2023 UCI Cycling World Championships celebrate the ‘Power of the Bike’ with digital content series

To celebrate Bike Week 2022, organisers of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships have debuted the first episode of ‘Power of the Bike’, a new digital content series focusing on individuals and communities across Scotland that have seen first-hand the extraordinary impact cycling and cycling programmes can have.

From local cycling clubs to Olympic gold medallists, the series will feature stories from cyclists of all levels and abilities, from all over Scotland, inspiring more people to become involved in cycling.

The first ‘Power of the Bike’ feature shares the moving story of Edinburgh-native Jenny Brennan, who while undergoing cancer treatment used cycling as an outlet that allowed her to find joy and freedom during her most difficult times.

Once able, Jenny was inspired to give back by helping others get that same enjoyment from cycling. This led her to volunteer for Breeze, British Cycling’s female-focused program helping thousands of women to feel confident and comfortable when cycling.

Jenny said: “The one thing I found that was consistent throughout my treatment was cycling. I could go out and have a little toddle on my bike and free wheel and I felt like me again. It brought me so much joy and so much happiness and I felt like I was in control. I volunteer because I want to give back exactly what I’ve got from cycling. It doesn’t matter what experience you have, you can get on a bike and that confidence is an incredible tool to give a woman. It doesn’t matter if you have the best bike in the world or one from the garden shed that you haven’t ridden in three years, everyone can cycle.

“I’m really happy I could take part in the Power of the Bike video series to outline what the bike means to different people. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships sounds like a great opportunity to increase people’s interests in bikes and I hope my story can help inspire others to take it up.”

New episodes of the ‘Power of the Bike’ series will be shared every month on the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds also encourages cycling enthusiasts around the world to share their Power of the Bike story by using #PoweroftheBike.

The ‘Power of the Bike’ series is part of the ambition to use the global profile of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to leave a lasting legacy of increased cycling participation in Scotland.

CEO of the 2023 Cycling World Championships Trudy Lindblade said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will bring the best athletes in every cycling discipline to Scotland as part of the largest celebration of cycling ever held. While the elite athletes will be competing, we want to showcase that the benefits of cycling – from improved health and wellbeing to a cheaper, greener commute – can be enjoyed by everyone. The ‘Power of the Bike’ can mean many things to different people and this series of videos will tell a wide variety of stories from across Scotland, demonstrating the true power of cycling.”

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will see the 13 existing UCI World Championships combined for the first time to create one mega event, which will be held in Glasgow and across Scotland. Taking place across 11 days from 3-13 August 2023, the inaugural event will welcome more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists from more than 120 countries with more than 190 UCI World Champions crowned.

More than a million spectators are anticipated as well as a global television audience of around one billion, making it one of the world’s top 10 sporting events.

The 13 UCI World Championships included in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are: BMX Freestyle Flatland; BMX Freestyle Park; BMX Racing; Gran Fondo; Indoor Cycling; Mountain Bike Cross-country; Mountain Bike Downhill; Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon; Para-cycling Road; Para-cycling Track; Road; Track; Trials.

To date, five venues have been announced in Glasgow, with Dumfries & Galloway (Para-cyling Road), Stirling (Time Trial), Fort William (Mountain Bike Downhill) and Glentress (Mountain bike Cross-country & Marathon) also hosting events across Scotland. Additional venues and locations elsewhere in the country will be confirmed in the coming weeks and months to ensure a pan-Scotland delivery and to capture the imagination of the entire country.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships were confirmed for Glasgow and across Scotland as a result of significant previous experience hosting high-profile sporting events. Glasgow and Scotland have become a sporting hotspot by welcoming unforgettable competitions such as UEFA EURO 2020 matches, the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the multi-sport Glasgow 2018 European Championships as well as cultural events including the world-renowned Edinburgh Festivals.

Since the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, participation sessions at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome have experienced positive uptake and cycling numbers have risen across Scotland. It is hoped the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships can continue the increase of pedal power in Scotland, inspiring the next generation of riders across a variety of cycling disciplines.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are being delivered in collaboration between the UCI, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, UK Sport, British Cycling, Glasgow Life and VisitScotland. The partnership aims to create a blueprint for future editions by ensuring the inaugural event is authentic, innovative and distinctive.

The UCI, cycling’s world governing body, currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The UCI Cycling World Championships will bring these championships together every four years, the year prior to the Olympics, starting with the inaugural event in 2023.