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To celebrate the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in true Scottish tradition, we have created an official tartan, and our very own tweed, quite literally weaving ourselves into the very fabric of Scotland.

The tartan

“We are privileged to be the first ever nation to host this event, so it seems fitting that a unique tartan be created for it,” said Paul Bush OBE, Chair of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. “By having a unique and officially registered tartan, it will create a moment in history for the Championships that will be on record for centuries.”

The tartan has been approved as an official tartan by the Scottish Tartans Authority and will be listed on the Register of Scottish Tartans, administered by the National Records of Scotland. It’s serious stuff this tartan lark, and that’s why we got the best weavers in the business to create it for us.

“We wanted to create a tartan design that was dynamic and distinctive,” said Dawn Robson-Bell, Managing Director of Lochcarron of Scotland. “Using the rainbow jersey as our inspiration and pairing this with the Scottish Saltire, we feel we have a tartan which will be part of the legacy of this amazing event.”

The tweed

From royal hunting garb to Chanel suits, Harris Tweed® is another fabric which has a prestigious and long-standing connection to Scotland. But for their design for the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds, Harris Tweed Hebrides sought a far more modern inspiration.

“We decided that a stepped herringbone was the best pattern as it reflects the distinctive shape of tyre tracks,” explains Creative Director Mark Hogarth (pictured left, modelling the cap). “Our talented young designer Beth Wilson picked out deep blue yarn tones that create an enduring and classically Scottish Harris Tweed® design.”

Created by hand in the historic Shawbost Mill on the Outer Hebrides, the luxurious pure wool tweed is a cut above your average merch, to appeal to the most discerning of cycling fans.

Now we shop!

Yes, that’s right, we may not be able to give you a rainbow jersey, but we can give you a tartan blanket! Or a tartan scarf. Or even a matching tweed jacket and cap. All of these stylish, and high-quality, items will be available to buy at the event, or online at shop.cyclingworldchamps.com.

1839

Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a blacksmith from Dumfries & Galloway, is widely credited with the invention of the treadle bicycle (below). The rest is two-wheeled history.

1881

Hawick Cycling Club forms. The Borders club remains one of the oldest cycling clubs in Scotland.

1888

John Boyd Dunlop (right), a Scottish veterinarian from Ayrshire, patents the first pneumatic tyre for a bicycle. It’s unclear when the first puncture was recorded.