UCI Cycling World Championships 2023: All Glasgow race routes and road closures

If you're in Glasgow throughout August, here’s what to expect with the arrival of the UCI Cycling World Championships.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will see George Square take centre stage as the finish line for road races. Image: Lewis McKenzie/PA Wire.

The inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships has kicked off with events running until August 13.

The Cycling World Championships will take place across the country, from the Highlands to the Borders, with Glasgow at the epicentre.

The city itself will be turned into a racetrack for the Road World Championships, with venues including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Glasgow BMX Centre hosting their fair share of excitement. George Square will turn into a dedicated fan zone, holding race finishes and medal ceremonies alongside a number of musical performances from local talent.

Whether you’re looking to spectate or plan around the bikes, here’s everything you need to know about the UCI Cycling World Championship Glasgow routes and road closures.

UCI Cycling World Championships road routes

The Road Race will see the world’s best cyclists pitted against one another to win the famous World Champion jerseys, with riders travelling across Scotland to end their races in Glasgow.

Elite challengers will race from Edinburgh or Loch Lomond with the routes finishing in a circuit of Glasgow city centre. The shorter Junior races will take place solely on the Glasgow circuit, while the Road Para-cycling Championships will follow a slightly different route around town.

They have one thing in common however, and that is the finish line at George Square which will also be the event's official fan zone.

With so many Cycling World Championships routes ending in Glasgow, we have the details of each route which will travel through the city.

Elite Road Race routes

The Glasgow circuit will be the beginning of the end for elite men and women’s cyclists taking part in the Cycling World Championships.

The groups will undertake two drastically different routes, with the men’s elite cyclists starting their race in Edinburgh and covering 271.1km from the capital to Glasgow on Sunday August 6.

They will journey through towns from South Queensferry to Bearsden, before reaching the city centre to complete ten laps of the 14.3km Glasgow circuit.

The UCI Cycling World Championship Men Elite Road Race route

Cyclists will join the Glasgow circuit from Byres Road, following the route through Hillhead, Kelvingrove and the city centre.

The women’s elite race will see cyclists race from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond through Fintry and the Crow Road – a summit the men’s group must also overcome – before reaching the Glasgow circuit to complete six laps.

The women’s elite road race, which will include women under 23, will take place on Sunday August 13 and cover a distance of 154.1km, while the men’s elite road race will take place on Sunday August 13.

The UCI Cycling World Championship Women Elite Road Race route

Both races will finish in George Square.

Members of the Belgian national team previewed the Glasgow route earlier this year, concluding that the circuit was highly technical with changes in road textures and around 42 corners.

Junior Road Race routes

Unlike their elite counterparts, the men and women’s junior road races will cover the same route – the Glasgow Circuit.

Ahead of the Men Elite race, the Junior competitions will take place on Saturday August 5.

The UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 Glasgow city circuit.

Both groups will begin the race at George Square, with the men’s road race covering 127.2km, or 9 laps, while the women’s will cover 70.0km across 5 laps.

UCI Road World Championships Relay routes

Team Time Trial Mixed Relay

Squads of six, three women and three men, will race through Glasgow city centre on Tuesday August 8. The first group, the men, will start the race completing their lap as quickly as possible, with the women beginning their section once the second man has reached them. Once the second woman has crossed the finish line the team will have their time.

The route they will follow is the Glasgow city centre circuit – just as the elite groups will for the road races – but with a few differences.

UCI Cycling World Championships Time Trial Mixed Relay Glasgow route

The mixed relay will begin at Argyle Street, taking cyclists through Kelvingrove, Kelvinside, and Hillhead.

The route diverges from the road race, with cyclists moving down Gallowgate instead of along Bell Street to head through Glasgow Green and along the River Clyde before rejoining the main circuit and finishing the race in George Square.

Para-cycling Team Relay route

Following a shorter route, teams of three hand cyclists will race the circuit one at a time to cover 9 laps.

The route begins and ends at George Square, with para-cyclists passing roads such as Argyle Street, Buchanan Street and St Vincent Place.

UCI Cycling World Championships Para-Cycling Team Relay route.

The team relay will take place on Sunday August 13 – the same day as the Women Elite Road Race, which will close out the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships.

Cycling World Championship Glasgow road closures

While there will be plenty of excitement surrounding these events, the presence of the Cycling World Championships in Glasgow will have another consequence for locals and tourists.

There will be significant disruption to city centre traffic throughout the August event, with roads such as Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street, and St Vincent Street closing to accommodate races.

Closures will begin from 00.01am on Friday August 4 until 23.59pm on Tuesday August 8 and then again from 00.01am on Saturday August 12 until 23.59pm on Sunday August 13.

Here are all the roads which will be closed during the UCI World Cycling Championships in Glasgow.

Glasgow Cycling World Championships: Road race closures

Road closures will be in place from 00.01am on Friday August 4 until 23.59pm on Tuesday August 8, and from 00.01am on Saturday August 12 until 23.59pm on Sunday August 13.

The road closures which will affect Glasgow city centre during the UCI Cycling World Championships Road Race.

Here is every road which will be closed for the Cycling World Championships from August 4-8 and August 12-13:

Glasgow City Centre East road closures

• Bath Street
• West George Street
• North Hanover Street
• St Vincent Place
• Renfield Street
• Argyle Street
• Queen Street
• Ingram Street
• South Frederick Street
• Bell Street
• Albion Street
• Shuttle Street
• George Street
• Montrose Street
• Cathedral Street
• Collins Street
• Rottenrow
• High Street

Glasgow City Centre West road closures

• Woodlands Road
• Sauchiehall Street
• Bath Street
• West Campbell Street
• St Vincent Street
• Renfield Street
• Gordon Street
• Buchanan Street
• Argyle Street
• Queen Street
• Ingram Street
• West Nile Street
• Cathedral Street
• Bath Street
• West Regent Street
• Wellington Street
• West George Street

Glasgow Hillhead road closures

• Great George Street
• Hillhead Street
• University Avenue
• Byres Road
• Gibson Street
• Kelvin Way

Glasgow Kelvingrove road closures

• Sauchiehall Street
• Woodlands Road
• Lyndoch Street
• Park Circus
• Kelvin Way

UCI Cycling World Championships: Mixed Team Time Trial Relay road closures

Road closures will be in place from 00.01am on Friday August 4 until 23.59pm on Tuesday August 8.

The road closures which will affect Glasgow city centre during the UCI Cycling World Championships Mixed Team Time Trial.

Below is each road which will be closed from August 4-8 for the Glasgow Cycling World Championships:

Glasgow City Centre East road closures

• Bath Street
• West George Street
• Renfield Street
• St Vincent Place
• Argyle Street
• North Hanover Street
• Saltmarket
• Bell Street
• Albion Street
• Ingram Street
• Shuttle Street
• George Street
• Montrose Street
• Cathedral Street
• Collins Street
• Rottenrow
• High Street
• Gallowgate

Glasgow City Centre West road closures

• Woodlands Road
• Sauchiehall Street
• Bath Street
• West Campbell Street
• St Vincent Street
• Renfield Street
• Gordon Street
• Buchanan Street
• Argyle Street
• West Nile Street
• Cathedral Street
• West Regent Street
• Wellington Street
• West George Street

Glasgow Green road closures

• Argyle Street
• Saltmarket
• Gallowgate
• Moir Street
• London Road
• Greendyke Street
• West Carriageway
• Templeton Street
• A728

Glasgow Hillhead road closures

• Great George Street
• Byres Road
• Hillhead Street
• University Avenue
• Kelvin Way
• Gibson Street

Glasgow Kelvingrove road closures

• Sauchiehall Street
• Woodlands Road
• Lyndoch Street
• Park Circus
• Kelvin Way
• Kelvinside road closures
• Cleveden Road
• Great Western Road
• Byres Road

Glasgow bus diversions

Due to the road closures in Glasgow, there will also be changes to bus routes.

First Glasgow have confirmed the details of diversions during the event and much like other road users, bus passengers should expect disruption from Friday August 4 to Tuesday August 8 and then again on Saturday August 12 and Sunday August 13.

The following First Bus routes will be impacted during this time: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 6A, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 9A, 10, 18, 19, 21, 38, 38A, 38B, 38C, 38E, 41, 57, 57A, 60, 60A, 61, 75, 77, 90, 240, 255, 263, 267, 500 (Glasgow Airport Express), X3, X8, X11, X85, and X87.Passengers are encouraged to visit the First Bus website and plan ahead.