The track world championships return to France next February for the first time in nine years. The new velodrome in Saint Quentin en Yvelines in south west Paris will host its first international competition between February 18-22,  as the track championships return to central Europe for the first time since 2011.

France’s new national velodrome opened this spring and has a capacity of 5,000 seats. Bordeaux held the world championships in 2006.

The UCI’s world cup and world championship locations were only announced this week. South American venues – Mexico and Colombia – will host rounds one and three with London hosting round two – its second world cup – in early December.

World Cup 1 – Guadalajara, Mexico. November 8-9, 2014
World Cup 2 – London, Great Britain. December 5-7, 2014
World Cup 3 – Cali, Colombia. January 17-18, 2015
World Championships – Paris, France. February 18-22, 2015

Organisers behind a Mexican bid for the world championships had earlier this year announced in a YouTube video that they were to host the 2015 world championships, although it’s believe the UCI were holding out for a European bidder, hence the delay.

While national teams had the world cup dates in their diaries they did not know the locations (except for London) until this week. The British track team will travel to Guadaloupe for the senior European track championships in October.