Edinburgh prepares for UCI Cycling World Championships

Wednesday May 17th 2023

Edinburgh-Arthurs-Seat


Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson

From 3-13 August 2023, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships are coming to Scotland and will make a stop in Edinburgh on August 6.

The single biggest cycling event in history, it brings together 13 existing individual cycling world championships into one mega event. Scotland is the first country in the world to host such an occasion.

With events taking place all over the country, Edinburgh will play host to the start of the Men’s Elite Road Race.

The race will be held on the morning of Sunday 6th August 2023. Competitors will start off in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat and the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood Park before heading up the Royal Mile and through Edinburgh’s Old Town, passing under Edinburgh Castle as they head down the Mound and towards Queensferry, before crossing the Firth of Forth via the Queensferry Crossing. The race will eventually finish in Glasgow’s George Square, covering a distance of 270km.

The Council is working with the 2023 Cycling World Championships team and Event Partners to support and deliver events and activities, alongside welcoming spectators, whilst keeping the area moving and open for business.

Hosting championship events, including road races, will impact Edinburgh Council’s travel network and there will be changes to the movement of traffic around the area.

The Council and other event partners will undertake work to inform how they can manage the potentially increased demands and changes to the network. Where restrictions and road closures are required, planners are developing local traffic management plans in these areas.

Businesses and residents directly affected by the event and other activities on Sunday 6th August 2023, will receive specific, direct, communications advising them of the likely impact. Business and community engagement sessions will also be held closer to the event date so residents can come along and find out more.

Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council said:

“We are delighted at today’s announcement that the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will have Edinburgh as a key starting point in the race. The Capital will provide a picturesque backdrop to what promises to be a fantastic event. As well as the visual spectacle of the Championships, the event will also help to support and amplify the City Mobility Plan and promote active and sustainable travel.

“As with all major events taking place in the city centre, the race will be managed in full consultation with our Public Safety and Roads Teams, as well as Police Scotland and summer festival partners, to ensure a safe and exciting event can be enjoyed by all. We will provide further information on rolling road closures and other public safety precautions in due course.

“We are very much looking forward to the start of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. These events will not only allow Edinburgh residents to see the world’s leading male cyclists in action but also showcase the very best of Edinburgh to travelling tourists and athletes and provide a great opportunity for Scotland to show itself as a premier destination for elite cycling and cycling tourism.”

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