“It’s a big gain in visibility for us. Rayan Helal, bronze medalist in team sprint at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with Sébastien Vigier and Florian Grengbo, is not mistaken. For the first time, the World Cycling Championships, organized in Glasgow, bring together all cycling disciplines (road, track, including para-cycling, mountain biking, BMX), i.e. more than 2,600 athletes who will fight to put on one of the 215 rainbow jerseys at stake. These World Championships, the biggest cycling event ever organised, begin on Thursday 3 August.

From now on, this format will be renewed every four years, the years preceding the Olympic Games (Haute-Savoie will host the event in 2027). A reorganization wanted by David Lappartient, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI): “It was one of the commitments I made during my campaign for the presidency of the UCI and I am proud of it. to have completed, welcomes the Frenchman on the organizing site. Over several weeks, the host city and/or region will truly become the cycling capital of the world. »

The budget allocated to the event is significant: nearly 50 million pounds sterling (approximately 58 million euros) financed by the UCI and various local and national bodies, including the Scottish government and the municipality of Glasgow.

Chances of French medals

Road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, BMX… In all these disciplines, the Habs can hope for medals. After having shone (seven medals including three gold) in 2022 at home, on the national velodrome of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – which will host the Olympic Games in 2024 – the French cyclists will want to confirm their return to the fore. The delegation sent to Scotland by Florian Rousseau, three-time Olympic track champion and director of the Olympic program, “is made up of runners who have the potential to be medalists or world champions”, he told AFP .

Mathilde Gros, world champion in individual sprint, Taky Marie-Divine Kouamé, in gold in the 500 meter time trial, or even Benjamin Thomas, titled for the second time in the American, will be the heads of displayed on the track at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome in Glasgow (22 events are on the programme, 11 each for men and women).

On the road cycling side, the selection concocted by Thomas Voeckler will have a chance of medals. On the tricky and tortuous 271.1 kilometer course between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Julian Alaphilippe, double world champion (2020 and 2021), Christophe Laporte, silver medalist in 2022, and French champion Valentin Madouas will be expected. Although aligned with the Tour de France Women, Juliette Labous, Cédrine Kerbaol and Audrey Cordon-Ragot will participate in these “Super Worlds”.

The mountain bike events will be contested in Fort William (north of Glasgow), an emblematic location on the World Cup circuit, renowned for its dizzying downhill track. In the cross-country event, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Loana Lecomte can aim for the title. Anthony Jeanjean, bronze medalist at the BMX freestyle Park in Abu Dhabi in 2022, and Matthias Dandois, BMX freestyle Flatland world champion in 2021, will defend the tricolor colors in BMX.

Program and timetables

All events will be broadcast live and in full on France Télévisions (France 2, France 3, France 4 and France.tv website) and Eurosport (Eurosport 1, Eurosport.fr and the Eurosport application). Here are the schedules for the finals.

Thursday August 3:

Friday, August 4:

Saturday August 5:

Sunday August 6:

Monday August 7:

Tuesday, August 8:

Wednesday August 9:

Thursday August 10

Friday August 11

Saturday August 12

Sunday August 13