The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Organising Committee of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships, which will take place from 21 to 29 September next year in Zurich (Switzerland), are today pleased to unveil the race routes and programme for the event.
Road
All the races – road races and time trials - of the UCI Road Worlds will finish on Sechseläutenplatz, in the centre of Zurich, on the shores of the lake of the same name. Depending on the event, the start will be given from one of the following sites: Zurich (Sechseläutenplatz or Oerlikon open-air velodrome), Gossau, Uster or Winterthur, the latter three towns being in the canton of Zurich.
The Men Elite road race will start in Winterthur and cover a distance of 273.9km, with an elevation of 4,470m. It will finish with seven laps of a 27km final circuit (elevation: 501m) in and around Zurich. The main difficulties on the course will be the climbs of Kyburg (1.2km with an average gradient of 12% and a maximum gradient of 16%), Zürichbergstrasse (1.1km with an average gradient of 8% and a maximum gradient of 15%) and Witikon (2.3km with an average gradient of 5.7% and a maximum gradient of 9%).
The Women Elite road race will start in Uster and cover a distance of 154.1km with an elevation of 2,488m. It will finish with four laps of the same final circuit as the Men Elite race. In addition to the difficulties of the final circuit already mentioned, the Women Elite will tackle the Binz climb (4.6km with an average gradient of 4.5% and a maximum gradient of 9%).
The team time trial – mixed relay will take place over two laps (one for women and one for men) of the final circuit already mentioned. The Men Elite individual time trial will start on the track of the Oerlikon velodrome. The route (46.1km and an elevation of 413m) is mostly rolling, but will include an undulating section towards the halfway point. The Women Elite individual time trial (29.9km and an elevation of 327m) will start in Gossau. The course will have a similar profile to that of the Men Elite (rolling with an undulating section, in this case just before the halfway point).
Para-cycling road
The integration of para-cycling into the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich will be the major innovation of the 2024 edition of the event. The para-cycling road races will all start in Zurich (Sechseläutenplatz or Münsterhof) and finish on Sechseläutenplatz, while the individual time trials will start either in Zurich (Sechseläutenplatz) or in Gossau.
The routes for the para-cycling road races will differ according to the sport classes* and will cover one or more of the following sections: final circuit in Zurich, circuits along Lake Zurich (less demanding in terms of gradient). The routes of the para-cycling individual time trials will also differ according to the sporting divisions and their starting points.
In some cases, the para-cycling routes will be the same as those for the cycling events. This will be the case for the Men and Women B and C4-5 individual time trials (same as that of the Women Elite). Several races will also use the final circuit in Zurich.
Click here to see the profiles and race routes for some of the events at the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships (the profiles and maps of other race routes will be available in the coming weeks).
2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships programme
Road:
Sunday 22 September:
Men Elite individual time trial
Women Elite individual time trial
Monday 23 September:
Men Junior individual time trial
Men Under 23 individual time trial
Tuesday 24 September:
Women Junior individual time trial
Wednesday 25 September:
Team time trial – mixed relay
Thursday 26 September:
Women Junior road race
Men Junior road race
Friday 27 September:
Men Under 23 road race
Saturday 28 September:
Women Elite road race
Sunday 29 September:
Men Elite road race
Para-cycling Road:
Saturday 21 September:
Mixed H team relay
Sunday 22 September:
Women B and C4-5 individual time trial
Monday 23 September:
Men B and C4-5 individual time trial
Tuesday 24 September:
Women C1-3 and H3-5, and Men C1-3 and H1-5 individual time trial
Women H1-2 and T1-2, and Men T1-2 individual time trial
Wednesday 25 September:
Men B and Women B road race
Thursday 26 September:
Men H1-2 and Women H1-5 road race
Men C3 and C4-5 road race
Friday 27 September:
Men C1 and C2 road race
Men T1-2 and Women T1-2 road race
Saturday 28 September:
Men H3 road race
Women C1-3 and C4-5 road race
Sunday 29 September:
Men H4 and H5 road race
* Para-cycling sport classes:
C - Cycle (conventional bike with adaptations if necessary)
T - Tricycle (three-wheeled bicycles)
B - Tandem (visually impaired athletes and pilot)
H - Handcycle
Divisions C (1-5), T (1-2) and H (1-5) are divided into different sport classes, with the lower number indicating a greater impairment.
UCI President David Lappartient said: "I am delighted that we are able to announce, together with the Local Organising Committee of the event, all the race routes for the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships. These will provide both cyclists and para-cyclists with a challenge worthy of their talents, and there is no doubt that the routes will enable athletes of all categories to offer exciting races to the ever-growing number of cycling fans. I'm greatly looking forward to experiencing an innovative, inclusive event in the heart of Zurich, in a sumptuous setting".
Daniel Rupf, Managing Director of the Local Organising Committee for the UCI 2024 Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships, said: "With the UCI approving the race routes eleven months before our UCI World Championships, we are in the best possible position to support the riders' sporting preparation and give all the parties involved a solid basis for their planning. The event will in no way compare unfavourably to cycling's great Classics: the course profiles will give each race its distinctive character, and will give both the rouleurs, who are at ease on flat and hilly terrain, and the climbers the opportunity to put their skills, endurance and tactical sense to good use."