British Cycling has been awarded the 2016 Track World Championships to be staged at the London velodrome.
The decision, made by the UCI management committee in Florence, Italy, means many of Britain’s track cyclists will have the chance to compete at a venue where they enjoyed amazing success winning nine Olympic medals in 2012. The 2016 Track Cycling World Championships will take place between 24 and 28 February.
Forming part of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series which aims to bring 70 world class events to this country by 2019, the Track Championships will also be a great opportunity for the public to show their support for Great Britain’s cyclists in the final stage of the Olympic qualification process for Rio 2016.
For the National Lottery funded British Cycling athletes the event will be the final milestone on the countdown to the Rio Olympics, providing an inspirational send off for the British riders as well as a morale boosting opportunity to perform in front of a home crowd.
The process to bring the UCI Track Cycling World Championships to London began in 2012 in the run up to the Olympic Games and has involved a partnership between British Cycling, UK Sport, London Legacy Development Corporation, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, London & Partners and the Mayor of London.
Speaking at the time of the announcement, British Cycling’s Chief Executive, Ian Drake, said:
“Winning the bid to host the final Track Cycling World Championships of the next Olympic cycle is important strategically for us, it’s good for the current generation of athletes, but it’s also an important tool for inspiring the next generation who will follow in their footsteps.
“The events we’ve delivered over the last decade in the UK have rightly been regarded as world class but the delivery of a World Championships in this iconic venue will be the biggest task we’ve taken on to date.”
Minister for Sport, Hugh Robertson, said:
“This is another great coup for British sport and a real legacy from London 2012. The capital’s velodrome is a stunning, world-leading venue and I am sure the 2016 Track World Championships will have capacity crowds supporting our best cyclists ahead of the Rio Games. UK Sport’s Gold Event Series is helping to cement this country’s reputation as a leading destination to host the biggest events in world sport.”
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said:
“This is absolutely fantastic news for London, marking the arrival of yet another thrilling world class sporting fixture to our city. These prestigious championships will be centred around our stunning Olympic velodrome, a remarkable venue that saw such awe-inspiring performances from British cyclists last summer. Interest in cycling is rocketing in this city and I’ve no doubt London’s 2016 Track World Championships help will propel this even further.”
The World Championships in 2016 will take place in the velodrome at Lee Valley Velo Park, currently undergoing transformation in preparation for its handover from the London Legacy Development Corporation to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority who will be responsible for the long term management of the facility for the people of London. The Track World Championships forms part of a much wider calendar of sport in the capital that build on the legacy of the 2012 Games throughout the next Olympic cycle.
