Government announces support for British held World Champs in Autumn Statement

The government has announced that it will continue to support the hosting of elite sporting events in Britain under the Chancellor George Osborne's latest Spending Review, including backing a British bid to host the UCI Road World Championships.

Britain has not hosted the Worlds since 1982, when Giuseppe Saronni of Italy took the men's title and Briton Mandy Jones took the women's at the Goodwood motor circuit in West Sussex.

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But now it looks as though a bid for the Worlds could be in the offing, with the government publicly giving its support after the success of recent major sporting events in the UK including the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"The government is increasing its funding for elite sport to build on the success of Olympic and Paralympic games at London 2012 and support Team GB’s ambition for success in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020," the statement says

"Following the success of hosting London 2012 and the Rugby Union World Cup the government will support the ambition to host the cycling Road World Championships..."

Elsewhere in the Chancellor's statement, the government says it will include the building of new Cycle Superhighways under an £11 billion investment into transport infrastructure in the capital.

It will also pledge to provide £300 million of investment into cycling infrastructure outside of London, saying that it will provide "construction of segregated cycle lanes including 115 kilometres in Birmingham and 56 kilometres in Manchester."

The Government has come under fire for not committing to providing £10 per head in cycling investment, and the £300 million set aside again looks to undercut that despite the Conservatives reaffirming earlier this year that they would try to “double cycling by 2025.”

Despite the £300 million pledge, transport faces possible further 30% cuts in the future as the Chancellor continues to look to make £20 billion worth of savings in government departments.

You can access the full Spending Review and Autumn Statement here.