Olympic heroes to return to Glasgow

Credit: SWPix

Olympic heroes to return to Glasgow

Glasgow will play host to rounds one and two of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May, as Olympic heroes Beth Shriever and Kye Whyte embark on their path to Paris 2024.

This will be the first international BMX event to take place in the city since the 2018 European Championships, where Kyle Evans and Kye Whyte secured a famous British one-two in front of a raucous home crowd.

Next year’s event will once again take place at the Glasgow BMX Centre, which will also host the BMX events at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and is a base to a variety of clubs including the Western Titans BMX club, Glasgow Riderz and Movement Park, as well as schools and emerging new community groups from across Scotland.

Ticket details for the event will be announced in due course.

Shriever followed her Tokyo heroics with back-to-back victories in the world championships in Papendal and national championships in Leicester, and is already looking forward to donning the rainbow stripes in front of a home crowd. She said: “Being able to race in a home world cup as the Olympic champion and wearing the rainbow jersey is just mind-blowing, and after the challenges of the past 18 months it’s going to be incredible to see packed stands cheering the riders on. As a team we already have our sights set on Paris and we’ll be looking to continue our great track record of home success in Glasgow.”

British Cycling Chief Executive, Brian Facer, said: “Beth and Kye celebrating with their medals was one of the defining images of the Tokyo Games, and we’re absolutely delighted that we now have an opportunity to further capitalise on that inspiration and success with a UCI BMX Racing World Cup on home soil.

“BMX is going to play an increasing and incredibly exciting role in our future. Not only is it a fantastic discipline in its own right, but it also highlights that British Cycling can provide a wide variety of opportunities for talented cyclists to represent the country, whatever their background.

“We are committed to supporting the development of BMX, such as through the investment in facilities from the Places to Ride fund, work to nurture the next generation of elite riders and long-term planning to develop the grassroots of the sport.

“We also know that flagship events such as the UCI BMX Racing World Cup can further accelerate the growth of the discipline, and it will be brilliant to give British fans of all ages the opportunity to watch the world’s best do battle in Glasgow.”

Depute Leader of Glasgow Life and Chair of Glasgow City Council, Councillor David McDonald, said: “We’re thrilled to finally confirm the return of international competition to the Glasgow BMX Centre next spring. The UK-wide buzz around BMX has never been greater, and we cannot wait to see the GB riders compete on home soil (and ramps!) once again.

“The venue is well-used by local cycling groups including the Glasgow Riderz and Western Titans, and we know from our strong track record of hosting major sporting events that seeing elite athletes using the facilities which our young people train and play on every day can have massive inspirational impact for the next generation.

“Furthermore, the UCI BMX Racing World Cup will be a brilliant warm-up for the first-ever 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships which will take place in Glasgow and across Scotland. Our city has a dedicated army of cycling enthusiasts and followers, and we know these events will be hugely anticipated by the friendly and welcoming Glasgow crowds.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for events and we are delighted to be hosting two rounds of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup. It joins as an outstanding portfolio of world-class cycling events across multiple disciplines hosted across Scotland and will allow for the perfect build up to the first-ever 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

“Events play an important role in our communities, bringing strong social and economic benefits. They provide the platform to showcase Scotland and all it has to offer to visitors to come and enjoy, whether that’s enjoying our exciting cities or experiencing 2,000 miles of National Cycle Network.”