Cycling Ireland have welcomed the inclusion of a Dublin round in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup calendar next season, as the Sport Ireland Campus will host Round 5 on Sunday, 26th of November 2023.
In December 2022, 8,000 fans descended on the Sport Ireland Campus to witness the first-ever Cyclo-Cross World Cup event to be hosted in Ireland. Now, some of the best riders in the world will once again race at the Sport Ireland Campus on 26th November 2023.
Building on the success of last year, this event will include official youth category racing alongside the elite men and women.
Cyclo-cross (also known as CX) is one of the most fast-paced and accessible disciplines in all of cycling. The discipline – likened to cross-country running on wheels – combines many of the skills used in standard road and mountain biking with an added emphasis being placed on bike handling skills as the riders navigate the sometimes bumpy and muddy terrain and physical fitness.
The Sport Ireland Campus is a sporting facility of over 500 acres and is home to many of Ireland’s leading sport high performance programmes and events. Cycling Ireland and Sport Ireland recently received formal notification that planning approval has been granted for the National Velodrome at the Sport Ireland Campus.
Cycling Ireland has stated it is looking forward to working with Sport Ireland, the Sport Ireland Campus, and the event organisers from Flanders Classics in order help build on last year’s success. The hosting of a round of the World Cup provides a fantastic opportunity to create a lasting legacy, inspiring future generations, providing competitive opportunities for elite riders and showcasing the family friendly discipline of Cyclo-cross.
Cycling Ireland Interim Chief Executive Chris Kitchen said, “The inclusion of UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Dublin in the 2023-24 season is a testament to the success of the event last December. 8,000 Irish fans created a fantastic atmosphere at the Sport Ireland Campus and we’re delighted to see their support and dedication to the sport rewarded with Dublin’s inclusion on the schedule.
“We’re looking forward to working with all the stakeholders involved in the coming months to help make the 2023 edition even bigger and better. We also want to see the event create a longer term legacy and inspire future generations of cyclists.”
