Stirling to host time trials at the 2023 World Championships

Stirling is to host the time trial events at the 2023 World Championships, which will be centred around Glasgow.

The central Scottish city has been chosen as the venue for the worlds, which will be the first to combine different disciplines into one event.

The worlds will include road, track, BMX, mountain bike and para-cycling alongside others. The new collated worlds will happen every four years, preceding an Olympic/Paralympic year.

While the events will be centred around Glasgow, with the road race finishing there and the track events taking place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in the city, the organisers have branched out across Scotland for different events.

The para-cycling road competitions will take place in Dumfries and Galloway. Events are scheduled for August 3-13 2023.

In 1998, Chris Boardman won the opening prologue of the Prudential Tour in Stirling, ahead of a young George Hincapie. 

In a press release from the organisers, Boardman, who is now the commissioner of Active Travel England, said: "I’m thrilled Stirling will host the time trial as part of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. I have great memories of wining the time trial stage of the Pru Tour when it was here. The castle is a spectacular backdrop that adds drama and showcases the heritage of the region. It is the perfect stage for an extra special World Championship that brings together so many disciplines for the first time. 

"As well as this historic setting for a historic event, I hope the UCI 2023 World Championships will give us a platform to remind people what a wonderful machine the bicycle is for simply getting to shops schools and workplaces under our own steam. Be it entertainment or utility, bikes make our lives better!"

25 years later, male riders will be looking to unseat Filippo Ganna from the hot seat, after the Italian has won the last two individual time trials at the World Championships.

Ellen van Dijk is the current women's champion, part of an age of Dutch dominance which has seen riders in orange win four of the last five time trial titles.

Anna Shackley, a Scottish cyclist who rides for SD Worx, said: "Combining the Championships for the first time ever will be absolutely huge and a really positive step for the sport of cycling. I’m proud that they will be held in Glasgow and across Scotland for the first time and it would be a huge honour for me to compete in front of a home crowd."

The time trial events also include a mixed relay team time trial, of which Germany are the current champions.

The worlds has a budget of £45-£50 million, with funding coming from various local and national bodies, including UK Sport and the Scottish government.

The positioning of the worlds in August means an adjustment to the usual cycling calendar. The road events will now fall in between the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, while the track worlds will also move forward in the year.