PARA-CYCLING ROAD

New legends will be made as para-athletes take on Scotland’s roads

This is where the rubber meets the road for the world’s fastest paracyclists. Every mile matters in ruthless contests of speed, stamina and guts. Smart racing will win the day as riders battle for every tactical advantage that will take them to gold medal glory.

Road Race

Riders compete against each other in an all-out battle for supremacy. In the peloton, you’ll see riders ‘drafting’, which means following the lead rider for an aerodynamic advantage. Mental toughness is mandatory as it’s every rider for themselves.

Individual Time Trial

Competitors set off one-by-one at regular intervals of 1–2 minutes. There’s nowhere to hide, no slipstreams to conserve energy in, and nobody in front of you to beat – just you against the clock. Aerodynamics are everything, so you’ll see futuristic bikes, helmets and skinsuits. With sheer speed being top priority, riders have to push the limit of safe racing lines as the twists, turns and tight corners could end a potentially medal-winning run at any moment.

Team Relay

The Team Relay sees teams of three handcyclists race a road circuit, one at a time. Coordination and communication are key as quick relay changes are essential to a medal finish.

WHERE Road Race & Time Trials: Dumfries & Galloway

Team Relay: Glasgow

WHEN 9–13 August

Did you know?

Impress your pals with your cycling knowledge

SAME SAME!

Para-cyclists ride the exact same events under the same rules as their nondisabled counterparts. The Para-cycling classification system determines which Paracyclists are eligible to compete in different categories depending on the impairment.

Great Scot

The fastest handcyclist on earth is Scotsman Ken Talbot who set the current speed World Record for a handcyclist at 51.85mph over a five-mile course.

The Bike

In the Para-cycling Road, riders cycle one of four different styles of bikes – a traditional road bike with adaptions, tandem, handcycle and tricycle. The style of bike they ride depends on the impairment.

Dumfries and Galloway has a proud history of cycling.

Humble blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan crafted the world’s first bike right here in the region in 1839. Had it not been for Macmillan’s ingenuity, we may not even have a cycle as we know it today, let alone these 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. Our corner of south west Scotland has always punched above its weight in cycling circles. We’ve hosted world-class cycling events, with the Tour of Britain, the British Championships and most recently “The Gralloch” taking place on a gravel-based track in our wonderful Galloway Forest

When you add into the mix our “7Stanes” mountain biking attractions, our fantastic coastline cycle routes

(google “Kirkpatrick C2C”, yes, named after the same guy) and our miles of active travel cycle paths across our region, it’s clear to see why we love cycling and cycling loves us.

We’re proud to play host to the UCI ParaCycling Road World Championships from Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 August. The first 2 days of action will see time trials take place across three different routes. With the iconic Whitesands as the start and end point, athletes will face undulating roads and daring downhill stretches as they wheel through some of our gorgeous villages and hamlets on the edges of Dumfries.

Days three and four will see riders take on the road races. Starting and finishing in the picturesque Crichton Estate on the outskirts of Dumfries town centre, athletes will head out to Glencaple, before looping back towards the town and finishing in the shadows of the historic Crichton Memorial Church

If you’ve never been to Dumfries and Galloway, then do something about that. And not just for the World Championships. Come and stay any time in our many hotels, bed and breakfasts, holiday homes, caravan sites and camping sites. Visit our attractive coastline, eat in some of the most hidden of hidden gems and try a dram or a pint in one of our many local breweries or distilleries. Walk our hills; discover where Scotland’s bard, Robert Burns, lived and wrote some of his most famous works; and spend time in our many independent shops.

We’re not only a great place to visit, we’re the natural place to live, work and invest, too. Our stunning scenery, 97 primary schools and access to superfast broadband are all big draws. But our excellent transport links to the central belt and northern England as well as Northern Ireland makes Dumfries and Galloway the perfect place to travel to and from as well; and that’s whether you use car, train, ferry or, like Macmillan himself –the bicycle.

From the Solway Firth in the east to Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway in the west (did we mention we’re the third largest council area in Scotland?), our region offers beauty, opportunity and entertainment at every turn. We look forward to letting the world catch a glimpse of our natural place as we host the Para-Cycling road element of these amazing 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds.

Find out more at dumgal.gov.uk/paracyclingworldchamps and scotlandstartshere.com