World Cycling Championships 2023: Schedule, routes & elevation profiles
Sebastian Lindner
· 11.08.2023
13 world championships in one - that's what the Super Cycling World Championships in Scotland offer. The event, at the end of which 218 world championship titles will have been awarded, is being held in this form for the first time and is to be repeated every four years in future.
But even though the major event brings together all sub-disciplines of cycling - from artistic cycling to hobby cyclists and para-competitions - the focus is on road cycling. 13 titles will be awarded around Glasgow in the second oldest discipline in cycling after track cycling.
World Cycling Championships 2023 Glasgow - Overview of the schedule for all decisions on the road
- 5 August: Junior road race (age groups 2005 and 2006)
- 5 August: Junior road race (age groups 2005 and 2006)
- 6 August: Men's elite road race
- 8 August: Team time trial mixed relay
- 9 August: Men's U23 individual time trial (born between 2001 and 2004)
- 10 August: Individual time trial for juniors (born 2005 and 2006)
- 10 August: Women's elite individual time trial (U23 with separate classification)
- 11 August: Individual time trial for juniors (born 2005 and 2006)
- 11 August: Men's elite individual time trial
- 12 August: Men's U23 road race (born between 2001 and 2004)
- 13 August: Women's elite road race (U23 with separate classification)
The route of the 2023 World Cycling Championships
The centrepiece of all road races is a circuit through Glasgow. The 14.3-kilometre route is ridden a different number of times in the individual competitions. All races finish in front of the imposing Glasgow City Hall on George Square.
On the lap, 207 metres of elevation gain are spread over several short, but tough climbs. The last of these is 1500 metres before the finish in Montrose Street and has an average gradient of 10.8 per cent over 200 metres. At the top, the gradient is 14 per cent.
Not without danger, at least if it rains, is a descent shortly before the three-kilometre mark, which leads into a 90-degree bend and a 200-metre-long cobblestone passage. In any case, the course is extremely twisty - typical of the old town. In the last five kilometres alone, there are 19 sharp changes of direction, the last one about 350 metres before the finish. Then it's all straight ahead until George Square.
World Cycling Championships 2023 Glasgow: 11 races, 13 decisions
Unlike in previous years, the men's road race is not the grand finale of the World Championships. This honour goes to the women this year. The battle for the world championship titles on the road will be opened by the junior women.
Saturday, 5 August | Junior road race | 70 kilometres
The juniors will not leave Glasgow and will run their entire race on the circuit through the city. They will complete five laps, covering 1036 metres in altitude. The start is virtually at the finish: at George Square. The first one and a half kilometres of the course are neutralised.
- Neutral start - 10 am, sharp start - 10:10 am
- Expected arrival at the finish: between 11:52 and 12:03
Saturday, 5 August | Junior road race | 127.2 kilometres
Once the junior women have crossed the finish line at the 2023 World Cycling Championships in Glasgow, not much time passes before their male counterparts start the race. The juniors will not leave the circuit either, but will complete nine laps, covering a good 127 kilometres and 1865 metres in altitude.
- Neutral start - 13:00, sharp start - 13:10
- Expected arrival at the finish: between 15:55 and 16:11
Sunday, 6 August | Men's elite road race | 271.1 kilometres
Much of the action at the Road World Championships is taking place in Glasgow, but not all of it. The men's road race starts in the Scottish capital Edinburgh and heads north-west for the first 70 kilometres without any major topographical difficulties. One of the highlights is the crossing of the Firth of Forth over the 2.6 kilometre-long Queensberry Crossing bridge.
It only gets mountainous when the course turns south towards Glasgow. Up Crow Road, the route crosses a range of hills, reaching the highest point of the day at 336 metres above sea level. A good 20 kilometres later, at kilometre 120, the men also reach the Glasgow circuit. They have to ride it ten times before the world champion is crowned. A total of 3570 metres in altitude have to be overcome.
- Neutral start - 9.30 am, sharp start - 9.40 am
- Expected arrival time: between 15:26 and 15:58
Tuesday, 8 August | Mixed relay team time trial | 40.3 kilometres (2x20.15)
The mixed relay team will hold its race at the 2023 World Cycling Championships on an extended Glasgow circuit. The course has been extended by around six kilometres in both a north-westerly and south-easterly direction and, in its modified form, covers 20.15 kilometres. The extensions are largely without ups and downs, with 242 metres of elevation gain per lap.
After three men ride the first lap together and are given a split time at the halfway point, it is then the turn of three more women on the same course. The best overall time makes the world champion.
- Start first team - 13:01, start last team - 15:05
- Estimated end of the competition: approx. 15:53
World Cycling Championships 2023: Five time trials on four courses
The world champions in the individual time trial will be crowned in Stirling, around 45 kilometres north-east of Glasgow. The city of 36,000 inhabitants is both the start and finish line.
Both the first and last kilometres are the same in all competitions. While the start is unlikely to cause any difficulties, the last 750 metres are a real test. The average gradient there is six per cent. No wonder, as the route leads up to the town's castle.
Similar to the final of the road race at the 2023 World Cycling Championships, there are still several bends that cannot be ridden at full speed.
Wednesday, 9 August | Men's U23 individual time trial | 36.2 kilometres
The U23 men open the individual time trial competitions. The course is relatively long, but apart from the final climb, there are almost no other difficulties. A total of 242 metres of elevation gain await over the 36 kilometres. Only shortly after the second split time at kilometre 22.7 and directly before the third time check at kilometre 31.6 are there two more uphill sections of less than 1000 metres with gradients of up to six percent.
- Start first rider: 14:30
- Start last rider: 16:17
- Calculated average speed: 50 km/h
- Estimated end of the competition: approx. 5 pm
Thursday, 10 August | Junior women's individual time trial | 13.4 kilometres
The juniors ride the basic time trial course, so to speak. The 13 kilometres with 132 metres of elevation gain are all found on the laps of the other competitions against the clock.
- Start first female rider: 11:15 am
- Start last rider: 12:42
- Calculated average speed: 44 km/h
- Estimated end of the competition: approx. 1 pm
Thursday, 10 August | Women's elite individual time trial | 36.2 kilometres
The elite women ride the same course as the U23 men. There is also a race within the race: The U23 women do not have a separate competition, but have their own classification within the elite race.
- Start first female rider: 2 pm
- Start last rider: 15:42
- Calculated average speed: 46 km/h
- Estimated end of the competition: approx. 16:29
Friday, 11 August | Junior individual time trial | 22.8 kilometres
Before the elite men start, the juniors will do the honours at the 2023 World Cycling Championships in Glasgow. They will ride a shortened version of the U23. However, almost all of the kilometres will be flat. The programme includes 187 metres of elevation gain - and therefore almost all the difficulties that the older riders have to cope with. The time will be stopped twice en route.
- Start first driver: 10 am
- Start last rider: 12:01
- Calculated average speed: 48 km/h
- Estimated end of the competition: approx. 12:29 pm
Friday, 11 August | Elite men's individual time trial | 47.8 kilometres
The last time it was longer than this year's elite men's time trial was in Harrogate in 2019. Back then, the title was also contested on the island. In addition to plenty of kilometres, there are also a few metres of elevation gain: 352, but these are mainly in the second part of the course. In the first third, there is only a small elevation gain after the first split time at kilometre 12.9.
Shortly before returning to the U23 and women's course, the route climbs once more. Within four kilometres, another 50 metres in altitude have to be overcome in two stages. But it doesn't get really steep.
- Start first rider: 14:35
- Start last rider: 16:04
- Calculated average speed: 52 km/h
- Estimated end of the competition: approx. 16:59
World Cycling Championships 2023 Glasgow: Closing weekend begins at Loch Lommond
Two road races are still on the programme for the final weekend of the competitions. Both the men's U23 and the elite women's races start north-west of Glasgow on Loch Lommond, the largest lake in Great Britain. Both races take the same route up to Glasgow.
Saturday, 12 August | Men's U23 road race | 168.4 kilometres
The differences to the elite men's race can only be found in the first 30 kilometres or so. After the start at the lake, the U23 also heads north-east in a semi-circular arc towards Crow Road. From there, the race continues to Glasgow, where another seven laps of the city circuit are completed. A total of 2229 metres in altitude have to be covered.
- Neutral start - 11:30 am, sharp start - 11:40 am
- Expected arrival time: between 15:19 and 15:40
Sunday, 13 August | Women's elite road race | 154.1 kilometres
The elite women's course only differs from the men's course in one lap through Glasgow. Six laps await at the end of the road races in the Scottish metropolis before two world champions can be celebrated. This is because, as in the time trial, the U23 riders compete with the elite, but are categorised separately. In theory, it would therefore be possible for an U23 rider to secure two world titles in one race.
- Neutral start - 12 o'clock, sharp start - 12:10 o'clock
- Expected arrival at the finish: between 15:40 and 16:01
World Cycling Championships 2023 Glasgow: TV coverage and live streams
All World Championship races will be broadcast in almost full length on the GCN+, Discovery+ and Eurosport streaming services.
There will also be TV coverage on Eurosport 1 of the men's road race (from 10am), the mixed relay (from 1.35pm), the U23 men's individual time trial (from 3.20pm), the elite women's race (from 2.55pm) and the elite men's race. Also the road races of the U23 men and women.
ZDF will also be livestreaming the elite men's road race from 3pm. The elite women's road race will also be broadcast on TV from 3.15pm, alternating with the summer biathlon.
