The week-long festival of cycling will encompass more than 1000 of the world’s best cyclists racing across Under 19, Under 23 and Elite categories for the coveted rainbow jerseys in the individual time trial, road race and mixed team relay.
State Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres confirmed that the World Championships will serve as the NSW government’s third international event in the “10 World Cups in 10 Years” strategy.
“The eyes of the world will be on Wollongong for eight days in 2022, with an international viewing audience of 200 million people, more than 300,000 spectators and 500 media outlets staying in the region,” Mr Ayres said.
“More than one thousand competitors from more than 50 countries will compete and the event is expected to deliver $94 million to the NSW visitor economy.
The World Championships will showcase the scenery of the region and challenge the competitors to take home the world title.
It will be the second time Australia has hosted a Road World Championships, with the 2010 event in Geelong attracting more than 300,000 spectators and 500 international media.
“Hosting the 2022 Road Worlds in Australia is a coup for the country and for our sport," said Steve Drake, Managing Director and CEO, Cycling Australia.
“We look forward to a fantastic event in Wollongong that will showcase the best road cyclists from around the world and we are confident the event will attract interest across the country and inspire the next generation of Australian cyclists to ride their bikes for both sport and recreation.
“I’d like to thank all of the parties who helped make this a reality: The NSW State Government, Wollongong Council, The NSW Office of Sport, Destination NSW, Cycling NSW and our own General Manager Sport, Kipp Kaufmann who led this project within Cycling Australia.
“This is a tremendous outcome for New South Wales, Wollongong and cycling in Australia.”
The UCI World Championships are annual elite cycling events owned and promoted by the peak global body for cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The winners in each event wear the coveted ‘rainbow’ jersey in their particular discipline for the next twelve months.
