Dundee must make most of UCI Cycling World Championships

Over the past few years, we have seen a significant presence of cycling in the city.

The Dundee Cycle Hub opened in 2021 to critical acclaim.

The following year, the Guardian listed Dundee’s cycling routes as some of its readers’ favourites.

And now, in 2023, the city has been announced as a host of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships – I couldn’t be more excited.

The city will be the venue for the time trials event on August 7 later this year.

Hooked by drama of cycling in Glasgow 2014

As someone who hasn’t been able to ride a bicycle because of my cerebral palsy, watching cycling events has made up for it.

I remember one of the first times I properly watched cycling was on TV during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and it was fascinating.

The cycling events at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games had Andrew hooked. Image: PA

Glasgow of course, is hosting the overall UCI Cycling World Championships, which the Gran Fondo will be part of.

Dundee has had its fair share of national cycling events in the past too.

The city played host to the opening of the 1989 Tour of Britain and, more recently, the Women’s Tour Scotland in 2019.

Now it is about to host an international event which I believe we are more than capable of doing.

I was looking back to the 1989 Tour of Britain event when it kickstarted in Dundee, seeing footage of the event was extraordinary.

The City Square and the Law being filled with spectators and the riders passing the Discovery as they made their way to Glasgow on the first leg.

With the city hosting the Gran Fondo time trials, I’m hoping we are about to see the city full of cyclists once more.

Dundee must seize opportunity

This event will bring a lot of benefits for the city and encourage more people to get out and cycle.

In the run-up to August there are real opportunities for cycling groups in the city or even the city council can host get people involved in anticipation to the big event.

I would love to see events where young people can get involved and have something that will bring in the crowd and inspire a proper response to the unfortunate news that Embark Dundee’s e-bike scheme recently collapsed.

The Gran Fondo event brings a huge opportunity to address the safety, complexity and the sustainability that Embark faced.

That aside, I believe the cycling world championships will be another show of strength that Dundee has the capability to host international events.