The full routes and race schedule for the Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships have been officially unveiled today in Innsbruck, Austria. Taking place from 21-29 September 2019, the Championships will feature a packed race programme - including, for the first time, men and women competing together in a mixed relay team time trial.
The racing starts on Saturday 21st September with Para-cycling events before the first UCI World Champions are crowned the following day with the inaugural Team Time Trial Mixed Relay. Replacing the traditional trade team time trial, this event will be contested by national teams consisting of three male riders and three female riders.
The men will ride first and the women will replace them on the road as soon as the second male rider has crossed the finish line. Final timings will be taken when the second female rider crosses the finish line, with the fastest team declared the winner.
The Yorkshire 2019 programme will continue through until Sunday 29th September with Individual Time Trials and Road Races for Junior (Under 18), Under 23 and Elite male and female riders.
Harrogate will serve as the destination town for every race, with start locations across the county to ensure the Championships reach as many people as possible.
The men's and women's championships will take place over a testing route followed by laps of a circuit through the streets of Harrogate - seven laps for the men, three for the women.
Some of the men will be revisiting familiar ground from the Yorkshire stages of the 2012 Tour de France, as the course takes riders over "Cote de Cray" at 60km followed by tough climbs of Buttertubs and Grinton Moor. On the women's side, Norwood Edge and Lofthouse are the two categorised climbs, but it's a lumpy course all the way to the finish line.
The full race programme is as follows:
Day 1: Saturday 21 September: Beverley-Tadcaster-Wetherby-Harrogate Circuit - Para-cycling Road Races (C1 Event)
Day 2: Sunday 22 September: Harrogate Circuit - Team Time Trial Mixed Relay - 28km (two circuits)
Day 3: Monday 23 September: Harrogate Circuit - Women Junior Individual Time Trial - 14km (one circuit) and Men Junior Individual Time Trial - 28km (two circuits)
Day 4: Tuesday 24 September: Ripon to Harrogate - Men Under 23 Individual Time Trial - 32.5km (route plus one circuit) and Women Elite Individual Time Trial - 32.5km (route plus one circuit)
Day 5: Wednesday 25 September: Northallerton to Harrogate - Men Elite Individual Time Trial - 54km (route only)
Day 6: Thursday 26 September: Richmond to Harrogate - Men Junior Road Race - 144.5km (route plus three circuits)
Day 7: Friday 27 September: Doncaster to Harrogate - Women Junior Road Race - 91.5km (route only) and Men Under 23 Road Race - 192.5km (route plus three circuits)
Day 8: Saturday 28 September: Bradford to Harrogate - Women Elite Road Race - 149.5km (route plus three circuits)
Day 9: Sunday 29 September: Leeds to Harrogate - Men Elite Road Race - 284.5km (route plus seven circuits)
The 2018 Championships are currently taking place in Innsbruck-Tirol, where Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity DL led a packed presentation of the Yorkshire 2019 event on Wednesday evening. He was joined on stage by UCI President David Lappartient, British Cycling CEO Julie Harrington, and Great Britain riders Alex Dowsett and Hayley Simmonds. Prime Minister Theresa May concluded the presentation via video message, lending the UK Government's full support.
The Championships are receiving unprecedented financial backing with the UK Government and UK Sport committing £12 million to deliver a truly world-class event. A further £15 million has been allocated to develop entry-level cycling facilities across England, in a commitment that organisers hope will ensure the 2019 UCI Road World Championships deliver a significant legacy.
Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity DL said: "It is a great honour to be hosting the 2019 UCI Road World Championships. This will be the most inclusive and diverse Championships ever held and cement Yorkshire's place as a world-class cycling destination.
"The countdown is now well and truly on and there will be many people in Yorkshire and across Britain who are looking forward to this iconic event. We can promise huge, passionate crowds, stunning scenery and epic racing.
"We have worked hard with the UCI to design a challenging and spectacular range of routes which take in all four corners of the county. We are thrilled to be able to share these routes and are sure they will make for exciting racing."
UCI President David Lappartient said: "After the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2014 and the consequent creation of the legacy Tour de Yorkshire, this magnificent region has left us in no doubt that the 2019 UCI Road World Championships will be a memorable occasion.
"The competitions in Yorkshire will open with the new Team Time Trial Mixed Relay, a UCI initiative that will replace the trade team time trial and will see men and women competing together for their nation. I cannot wait to witness this first-ever Team Time Trial Mixed Relay, which is part of the UCI's drive to further increase the attractiveness of our Road World Championships, encourage gender equality, and showcase National Federations and their riders.
"In addition, the 2019 UCI Road World Championships will be taking place less than a year out from the Olympic Games, with riders seeking to earn precious qualification points for Tokyo 2020. This will add to the excitement of the racing on the roads of Yorkshire."
British Cycling CEO Julie Harrington said: "We believe that cycling has the ability to take on some of the biggest challenges facing our society, and the legacy and inspiration that we can harness from next year's Championships in Yorkshire is another vital step on our journey to transform Britain into a great cycling nation.
"We're determined to ensure that the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire doesn't just change the lives of those collecting a rainbow jersey, but the lives of the children, families and everyone who discovers - or rediscovers - the simple pleasure of riding a bike as a result."
Full details on the Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships can be found at Yorkshire2019.co.uk.
0 Comments