Record crowds attend UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow

Around 1 million people are estimated to have turned out to watch races in the UCI Cycling World Championships across Glasgow and host regions across Scotland.

The 11-day event drew to a close yesterday and 653 medals were awarded across the competition.

Two hundred and twenty UCI Rainbow jerseys races have been raced as fans of all ages flocked to venues across the country to witness cycling history being made, with sold out crowds at events across the programme.

Additionally, spectators lined roads, ramps, and routes at locations including Glasgow Green, Stirling, Edinburgh, Perth and Kinross, Dundee, Angus, Fife, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, and Dumfries and Galloway, to cheer on riders at free events up and down the country.

Paul Bush OBE, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair, said: “The 2023 Cycling World Championships have brought together around 8000 athletes from over 130 countries, in what has been an unprecedented celebration of cycling.

“Our host venues have thrived, making history in staging world class sporting events and welcoming thousands of visitors over the course of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships."

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “I would like to thank all the athletes, volunteers, and staff, including those from the emergency services and other partner organisations, who played such important roles in delivering this unique and hugely successful event.

He added: “I am immensely proud of how the UCI Cycling World Championships showcased our welcoming and inclusive country and have been delighted to see the huge crowds turning out to watch the action.

"The Championships have undoubtedly been yet another vote of confidence in Scotland as a destination of choice for staging major global events."

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