UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 Case Study
In August of 2023 Glasgow and Scotland was the host of the inaugural UCI World Cycling Championships.
The first ever of the UCI Cycling World Championships was awarded to Glasgow and across Scotland. During 11 days of competition: 13 separate UCI World Championships scheduled and more than 2600 athletes to win over 200 rainbow jerseys.
The event attracted some of the biggest names and best players in Cycling such as Mathieu van der Poel, as well as British athletes such Tom Pidcock and Beth Shiever.
13 cycling disciplines took place in Glasgow and across Scotland. Road Race, BMX Racing, Track Cycling and BMX Freestyle Flat and Indoor Cycling took place in Glasgow whilst Mountain Bike Cross Country, Marathon and Down Hill took place in Fort William.
Glasgow had excellent existing cycling venues and facilities that not only can host world class events but operate daily for public use. The Championships brought new audiences to these venues that continue to develop the legacy of cycling in Glasgow.
"The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland were an unprecedented success at every level. As the EY report shows, this success extends beyond sport, to the economy, tourism and sustainable development. An event like the one we experienced in August 2023 leads to long-term benefits for the host communities and their residents. We are all the more pleased because, well before it took place, this was the event's main objective: to delight those who love sport, but also to ensure that the power of the bike would enable the organisers of the UCI Cycling World Championships to achieve broader objectives related to development, wellbeing, and health.”
UCI President David Lappartient
A new concept and innovative delivery model was developed for the planning and delivery of this event. Visit Scotland established Cycling Worlds Ltd as the ‘hub’ to deliver central, Scotland wide elements and were responsible for contracting event delivery partners, ‘spokes’ to plan and deliver individual events. Glasgow Life largest event delivery partner responsible for delivering 8 world championships including 8 road events and ancillary programmes including a national volunteer programme and cultural programmes across Glasgow.
Since delivering Commonwealth Games in 2014, Glasgow has a developed a vast volunteer database which has continued to build through the hosting of major events. During 2023 UCI World Cycling Championships 4,000 volunteers were recruited and trained to provide excellent support to the event from being the friendly face to the public to presenting medals to winning athletes.
As well as the competition itself Glasgow hosted 11 days of cultural festival at George Square. The festival included local caterers and performers, staff, and artists. This was complemented with the GO LIVE! programme that which incorporated cultural and community participation. The programme brought together local communities and businesses to activate the event, from cycling themed cafes to pop up information stands in local libraries.
Active Travel routes were developed and created to encourage spectators to cycle to the events as well as to encourage them to use post event, 82% of spectators used a form of active travel during the championships.
Glasgow is committed to making cycling accessible and inclusive for citizens and visitors. The Go Cycling Fund was one of a few community focused initiatives set up by Glasgow Life. The city invested £3 million in the activation programme in which approximately 29 community groups benefited.
2023 UCI Cycling Championships Highlights
Sustainability was a core objective in delivering an innovative, world-class event that would provide a model for the future. The Championship’s Sustainability Framework and its ten high-level commitments were put in place, outlining core values and guiding principles mapped against the pillars of ‘People, Place and Planet’ in alignment with and to drive progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships also signed the United Nations Sport for Climate Action Framework and was one of the founding signatories of the UCI’s Climate Action Charter, further cementing its ambitions to reduce cycling’s environmental impacts.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds undertook a voluntary Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) assessment mapped against the UN SDGs and using the UCI’s new Sustainability Impact Tracker. The report showed the Championships contributed to 14 out of 17 UN SDGs, demonstrating the wide range of sustainable activities undertaken, highlighting the commitment to a sustainable approach to event delivery.