"There are 5 candidates for 2031 and they come from 3 continents" - UCI delighted by inaugural 'super' World Championships with further growth expected

The inaugural UCI Super World Championships in Glasgow has been viewed by many as a complete and utter success. Much to the delight of the UCI, the 'cycling Olympics' as people termed it, drew massive audiences both on the roadside and on TV.

"For us it was a success, definitely a stroke of luck. It was even better than expected," director of sports at the UCI, Peter Van Den Abeele told Sporza following the conclusion of the championships with a thrilling women's road race won by Lotte Kopecky. "Whether that is worth repeating? Certainly. The intention was to focus on the men at the start and then to show people that it was not over yet."

Looking forward, the UCI are keen to keep expanding the event and build on the success of Glasgow. "The downhill on Saturday during the first weekend attracted more than 1 million viewers at the BBC. That is phenomenal for such a discipline," Van Den Abeele continues. "It's catching on."

The interest in the championships is also growing with various cities and nations competing for the right to hold future editions. "There are 5 candidates for 2031 and they come from 3 continents," he reveals. "So there is a lot of interest. Of course there are things left and right that will and should be better in 2027, but we have seen many super races."