News: UCI World Masters Track Championships

Next September sees the UCI World Masters Track Championships return to Manchester’s refurbished National Cycling Centre where riders will race for the Santini Rainbow jerseys

News: UCI World Masters Track Championships

Next September sees the UCI World Masters Track Championships return to Manchester (National Cycling Centre) where the organiser, Ian Emmerson OBE (former Lincoln Grand Prix and British Road Championships organiser), is looking once again to bring together the best Master’s riders from around the world.

The championships will take place from Saturday, September 30th through to Saturday, October 7th, 2023, and the organisers are hoping to attract similar entries to the last one in Manchester in 2019 where there were 560 entries from 36 countries.

In 2020, the championships were supposed to be held but they had to be postponed until 2023 due to the Covid epidemic. Work on bringing the event to life again has moved on very well with the web site, www.cyclingmasters.com, updated with the 2023 information. Entries will open via the web site on March 1st, 2023, with the closing date set for September 3rd. Spectator tickets will also go on sale again via the web site on March 1st.

Unfortunately, costs have risen since the 2019 championships, and the organisers have been forced to increase fees by a small amount to try to balance the books.

The programme of events is listed on the web site and is basically the same as in 2019 with the exception of the Women’s Team Sprint which is increased to three riders and three laps of the 250-metre velodrome.

The organisers are still finalising transport and hotel arrangements and will advise you on these plans shortly. There are also plans for live streaming of the event with extra cameras bringing better worldwide coverage. Officials are all in place and the organisers are pleased to welcome back to Manchester, Hans-Christian Lykkegaard from Denmark as the UCI Commissaire.

The almost one year long velodrome refurbishment is almost complete including the return of competition with the track leagues and community events about to restart in January. This work has seen some major changes to the venue with new seating, lighting, timing and scoreboard, catering, changing rooms, showers and other facilities.