The Cyclocross World Cup is coming to Dublin in December when the Sport Ireland Campus will host the 9th of 14 rounds of the Championships 2022-23 season.
The sport has been described as like cross country running on wheels and uses the natural as well as elements of a built environment to create a track that is exciting and very watchable.
The season kicks off in Waterloo in the United States on October 9th and the Dublin event will take place following a swing through the Netherlands and Belgium which has been the traditional European home of the event.
This is the first time the event is being staged in Ireland and follows on from the delayed hosting of the European Cross Country Championships at the Campus last December.
That event was deemed a great success with TV coverage beamed around the world and thousands of existing and new fans flocking to the venue.
Now the UCI has confirmed that the wheeled version will come to Dublin on December 11th. It had been expected that London would fill the gap in the schedule
“We’re very proud to add Dublin this season”, said event organiser Flanders Classics CEO Tomas Van Den Spiegel.
“We’ll be racing in a true Irish environment. That will give the Dublin round its own identity, just like we’ve seen for the Val di Sole and Flamanville races in the 2021-2022 season. December will be very exciting, because one week before heading to Dublin we’ll be racing in Antwerp, after postponing the race last year. And one week later the second edition of the Val di Sole round is on the agenda.”
“We hope to be able to establish a long-term relationship here and in the meantime we will continue the work to add London to the schedule for the 2023-24 season.”
“Sport Ireland is thrilled to host this prestigious event on the Sport Ireland Campus,” added CEO Dr Una May.
“The staging of a major international cycling event is another milestone for the Sport Ireland Campus, which has played host to major events across a wide range of sports to great success.”
“Cyclocross is a discipline that is experiencing rapid growth globally. Sport Ireland extends it thanks to the UCI & Flanders Classics for choosing the Sport Ireland Campus to host this event.”
“The hosting of the Cyclocross World Cup event in Ireland not only will bring significant sporting benefits but also has significant potential from a tourism perspective with large crowds travelling to cyclocross events right across Europe.”
“Sport Ireland will be working closely with Government and tourism partners to ensure that this event is used to showcase the very best of what Ireland has to offer. We look forward to welcoming the Cyclocross Family in December.”
“Cyclocross is growing in popularity and lends itself nicely to the natural environment in Ireland, especially in the winter months,” said Cycling Ireland CEO Matt McKerrow.
“With off-road versions of the sport more popular than ever, it will be a great spectacle for cycling enthusiasts and newcomers to the sport to experience.”
“There’ll even be some participation races around the main events for everyone to give it a try. We’d like to thank Flanders Classics and the Sport Ireland Campus for making a Dublin round of the series a possibility.”
