Sprinters breathe a sigh of relief: UCI sports director confirms - no artificial mountains at the 2028 World Cycling Championships

UCI Sports Director Peter Van den Abeele has made it clear to Sporza that the 2028 Road Cycling World Championships in Abu Dhabi will do without artificial mountains in the course profile. "It will be a world championship for sprinters," said Van den Abeele. The statement ends months of speculation about possible artificial climbs in the course of the title fights. The awarding of the World Championships to Abu Dhabi had initially raised expectations that fast riders would have a good chance of winning the rainbow jersey. However, rumours about the construction of artificial mountains had dampened these hopes. Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier from Soudal Quick-Step was particularly concerned about the development. During his repeated visits to the UAE Tour, he had observed how an artificial mountain continued to grow in height year after year - and with it his own chances of winning the title. "Every generation of sprinters should have at least one real chance to win a world title," Merlier told the daily newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws last year.

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Artificial rise Al Wathba under construction

The Al Wathba climb has been under construction since 2023 and brings a short but steep ramp to the flat surroundings of Abu Dhabi. The gradient currently averages six per cent over a length of 1.4 kilometres, with the steepest sections reaching nine per cent. This year, Al Wathba is set to grow to two kilometres in length, with a challenging final ascent of 500 metres with a gradient of up to eleven per cent. By 2028, this could become a serious climb for sprinters - something that some of the fastest men in the peloton had already feared.

Clarification by UCI Sports Director

With Van den Abeele's statement, the sprinters now have certainty about their title chances in 2028. The UCI's decision means that neither Al Wathba nor any other significant hills or mountains will be part of the World Championship course. This means that the characteristics of a flat race, as originally associated with the award to Abu Dhabi, will be retained. For athletes like Merlier, who is one of the fastest sprinters of the current generation, this opens up a realistic prospect of winning the world title. Nevertheless, construction work on the artificial mountains will continue and could be used for other cycling races in the region. The UAE Tour, which takes place annually in February, could benefit from the new topographical conditions and adapt its route profile accordingly.