Imola chosen to host UCI Road Cycling World Championships later this month

Imola in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region has been chosen to replace Aigle-Martigny in Switzerland as the venue for next month’s UCI road world championships, with the motor racing circuit hosting a slimmed-down programme that will feature men’s and women’s elite road races and time trials.

Last month, Aigle-Martigny – the former being the town where world cycling’s governing body has its headquarters – was forced to withdraw as hosts due to coronavirus restrictions imposed by the Swiss federal government.

Since then, the UCI has been looking for a replacement venue, with three locations in Italy – Imola, Tuscany and Abruzzo making the shortlist, alongside France’s Haute Saone department.

Located some 40 kilometres from Bologna, Imola, which was the venue of the world championships in 1968, has been selected specifically because its Enzo & Dino Ferrari motor racing circuit was deemed to offer the greatest protection against coronavirus for team staff, rider and fans.

The venue, which hosted the San Marino Grand Prix from 1986-2001 – Formula 1 racing will return there in November with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – has a 1,000-capacity press centre, separate garages enabling national teams to have their own space, grandstands that allow social distancing and sufficient hotel capacity in the area.

The women’s and men’s time trials will take place on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September, respectively, with the women’s road race on Saturday 27 and the men’s road race on Sunday 28 September.

As far as the routes are concerned, the UCI said in a press release:

Although the start and finish of all the events will take place on the Imola automobile racing circuit, the routes proposed by the organising committee stand out due to their extremely challenging character: the men’s road race will be 259.2km with a total of nearly 5000m of climbing, while the length of the women’s race will be 144km with a cumulated 2750m of ascension. The circuit (28.8km) will be the same for the men (9 laps) and women (5 laps) and will include two difficult climbs (3km in total with an average gradient of 10% and sections reaching 14%). These characteristics will offer the riders a profile comparable to that of Aigle-Martigny (Switzerland) which will suit the punchers and climbers and should produce exciting and lively races.

The time trial circuit (to be covered once by both men and women), fairly flat, will measure 32km with 200m altitude difference, suiting the strongest specialists of the race against the clock.

UCI president David Lappartient said: “I congratulate the Imola organising committee for the excellent quality of its bidding file which it succeeded in producing in a short lapse of time. I would also like to thank the three other candidates Peccioli (Italy), Alba Adriatica (Italy) and the Haute-Saône (France) who also sent solid files to the UCI.

“It was not an easy choice, but it goes to show that even in this difficult period that we are going through, the UCI World Championships are still very attractive for cities and their regions.

“Although the award of the 2020 UCI Road World Championships to Imola is excellent news, my thoughts also go to the Aigle-Martigny organising committee whom I sincerely thank for its commitment and the quality of our collaboration over the last two years.

“The award of the UCI Road World Championships in Italy this year is of great symbolic value for the UCI: in a country that suffered enormously from the Covid-19 pandemic but was able to confront it effectively and with courage, the staging of our leading annual event will, in its own way, be a sign of a return to normal in a region where the health situation is now under control.

“I am convinced that the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola will allow us all, despite the difficult current situation, to witness a great sporting festival,” he added.

“I invite you all to follow this event in Italy, true cycling territory, on one of the most challenging circuits in the history of the UCI Road World Championships. I look forward to watching these races which promise to be magnificent.”