UCI 2019 Yorkshire World Championships in Harrogate

For 9 days in September, the eyes of the world will be on Harrogate as never before. Yes, there was the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982, when Nicole took the big prize. We all remember the Tour de France in 2014, which was incredibly exciting, but it was only here for a day. I wasn't around in the time of Queen Victoria, despite what people say; there may have been some big days in the life of the town back then. Nothing bigger though, I suggest, than the UCI 2019 Yorkshire World Championships.

Here, you can find out about everything that's going on in Harrogate in the build-up to, and during, the Championships.

Read about UCI 2019 Yorkshire World Championships in Harrogate here.

UCI 2019 World Championships

UCI 2019 road World Championships

The UCI 2019 road World Championships take place in Yorkshire from 21st to 29th September, with Harrogate as the central hub.

The event kicks off with para-cycling road races on the first Saturday, and a mixed team time trial the next day. The final weekend sees the elite women race from Bradford to Harrogate via Nidderdale on Saturday, and the elite men take on a course from Leeds through the Yorkshire Dales to Harrogate on Sunday.

See the full UCI 2019 race programme.

Harrogate Welcomes the World

There's to be a cultural programme, as part of 'Harrogate Welcomes the World'.

Visit Harrogate describes it as 'a year of installations and events to celebrate Harrogate's place at the centre of the 2019 World Championships'.

The events should include film events, music festivals, food festivals, and carnivals.

There's to be live theatre, including an evening with Bradley Wiggins at the Royal Hall on Monday 23rd September 2019.

UCI 2019 Harrogate circuit

The UCI 2019 Harrogate circuit will be used extensively during the Championships.

It will be the course for the mixed team time trial on the opening Sunday, and it'll feature in various other races during the week. The climax of the Championships is the final weekend, when the women's and men's road races take place. They both do several laps of the Harrogate circuit after the main routes.

The start-finish line is on West Park, outside the United Reform church. The circuit takes the riders out to Beckwithshaw, back via Penny Pot Lane, along two sides of the Valley Gardens, and through the Duchy estate. It brings them to the Ripon Road, and after a little detour down Swan Road to the Royal Pump Rooms, they head up Parliament Street to West Park and the start-finish line.

The Harrogate circuit will be one of the main places to the events.

Cycle Expo Yorkshire

Cycle Expo Yorkshire will take place on Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September 2019 at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground.

Many of the 5,000 people taking part in the official sportive are likely to attend, as parking at the Showground for the sportive (£10) includes family entry (2 adults & 2 children) to the Cycle Expo on Saturday and Sunday.

Cycle Expo Yorkshire is described as 'the UK's most interactive cycle show'.

Road closures

The roads will generally be open in the mornings. There are to be rolling road closures during the day to facilitate the races, but in the main they will be over by 4.30pm.

More details to follow.

UCI 2019 official sportive

UCI 2019 World Championships Yorkshire

On Sunday 22nd September 2019 there's an (open road) official UCI sportive, starting and finishing in Harrogate. It is open to 5,000 people (and maybe more places will be made available).

There are 3 routes - 72km, 98km, and 145km. From the map, it looks as though it finishes at the Yorkshire Showground (also where Cycle Expo takes place).

Read about the UCI 2019 official sportive.