UCI Cycling World Championships: All the lowdown including list of road closures, race routes and star attractions

Excitement is building as Glasgow is gears up for the first-ever combined UCI Cycling World Championships - and with 11 days of adrenaline-fuelled action next month there will be plenty for spectators to see.

Scotland will welcome the world’s greatest elite riders to the city between August 3-13, with events taking place all across the country from as far north as Fort William to the Scottish Borders.

But Glasgow will be the central point of the Championships, which will ensure the city becomes a giant racetrack for thousands of cyclists to show off their pedal powers.

Onlookers will be able to watch all the high-octane action unfold for FREE, but traffic restrictions will be in place meaning a host of key roads and transport routes will be closed across Glasgow on the days the races are scheduled to be held and while the course is being set up.

So who are the star attractions on show? What road closures will be in place? And what are the bike race routes? GlasgowWorld provides a full rundown of what to expect when the games begin...

UCI Cycling World Championships Road Race routes

The Road Race will see the world’s best cyclists pitted against one another to win the famous World Champion’s rainbow jersey. Elite challengers will race from Edinburgh and Loch Lomond to Glasgow, finishing within the Glasgow city centre circuit. The shorter Junior races will take place solely on the Glasgow circuit, while the para-cycling events will follow a different city route.

Elite Road Race

The Glasgow circuit will be the start of the end for elite men and women’s cyclists taking part in the Cycling World Championships. The groups will undertake two different routes, with the men’s elite cyclists starting their race in Edinburgh and covering 271.1km from the capital to Glasgow on Sunday, August 13. They will journey through towns from South Queensferry to Bearsden, before reaching the city centre to complete 10 laps of the 14.3km Glasgow circuit. Cyclists will join the Glasgow circuit from Byres Road, following the route through Hillhead, Kelvingrove and the city centre.

The women’s elite race will see cyclists race from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond through Fintry and the Crow Road – a summit the men’s group must also overcome – before reaching the Glasgow circuit to complete six laps. The women’s elite road race, which will include women under-23, will take place on Sunday, August 13 and cover a distance of 154.1km, while the men’s elite road race will take place on Sunday, August 6.

Both races will finish in George Square. Members of the Belgian national team previewed the Glasgow route earlier this year, concluding that the circuit was highly technical with changes in road textures and around 42 corners.

Junior Road Race

Unlike their elite counterparts, the men and women’s junior road races will cover the same route – the Glasgow Circuit. Ahead of the Men Elite race, the Junior competitions will take place on Saturday, August 5. Both groups will begin the race at George Square, with the men’s road race covering 127.2km, or 9 laps, while the women’s will cover 70.0km across 5 laps.

UCI Cycling World Championships Relay routes

Team Time Trial Mixed Relay

Squads of six, three women and three men, will race through Glasgow city centre on Tuesday, August 8. The first group (men) will start the race completing their lap as quickly as possible, with the women beginning their section once the second man has reached them. Once the second woman has crossed the finish line the team will have their time.

The route they will follow is the Glasgow city centre circuit – just as the elite groups will for the road races – but with a few differences. The mixed relay will begin at Argyle Street, taking cyclists through Kelvingrove, Kelvinside, and Hillhead. The route diverges from the road race, with cyclists moving down Gallowgate instead of along Bell Street to head through Glasgow Green and along the River Clyde before rejoining the main circuit and finishing the race in George Square.

Para-cycling Team Relay

Following a shorter route, teams of three hand cyclists will race the circuit one at a time to cover 9 laps. The route begins and ends at George Square. The team relay will take place on Sunday, August 13 – the same day as the Women Elite Road Race, which will close out the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships.

Who are the star names to watch out for?

With over 8,000 athletes from more than 120 countries taking part in 13 different world championship events over 11 days and over 200 coveted rainbow jerseys to be won, there will be plenty of the star attractions on show.

Belgium have enjoyed plenty of success in the Cycling World Championships over the years and 23-year-old Remco Evenepoel is the current World Champion after winning the Men’s Road Race in Wollongong, Australia last year.

The Great Britain Cycling Team have yet to announce the list of riders selected to represent their country across seven different disciplines including track, road, BMX freestyle park, BMX racing, mountainbiking and para-cycling for road and track.

Where will each event be held?

The budget of the events is projected to be between £45million and £50million over a five-year period, including contingency funds and an allowance for inflation. This is being funded by contributions from the Scottish government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport, British Cycling and host local authorities.

The events will be held at the following venues:

• BMX Freestyle Park - Glasgow Green
• BMX Freestyle Flatland - Glasgow Green
• BMX Racing - Glasgow BMX Centre
• Gran Fondo - Perth & Kinross
• Indoor - Emirates Arena, Glasgow
• Mountain Bike Downhill - Nevis Range, Fort William
• Mountain Bike Marathon - Glentress Forest, Tweed Valley
• Para-cycling Road - Dumfries & Galloway
• Para-cycling Track - Sir Chris Hoy Veledrome, Glasgow
• Road - (Starts: Edinburgh, Loch Lomond; Finish: George Square; Time Trial: Stirling)
• Track - Sir Chris Hoy Veledrome, Glasgow
• Trials - Glasgow Green

UCI Cycling World Championship Glasgow road closures

While there will be plenty for the general public to spectate surrounding these events, the presence of the Championships in Glasgow will effect locals and tourists. There will be significant disruption to city centre traffic throughout the month of August, with key roads such as Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street, and St Vincent Street closing to accommodate races. Here are the list of all the roads affected...

Road Race Circuit closures:

Road closures on the Road Race City Centre Circuit will be in place from 00.01am on Friday, August 4 until 23.59pm on Tuesday, August 8, and from 00.01am on Saturday, August 12 until 23.59pm on Sunday, August 13.

Glasgow City Centre East

• Bath Street
• West George Street
• North Hanover Street
• St Vincent Place
• Renfield Street
• Argyle Street
• Queen Street
• Ingram Street
• South Frederick Street
• Bell Street
• Albion Street
• Shuttle Street
• George Street
• Montrose Street
• Cathedral Street
• Collins Street
• Rottenrow
• High Street

Glasgow City Centre West

• Woodlands Road
• Sauchiehall Street
• Bath Street
• West Campbell Street
• St Vincent Street
• Renfield Street
• Gordon Street
• Buchanan Street
• Argyle Street
• Queen Street
• Ingram Street
• West Nile Street
• Cathedral Street
• Bath Street
• West Regent Street
• Wellington Street
• West George Street

Glasgow Hillhead

• Great George Street
• Hillhead Street
• University Avenue
• Byres Road
• Gibson Street
• Kelvin Way

Glasgow Kelvingrove road closures

• Sauchiehall Street
• Woodlands Road
• Lyndoch Street
• Park Circus
• Kelvin Way

Mixed Team Time Trial Relay road closures:

Road closures n the Mixed Team Time Trial Race Route will be in place from 00.01am on Friday, August 4 until 23.59pm on Tuesday, August 8.

Glasgow City Centre East

• Bath Street
• West George Street
• Renfield Street
• St Vincent Place
• Argyle Street
• North Hanover Street
• Saltmarket
• Bell Street
• Albion Street
• Ingram Street
• Shuttle Street
• George Street
• Montrose Street
• Cathedral Street
• Collins Street
• Rottenrow
• High Street
• Gallowgate

Glasgow City Centre West

• Woodlands Road
• Sauchiehall Street
• Bath Street
• West Campbell Street
• St Vincent Street
• Renfield Street
• Gordon Street
• Buchanan Street
• Argyle Street
• West Nile Street
• Cathedral Street
• West Regent Street
• Wellington Street
• West George Street

Glasgow Green

• Argyle Street
• Saltmarket
• Gallowgate
• Moir Street
• London Road
• Greendyke Street
• West Carriageway
• Templeton Street
• A728

Glasgow Hillhead

• Great George Street
• Byres Road
• Hillhead Street
• University Avenue
• Kelvin Way
• Gibson Street

Glasgow Kelvingrove

• Sauchiehall Street
• Woodlands Road
• Lyndoch Street
• Park Circus
• Kelvin Way
• Kelvinside road closures
• Cleveden Road
• Great Western Road
• Byres Road

What have the organisers said?

A spokesperson for Get Ready Glasgow, said: “The free to view road race events during the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be a real highlight of our sporting calendar with stars from across the continent competing. The great road races of France, Spain and Italy all showcase their cities and countryside to massive audiences, and these events will do the same for Glasgow and our neighbours.

“They will have an impact on movement around the city centre and west end, on competition days, and on the days before, as restrictions and closures come into effect. Traffic management measures and road closures are needed to build the road courses and facilitate the safe delivery of the races for participants, spectators and business as usual operations, in the city.

“Similar to previous years when the city has hosted comparable events, we will tell our businesses and residents everything they need to know and how they can plan ahead for event time, via the Get Ready Glasgow campaign. The campaign uses a variety of means to tell people how we will keep the city open for business and moving during the event.

“We are working to make sure our businesses and residents are prepared, able to get involved, and enjoy our city’s time at the centre of the sporting world, in August.”