2023's UCI Cycling World Championship's road routes were released on the 27th September. The event will be held in Glasgow, with the world's best cyclists taking in the Scottish scenery and landmarks on a variety of routes.
The Championships bring thousands of the world's best cyclists and fans from around the world to the chosen hosts each year. 2023 will be the first year that all 13 UCI Championships will be held in the same country and combined into a cycling mega-event. The size of the event is expected to draw in over a million spectators, and a worldwide TV audience of more than 160 markets.
The Men Elite Road Race, held on Sunday 6th August 2023, will begin at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh and end at George Square in Glasgow city centre. The route will take the cyclists past some of Scotland’s most spectacular monuments, including The Kelpies and the Wallace Monument. These monuments will be visible by the cyclists, spectators and the global TV audience.
The Kelpies are 30 metres tall equine sculptures paying homage to the working horses of Scotland who used to pull barges along Scottish canals and worked in the fields where they now stand. The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were built to connect the 16 communities in the Falkirk area.
Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council, believes that The Kelpies being featured in an event of this scale is an exciting opportunity for Falkirk. On hearing the news, she said “Being part of this fantastic event is a great boost for the Falkirk area in terms of visitors and will help showcase our local area. The 2023 UCI Road World Championships will see thousands of cyclists coming to Scotland and we look forward to extending a warm welcome to these visitors from across the globe".
Visit UCI Cycling World Championships website to find out more.
