Reigning UCI World Champions, Olympic Champions and Paralympic gold medallists crowned in Paris – the top stars will be at the start line in Zurich, Switzerland for the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships, which are being held jointly for the first time. In the fan zones, the epic duels and numerous side events can be experienced up close and, thanks to accessibility, inclusively. Various exhibitors are planning exciting hands-on activities. The official website zurich2024.com is in UCI World Championships mode and provides cycling fans with all the information they need at the click of a mouse.
Following the selections by the National Federations, the entry lists or the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships read like a “Who’s Who” of international cycling.
Mathieu Van der Poel (NED), Remco Evenepoel (BEL) and Tadej Pogacar (SLO) in the men’s races and Lotte Kopecky (BEL), Demi Vollering (NED) and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) in the women’s races are among the favourites in the time trials and road races for able-bodied athletes.
In para-cycling, the four divisions of B (tandem), T (tricycle), C (cycling) and H (handbike) will also see numerous top riders such as Mitch Valize (NED, MH5), Emma Lund (DEN, WT2), Heïdi Gaugain (FRA, WC5) and the duo Sophie Unwin / Jenny Hall (GBR, WB) battle it out for the coveted rainbow jerseys, gold medals and UCI World Championship titles.
Swiss among the favourites
Various Swiss riders, such as UCI World Championships ambassador Stefan Küng, have a chance of winning a medal. Marc Hirschi and Mauro Schmid can also be counted among the favourites. The Swiss hopes in women’s racing suffered a setback with the forfait of UCI World Championships ambassador Marlen Reusser due to ill health.
In para-cycling, multiple UCI World Champion and UCI World Championships ambassador Flurina Rigling (WC2), Celine van Till (WT2) and Franziska Matile Dörig (WC4) are among the favourites following their medal wins at the Paralympics in Paris.
Fabian Recher (MH4), another of the event’s ambassadors, is a medal contender in the men’s event, too. He is particularly looking forward to Zurich 2024, as he says in the official video clip: “The UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships at home are something special for me because we are included for the first time. I hope that this will serve as a model for the future.”
“Zurich 2024 will make sporting history,” emphasises Daniel Rupf, General Manager of the Zurich 2024 Local Organising Committee. “The first fully inclusive UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships will make cycling a global pioneer. We are proud to be able to offer the participants and spectators unforgettable and accessible UCI Worlds and would like to thank all of our partners for making this possible.”
Side events: concerts, exhibitors, talks, a film festival and bicycle acrobatics
Fans and other visitors can look forward to direct broadcasts of the races on large screens in the fan zones and at the hotspots, exciting talks with various personalities, the Bicycle Film Festival and cycling acrobatics. The Zurich 2024 ambassador Ritschi, singer from the Swiss cult group Plüsch, Remo Forrer, Tabula Musica and, to kick things off on 21 September, Crimer will entertain the audience on Sechseläutenplatz. The UCI World Champions of the various non-para and para races will also be honoured and celebrated there daily with their gold medals and rainbow jerseys.
At the Velo Expo on Bürkliplatz, the official sponsors of the event, host broadcaster SRF and other exhibitors will be present with exciting activities. There will also be interesting information about cycling: ETH Zurich, Institutional Partner of Zurich 2024, will be demonstrating at its stand how cycling improves quality of life, and how technology can support people with disabilities in sport and everyday life. Numerous exhibitors, including representatives of tourism regions, will be in the fan zone on General-Guisan-Quai. The next two UCI Road World Championships, in Kigali, Rwanda, 2025 and Montreal, Canada, 2026, will also be represented.
Tickets also available at the box office
Tickets for the attractive supporting programme on Sechseläutenplatz can be purchased online or at the box office – including a drinks voucher for the Tibits Food Court and ZVV integration on the day of the event. Tickets for the second race weekend are limited.
Zurich2024.com in UCI World Championships mode – first worldwide TV broadcast of all para-cycling races
Everything fans need to know to make sure they don’t miss any of the highlights of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships will be available at www.zurich2024.com. The official website of the event has been optimised and boasts numerous new features. The races will be bundled in the Live Race Centre with a wealth of additional information so that fans on site and around the world can follow the 53 non-para and para races online on their preferred devices.
The Swiss company livemotion will be responsible for the live TV production of the more than 40 para-cycling races on behalf of the Zurich 2024 Local Organising Committee. The para-cycling races will be streamed live for the first time worldwide via various platforms. In particular via the EBU Digital Sports platform, which can also be accessed via www.zurich2024.com.
Downloads:
Overview Fanzones and Hotspots
Plans Fanzones Sechseläutenplatz, Bürkliplatz, Münsterhof and General Guisan Quai
