commonwealth games
  • 6 2
 Piers "Frankie" Gritten

Also sells stolen bikes as well as stolen jokes
  • 8 0
 Do you reckon Bucky constitutes as a performance enhancer?
  • 2 0
 Thank you kind sir, you just made me laugh out loud at work
  • 2 0
 Looking at the date, you will notice you are getting older and older.
  • 1 0
 @youann2170: LOL
  • 1 0
 You can't call it World Championships when they're held at the same place (Europe mostly) all the time.
The Olympic games are far more complicated and have no problem having them in different parts of the world.
  • 3 0
 @endurocat: It is called World Championships because of where the athletes come from and that they race for their country instead of for their team. I really hate the Olympics for how they manage to mess up a country, are often being held in questionable places (removing poor people from their homes to build a huge stadium) and simply because of the whole politics involved. I used to think it must be cool to have so many top athletes in one place but now I think it just sucks.
  • 39 0
 What about a multi-discipline champion!!!
Let’s see what Geraint Thomas is like on a DH bike, Danny Hart on a velodrome, and such like
  • 2 0
 Apparently Jason McRoy was going to ride on the track in the Olympics, I would have loved to have seen that.
  • 20 0
 John Tomac dusts off his belt and gets ready to defend his title. The next level: win in all disciplines on the same bike.
  • 3 0
 Exactly what I was thinkin'/hoping for....old school multi discipline best overall...Tomac style.
  • 1 0
 @loopie: That would be bad ass. Tomac, Lopes (folks don't like him, but he is fast on everything), Mike King, Jared Graves, Rude, etc.
  • 2 0
 Must use the same bike for all races as well. Hat's off to the roadie that tries to tackle Fort Bill!
  • 1 0
 @tgent: Absolutely...One bike, no part swaps. XC & DH course
  • 39 3
 Vancouver/Squamish/Whistler would be cool. We have lots of BMX tracks. None are UCI but one could get upgraded. They built one in the neighbourhood I grew up in Toronto and it’s awesome fun for when I go back there.
  • 4 0
 I was just thinking Vancouver would be awesome. And as much as I don't really care about the UCI, that would be freaking epic. Good on Glasgow to make it happen, perhaps Vancouver next year?
  • 1 0
 The Burnaby velodrome is a bit iffy, but Victoria had a World Cup years ago, but it likely would need to be upgraded. Would be sweet though!
  • 1 0
 Is Abbotsford BC? They held a round of the UCI BMX Supercross series there a few years back.
  • 3 5
 The size of the bribe must have been record breaking; Canada can't match it.
  • 1 0
 My first thought as well. The Burnaby Velodrome is beautiful, but might be a tad short (200m vs. Olympic standard of 250m). It has the advantage over Victoria in that it is A) Indoors and B) wood (not concrete, although if you don't crash, I guess it doesn't matter)
EVERYTHING else is easy to build.
Bring it!
  • 5 1
 Come on man, leave some riding development for the rest of the world lol. We need this sort of thing across the pond to push cycling forward - you lads are already ahead, let us catch up!!
  • 1 0
 @ukr77: Just curious, what's iffy about the Burnaby velodrome?
  • 2 0
 C'mon you already got Crankworx. Us on the East end need some. We're Loucks to have MSA and I hopefully will be going to MSA for world's this year if things go right.
  • 2 0
 Incorrect information There's 2 uci sanctioned bmx tracks in the lowermainland and abbotsford bmx has a 8 meter supercross start hill
  • 23 0
 Cue more comments about parking in the wrong place, getting naked in public and pooping wherever !
  • 18 0
 Im coming just to poop in your garden.
  • 3 1
 So a standard night out in Glasgow, minus getting stabbed.
  • 25 3
 So Jared Graves is going to win all the events?
  • 3 0
 We can only hope!
  • 20 0
 If UCI is taking EWS under its wing could we see Enduro world championships for this too?
  • 2 0
 Sam Hill always looked faster when he wore rainbow stripes. Cant wait to see him wear them again.
  • 20 0
 all discipline?.. there's a 4X track there too.......
just sayin.......
  • 5 0
 4X at Fort William with the downhill
  • 3 1
 4X isn't on the list
Disciplines – road, mountain bike (cross-country Olympic, cross-country Marathon and downhill), track, BMX Racing, Urban Cycling (BMX Freestyle Park, trials and mountain bike Eliminator), para-cycling road and para-cycling track, indoor cycling and Gran Fondo. What's indoor cycling? turbo trainers!!!
  • 12 0
 @PinGlasgow: Even stranger www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXNzjnoGYPc
  • 1 0
 @jamessmurthwaite: wow, never seen that before. Flatland on track bikes - wierd and awesome at the same. That spinning deathtruck was sick !!!
  • 1 0
 @jamessmurthwaite: wow. that was very niche.
  • 2 1
 how about a new dh track? something with a bit more natural in the woods and a bit less motorway/xc trail down the bottom?
  • 2 0
 @jamessmurthwaite: Hahahaha...who remembers riding around on 10spds with the bars flipped up many moons ago?
  • 1 0
 @jamessmurthwaite: Cheers, didn't think it was going to be anything like that.
  • 4 0
 @PinGlasgow @nojzilla 4X will be in there
  • 5 1
 No Snow DH either. Bummer, said no one ever.
  • 14 1
 What about Auckland/Hamilton/Rotorua in NZ?
  • 18 1
 Spoken like a true Scotsmen!
  • 5 0
 with a wee Bro’ in NZ!
  • 8 0
 Would anybody else here like to see the bicycle equivalent of a decathlon?
Riders pick 10 out of the 13 events (or 6 out of the 13, whatever number you choose), and there is an overall champion.
I think it would be very cool.
  • 1 1
 King of the World!
  • 2 0
 That's actually a great idea.
We had a race here in Portugal called Tribike (in Lousã, home of the first WC DH next year) that brought road,DH and XC together. 3 man teams or solo.
26km road climb, 9km DH, 6x 4km XC loop.
It was super hard, but great fun, and a fantastic atmosfere!
  • 10 0
 They better get Buckfast on the banned substance list before all the athletes realise it gives you superpowers.
  • 1 2
 Buckfast......It makes you fuck fast
  • 1 0
 I wish more people understood this i have been laughing for hours on this telling everyone i know
  • 11 1
 Scottish Salads for everyone!
  • 8 0
 That's an oxymoron.
  • 17 1
 @DarrellW: chips you fool!
  • 3 0
 Was really excited to learn that macaroni and cheese counts as an entire meal in Scotland when I visited.
  • 5 0
 @SangamonTaylor: I thought mac n cheese was a national dish in the US?
  • 3 0
 and deep fried Mars bar after!
  • 2 0
 The only time ya Scots eat Salad is on our Donner kebabs ????
  • 2 0
 You mean a Glasgow salad
  • 6 0
 @AD4M The reason Fort William is the UK's UCI DH venue is that nowhere else has the quality of track, uplift facilities and the site infrastructure to host 10,000 fans. As Martin Whitely pointed out, the big concern for Fort William is a windy day when the gondola can't run.
Whatever way you look at though, it's great news for Scotland.
  • 3 0
 Yes it is.

It would be cool if they could use the next four years to make a 100% new track.
  • 9 2
 They should put a world championship for the DH at Innerleithen for a change. Although they would probably have to change the infrastructure a bit to make it work.
  • 2 0
 Great shout.. New road to the top of minch moor...would be a result...
  • 1 0
 New bike park thats planned might just be possible...
  • 1 3
 Out of interest, how far is it from Glasgow to Fort William? 100 miles?

That track is so stale. There must be a host of better tracks closer to Glasgow. Uplift worked in SA. It can work anywhere.
  • 2 0
 @jaame: Plenty of good tracks are closer to Glasgow, but they’re all too short for WC.
  • 2 0
 @Cammyd14: Didn't stop them from using Losinj last year, where the course was only 1.3km. To compare, the shortest dh track at Innerleithen is 1.5km, with the longest at 2km. So no, they're not too short for WC.
  • 1 0
 Maybe worth some of you going and reading the UCI spec for this format of World Championship. The intention is it is awarded to a region rather than a city as the number of cities with all facilities on their doorstep could be counted on one hand and there is no guarantee they would even bid. The idea is a region able to pool suitable resources over the region could host it. This would also allow regions divided by a national border if close enough could bid. Eg South Wales and Bristol or the Ardennes with Holland Belgium and Luxembourg. This increases the likelihood that bidders will not be so hard to find if they have the money to buy it.
  • 2 1
 I really want to see Beijing to host this. But unfortunately the cycling association (or the equivalent organisation) are just a bunch of ass holes. They have Olympic standard BMX track, and an XC track for the 2008 Olympic Games right near the city centre, but both of that were devastated many years ago.
  • 7 5
 Finally a non-Gwintense "news" (that was no news) on Pinkbike! Unless Sir Gwin targets a Gold medal at these World Champs of course!
  • 4 0
 No Snow DH World Champs? So disappointed
  • 4 2
 Local hero Danny Macaskill for World champion in every category! (actually not only local, I know).
  • 4 1
 A great day for all Glaswegians.
  • 1 0
 this feels of Olympic/World Cup style currption. Making the event huge where locations will spend money from taxpayers in a chance to bring money in that never happens.
  • 2 1
 Not much taxpayers money being spent. From what i can see locations were based on what infrastructure they had in place already. Glasgow has a velodrome, BMX track, DH track, XC track already built that conforms to UCI and Olympic standards. It has also hosted European road championships so pretty much everything is in place.
  • 2 3
 @jambon921: Err, Glasgow doesn't have a dh track, and Fort Bill isn't even that close to Glasgow. Ae, Innerleithen and Glencoe are all dh tracks which are closer.
  • 2 2
 @AD4M: hopefully they use one of them. Just not Fort William again please! Talk about flogging a dead horse!
  • 3 0
 @AD4M: good luck on holding a world cup at any of those locations. There is a reason the world cup calendar repeats venues and it's not down to the race track... it's down to local infrastructure.
  • 3 2
 Glasgow is a big place if it can fit Glentress and Ft William within it! 3 hour 40 min drive between the 2.... (GT is 2 hours away from glasgow, ft will 2 and a half)
  • 1 0
 Will turner bikes be one of the sponsors? Maybe they will announce the new sultan at this event?
  • 2 0
 Quebec City would be a great venue. Vancouver would be ideal. Calgary?
  • 1 0
 Calgary would be a great place if the city was willing to spend money on the infrastructure for this
  • 1 1
 @NotDeadYetMTB: what are you talking about?! COP for DH and that sort-of velodrome just south of Marda Loop. Come on!

BMX at B Line and all is good.
  • 1 0
 @somebikeguy: the problem is not where to hold it, it's that it would have to meet UCI standards. For example, the DH course at COP is no where near good enough for a world cup
  • 2 0
 Now Ews is UCI sanctioned run it at Inners/ peebles?
  • 3 1
 5 out of 6 in euroland. Super lame.
  • 7 1
 It is the birthplace of civilisation. Plus we invented bikes, roads, mountains and the dinosaurs. It's only right to have it here.
  • 1 2
 If Gwin can't take the rainbow stripes this year (after that legendary win in the rain) or next (at Leogang, the scene of even more extraordinary performances), then he doesn't deserve to wear them.
  • 2 0
 Glasgow and Fort William are hardly on each other's doorsteps.
  • 1 0
 Dear UCI: Check out Lake Placid, NY. Already hosted the Olympics and a good bicycle infrastructure.
  • 1 0
 Surprised I didn't see any comments complaining about the 2020 World Champs being held in the bikepark of Leogang!
  • 3 1
 This should be awesome.
  • 4 3
 Amazing. Cant wait. COME ON 2023!!!
  • 2 1
 Dont remember Fort William being part of Glasgow?
  • 1 0
 Leogang next year...Wasn't it there a few years ago? :/
  • 4 3
 Ebike worlds!??
  • 2 3
 It should be held in north America, where the first world's was held.
  • 1 0
 Again in Chicago?
  • 3 0
 America should just hold a local competition and call it the world champs like they do with everything else. The first UCI world championships was held in 1921 in Denmark by the way.
  • 2 5
 Can you imagine the size of that bribe. Legendary.
  • 3 0
 You see there’s a problem there, Glasgow councillors take bribes rather than give them. So the finance deal behind this will be mind-boggling!
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.064759
Mobile Version of Website