Following a visit to Glasgow, the International Cycling Union (UCI) expressed their confidence in the Games and their delight with the preparations for the Glasgow 2014 Cycling competitions.
Cycling is extremely popular with athletes and spectators throughout the Commonwealth and the Glasgow 2014 programme involves the disciplines of Mountain Bike, Road and Track, promising an exciting mix of speed, strength, endurance and tactics in this adrenaline-packed sport.
Colin Clews, Technical Delegate from the International Cycling Union, met with Glasgow 2014 and visited the venue locations that will host the Cycling competitions in just under three years time, including:
• The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in the city’s east end, which will host Track Cycling in 2014. The venue is 63% complete and named in honour of Scotland’s most successful gold medal winning Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion.
• Cathkin Braes in the south side of the city, which will be Glasgow’s first international standard Mountain Biking course. Work is expected to start at Cathkin Braes in spring next year and the hills and open spaces surrounding the venue will provide spectators with a wonderful setting for exciting competition amidst natural scenery.
• The potential course options for the Road Cycling and Time Trial that will provide an ideal opportunity to show case the city and will allow spectators to watch some of the fastest cyclists in the world.
Colin Clews, Cycling Technical Delegate said:
"This visit to Glasgow and the opportunity to meet with the Organising Committee has been incredibly worthwhile and it’s encouraging to see the levels of progress at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which will be a spectacular venue for the Cycling in 2014. We have discussed options for the start and finish for the Road Cycling events and it was extremely pleasing to see the detailed design work for Mountain Bike at Cathkin Braes.
"The venue locations for all the Cycling disciplines are in close proximity to both the Commonwealth Games Village and Glasgow city centre, a valuable and fantastic quality that Glasgow 2014 has to offer. In my opinion, Glasgow 2014 has the potential to be the best Commonwealth Games ever staged."
Craig Burn, Chief Executive Scottish Cycling said:
"I was delighted to have been personally involved in the visit and to have had such a positive dialogue with Colin and our delivery partners over a wide range of cycling matters. The progress made to date in relation to planning, course development and logistical arrangements is testament to the hard work and quality of those involved. Having these fantastic facilities on our door step is something which our athletes and coaches are truly looking forward to.
"We really are well on the way to delivering a world class event that will undoubtedly be a catalyst for us to get more people cycling and inspire future generations to take up our sport."
Greg Warnecke, Head of Sport at Glasgow 2014 said:
"We are thrilled to receive such high praise following the visit. Welcoming our International Federation delegates and sporting partners to Glasgow is an important part of our continued Games planning.
"This visit from the International Cycling Union gave us great insight into the level of detail and different elements required in one of our 17 Games sports - with venue requirements all being very different across the three Cycling disciplines.
"Scottish Cycling and a number of our Games stakeholders were also involved in the visit. We continue to demonstrate to our International Federations that as a partnership, Glasgow 2014 is advanced in its planning to stage an outstanding athlete centred and sport focused Games."
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games said:
"I’m delighted that the delegates are as excited with the progress being made at our venues as we are.
"We are creating fantastic sporting venues for both Glasgow and Scotland; world-class facilities that will become assets for the community.
"Beyond the Games, Glasgow’s cycling venues will be a huge draw in a growing sport which has the potential to make a massive contribution to improving health and fitness in the city."
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman Commonwealth Games Scotland said:
"Team Scotland has a fabulous track record of success in cycling at Commonwealth Games and all our cyclists are hugely excited about the new state of the art facilities that are being built for the Games and already making an impact on the East end skyline.
"From Sir Chris Hoy and David Millar who hope to compete in Glasgow at the culmination of their careers, to the up and coming young talent like John Paul and Callum Skinner on the track and Grant Sheldon in mountain biking, we know we are going to give the Scottish public a lot to cheer about."
Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport Shona Robison said:
"The Chris Hoy Velodrome is set to be a truly world class facility, as well as this, Scotland is already known for having some of the world’s best terrain for cycling. This is certain to ensure that the sport will be one of the major attractions at the forthcoming Games.
"I am extremely pleased that the visiting delegation are so encouraged by the progress that they have seen to date. Glasgow 2014 is set to be a sporting spectacular that will showcase the best that both Glasgow and Scotland have to offer. Not only that, I am sure that an excellent performance by our cyclists will encourage and inspire those watching to take to their bikes and enjoy the many benefits the sport can bring."
For more information, contact: matthew.williams@glasgow2014.com
As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.
These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.
Your complete source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
