Are you looking forward to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships? This post unpacks the specifics of the tournament, what to expect from the event, and where to watch it. Are you ready?
Let’s dive in!
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Where to Watch? – BBC Sport Secures Right to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships
Broadcasting giant BBC purchased the rights to the 2023 event, providing coverage of the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow. It will broadcast all events across Scotland through TV, online platforms, and social media during the event in August.
For the first time in history, 13 UCI World Championship events are under the same banner as the UCI World Championships. All events will take place in the same Scottish location, creating the largest cycling event in history and one of the biggest events in Scottish sporting history.
It’s the first time that the ICI Championships will include the para-cycling competition integrated into the schedule. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place over 11 days from the 3rd to the 13th of August, 2023.
Those viewers watching the competition on BBC can watch the following live events through the broadcaster’s feed.
- Road (men’s road race from Edinburgh to Glasgow George Square.
- Women’s road race from Loch Lomond to Glasgow George Square.
- Men’s and women’s time trials (Stirling).
- Para-cycling Road (Dumfries & Galloway).
- Track (Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow).
- Para-cycling Track (Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow).
- Mountain Bike Cross-country (Glentress Forest, Tweed Valley).
- Mountain Bike Downhill (Nevis Range, Fort William).
- Mountain Bike Marathon (Glentress Forest, Tweed Valley).
- BMX Freestyle Park (Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow).
- BMX Freestyle Flatland (Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow).
- BMX Racing (Glasgow BMX Centre, Glasgow).
- Trials (Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow).
- Indoor Cycling (Emirates Arena, Glasgow).
The UCI President David Lappartient had the following to say on the BBC’s coverage of the 2023 championships.
“BBC Sport already provides fantastic coverage of our UCI World Championships for track and road. I am delighted that our partnership will encompass all disciplines at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland.
This historic event will be of enormous interest to fans in Great Britain and worldwide, and BBC Sport will ensure they can enjoy the best of these 11 days of action.”
Barbara Slater, BBC Director of Sport, said the following about the event.
“We are delighted to have such comprehensive coverage of a sport that continues to grow in popularity. Glasgow and the whole of Scotland will be a hub for cycling fans next August, and we are proud to be the broadcast partner of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championship and showcase the event across the BBC.”
Paul Bush OBE, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, had the following regarding the broadcasting partner.
“We are thrilled BBC Sport has extended its commitment towards UCI events and shall cover the single biggest cycling event in history, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
With unequaled history and experience in covering major global sporting events, we look forward to working with them to showcase the breadth of cycling disciplines on offer in Glasgow and across Scotland as we bring together 13 existing UCI World Championships into one mega event for the very first time in August 2023.”
Watch the UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 Live without Cable
So, how can you watch the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships from outside the UK and EU? If you’re an American fan of the sport, no official broadcasting partner is announced for the championships.
However, you’re not out of luck if you want to tune into the events.
You Will Need a VPN
All you need is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and an internet connection.
Typically, the BBC will not let you connect to its online servers outside the UK. The broadcasting rights for the event are not international, and most countries outside the UK and the EU will only receive highlight packages on watching on social platforms.
So, you need a VPN if you want to watch the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships from outside the UK and EU. A VPN cloaks our internet IP address, allowing you to fool the BBC broadcasting server into thinking you’re accessing it from inside the UK.
All you need to do is:
- Download high-quality VPN software, like ExpressVPN
- install it on your desktop or mobile device
- Log onto a VPN server in the UK
- Then open the BBC broadcasting platform.
The VPN fools the BBC server into thinking you’re accessing it from inside the UK. With the right VPN operating on your device or router, you get unfettered access to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Don’t use free VPNs or proxies.
They won’t work. Ensure you get a high-quality, effective VPN like ExpressVPN.
An Overview of the UCI Cycling World Championships 2023
The rules of the UCI Cycling World Championships are simple to understand – the cyclist with the fastest time wins. The leader of the pack wears the “rainbow jersey” throughout the tournament stages. However, RPM isn’t the only consideration for competitors.
Cyclists must consider how they set their pace, a strategic approach to attacking competitors, and risk breakaways to separate them from the pack during the stage. They’ll also need to take the correct path to the stage based on the hills, flats, and thrills and spills of the route along the Scottish roadways.
UCI Announces an August Start Date for the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland
While we saw the UCI Championships as a strictly road-race affair in the past, the 2023 event is the first to offer multiple categories for cycling and biking enthusiasts. The tournament takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2023, between 3 and 13 August.
The championships bring together 13 disciplines during the 11-day “mega event.” The Championships will see competitors seeking glory in several event categories, with 190 world champions competing in events in road and track, mountain biking, BMX, para-cycling track and road, trials biking, indoor cycling, and Gran Fondo. The only event left out of the championships is Cyclocross which retains its January date.
Event organizers intend the 2023 championships to start this new multi-discipline format. The tournament will move to a four-year schedule, with the championships taking place the year before the Olympic Summer Games.
In a press conference, the UCI confirmed venues for the events. The Sir Chris Hoy velodrome hosts the track racing, with the BMX racing taking place at BMX Centre in Knightswood, Glasgow, and George Square marks the start of the road racing events and Galloway and Dumfries providing the backdrop to para-cycling events.
The quadrennial format of presenting these cycling disciplines means the world championship road events fall between the Vuelta a España and Tour de France. It’s the first time we’ll see the road worlds taking place in August since the mid-1990s.
This decision moved everything closer to the end of the 1995 season to accommodate the shift in the Vuelta’s format from spring to summer.
Track riders must adjust schedules. The new move from spring to late summer in August means their 2023 season closely resembles an Olympic year when setting their key objectives. Organizers state the Glasgow championships will coincide with the Edinburgh Festival, traditionally occurring in August.
Glasgow hosts a considerable number of keen festival-goers that battle to find accommodation in Edinburgh city. Event organizers say attendees for the World Championships and teams and media may struggle to find accommodation throughout the city and surrounding areas.
According to estimates, UCI expects approximately one million spectators to attend the tournament over 11 days of competition. UCI President David Lappartient had the following to say at the press conference held for tournament officials, media, and organizers.
“Bringing our existing UCI World Championships together simultaneously and in one venue every four years was one of my visions before my election as UCI President in 2017. We have been working towards this ever since.
I’m delighted that the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will take place in Glasgow and Scotland. With their experience hosting high-level international sporting events, Glasgow’s iconic sports venues, and the stunning Scottish scenery, we have all the ingredients for a memorable 11 days of competition.”
Chair of the 2023 championships, Paul Bush, had the following to say regarding the situation and what to expect throughout the competition in Glasgow.
“This will be the biggest cycling event ever held, and we are proud that venues in Glasgow and across Scotland will be used to create cycling history. It’s an honor that UCI has entrusted us with hosting the first-ever UCI Cycling World Championships. We look forward to welcoming the cyclists, federations, and fans from around the world from 3-13 August 2023.”
How Do the UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 Work?
The Individual Road Race pits riders against each other in an all-out battle for supremacy of Scotland’s (usually very peaceful!) roads.
Even though there are plenty of riders to form the peloton – where you’ll see riders “drafting,” which means following the lead rider for an aerodynamic advantage – there are few places where cyclists feel more alone. Mental toughness is mandatory, and any mistake will be immediately punished. It’s every rider for him or herself, and there’s only one rainbow jersey up for grabs.
In Individual Time Trials, riders set off one-by-one at regular intervals of 1-2 minutes. There’s nowhere to hide and no slipstreams to conserve energy in. Just the clock.
Aerodynamics is everything, so you’ll see futuristic bikes, helmets, and skinsuits. With sheer speed being a top priority, riders must push the limit of safe racing lines as the twists, turns, and tight corners could end a potential medal-winning run at any moment.
The Mixed Team Relay sees squads of six – three women and three men – race a road circuit in turn. The men go first and race their lap as quickly as they can. The women can only go when the second man reaches them. The women push the pace and when the second woman crosses the finish line, the team has their time.
A single rider per team can drop out of each stage, so teams use this strategically by letting one rider lead the way to keep their legs fresh for as long as they can. Communication, coordination, and understanding of individual strengths will be key.
