The two-wheeled takeover of Glasgow captivated a global audience. These are just a few of the highlights
Words EMMA COLE Photography GETTY
This August, the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow was the first event of its kind, bringing together 13 cycling disciplines in one place. As well as the usual road, track, BMX and mountain biking events, crowds were treated to less common spectacles such as cycle-ball and artistic cycling. Over 11 days, one million spectators flocked to roar on the best in the world, despite the typically Scottish weather.
‘We didn’t have a blueprint for the event, but that meant we had the opportunity to do things differently,’ says Trudy Lindblade, chief executive of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. ‘By bringing everything under one umbrella we demonstrated the depth and breadth of cycling, and we showed that bringing together the 13 disciplines works.
‘We saw sold-out venues for the indoor cycling, which was terrific. The non-Olympic disciplines such as cycle-ball and artistic cycling generated a lot of intrigue and were really able to shine. I think we’ve given them a platform to grow.’
Putting on an inaugural event of this scale wasn’t without its difficulties.
‘There were many challenges,’ says Lindblade. ‘Trying to plan and create this event in the middle of the pandemic, conflict in Europe, inflation… you name it, we had it. Finding a window that worked for us in Scotland, but also for the international racing calendar for 13 different championships, was also not an easy feat. But if we put that to one side, the competition schedule was the toughest challenge – trying to find a balance between spectators, broadcast media and athletes.
‘As part of this we integrated track and paracycling for the first time ever, but it was also down to our desire to have an equal field. There’s only so much time and so many people you can fit into a velodrome, so it was complex but well worth it.’
