Burgenland wins bid for 2029 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

A UCI Gran Fondo World Championship will be held in Austria for the first time in 2029. The bid to organise the event in 2029 was accepted as part of the current World Cycling Championships in Rwanda. officially announced. Lake Neusiedl Cycling marathon has been part of the global cycling marathon network of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series for four years now. This network includes around 30 cycling marathons on all five continents, where cyclists can qualify for the World Championship finals every year. With the organisation of the 2029 World Championships, the Burgenland major tourist effects: "With an expected 3,500 qualifiers plus accompanying persons, between 14,000 and 17,000 visitors are expected over the four to five days of the 2029 World Championships with the qualifying competition taking place in the spring," explained Sports Councillor Heinrich Dorner in a press release.

Gran Fondo WM to promote tourism

Lake Neusiedl will form the centrepiece of the World Championships. The organisers see the central location in the heart of Europe with its proximity to the international airports of Vienna-Schwechat and Bratislava as an advantage. The organisers are hoping for larger starting fields than at the World Championships in previous years thanks to these convenient connections. "For us, winning the bid is a jackpot, as thousands of amateur cyclists from our core tourist markets will come to Burgenland in 2029 and the years before," emphasised Didi Tunkel, Managing Director of Burgenland Tourismus. The impact of the World Championships will not be limited to the actual event period. Johannes Hessenberger is already expecting increasing numbers of visitors from potential participants who want to familiarise themselves with the route in the run-up to the World Championships. This promises sustainable tourism value creation for the region over several years.

World Cup final 2025 in Australia

As enthusiastic as the region's tourism representatives are, the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships have only reached some of the amateur athletes. The reason is obvious: the worldwide distribution of venues results in high travelling costs. This year, for example, the World Championships will take place in Australia. From 16 to 19 October, the world champions in the various age groups will be crowned in Lorne, Australia. Qualification was possible in cycling races all over the world. Next year, the World Championships will take place in Japan. The World Championship final in Austria could therefore attract increased interest in German-speaking countries and neighbouring countries.