The UCI Cycling World Championships are on their way to Glasgow and Dundee is getting a slice of the action as the city prepares to host the Gran Fondo World Championships.
Dundee will be the venue of the time trials event – part of the wider World Championships – which starts, at the eastern outskirts of the city, heading up to Angus before returning to the city.
I am really looking forward to this event coming to Dundee and it will join the ranks of previous cycling competitions to take place in the city, such as the Tour of Britain in 1989 and 1992, and the Women’s Tour of Scotland in 2019.
Watching old clips of the 1989 Tour of Britain on YouTube and seeing the riders finish up at the top of the Dundee Law made me think it would have been amazing to see in person.
Dundee is preparing to welcome the Gran Fondo World Championships on August 7, which isn’t just a national event, but an international one.
This is a big deal and I believe more energy and excitement is needed.
The city is already building up to the event, with CycleFest at Camperdown Park the weekend just past – a great warm up to the Gran Fondo World Championships.
It was interesting to read about CycleFest because I had never heard of it until only a couple of weeks ago.
Dundee missed a trick with Waterfront bypass
As excited as I am for this new competition to arrive in Dundee, it is a real shame the majority of the city is missing out.
I would have loved to see the race start at the waterfront next to the V&A Dundee and RRS Discovery, but instead it starts on on Arbroath Road on the way out of Dundee.
It would have been fantastic to see the waterfront shown to the world watching the championships.
What I hope comes of this event is an exciting legacy.
Dundee has already transformed itself into a leading city when it comes to cycling – thanks to Dundee Cycling Hub and the beautiful Green Circular – and of course, we’re looking to the future too with the former Bell Street car park potentially being transformed into a new travel hub with cycling at its heart.
I wrote last year that with the Gran Fondo World Championships coming to the city, I hope it reignites the conversation about how we can find ways to welcome back Dundee’s e-bike scheme which unfortunately collapsed. I would love to see the city welcome back this but it will need time and attention to make it work.
Whatever happens, I hope that this exciting event paves the way for more cycling events to take place in Dundee.
Perhaps Dundee could host the Tour of Britain again. The last time the city hosted the event was in 1992, 31 years ago.
It would be wonderful to see an atmosphere like the 1989 event.
Seeing so many people follow cyclists around the city would be something I would love to witness, as well as a fabulous opportunity for the city to boost its image of sustainability.
It could show the rest of Scotland and the UK that Dundee is a leading city when it comes to promoting cycling and active travel.
