The start of the Men's Under 19 race from the 2023 edition of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Dublin - Credit: Sportsfile
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Cycling Ireland and Sport Ireland are delighted to host the second leg of the 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup
Cycling Ireland and Sport Ireland are delighted to host a leg of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup at the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown, Co. Dublin for the third consecutive year.
The World Cup will see some of the world's best cyclists come to Ireland, for what will be the second leg of this year’s series, taking place on Sunday 1st of December.
The World Cup programme will include five races run throughout the day, beginning with the Men’s Under 19, followed by the Women’s Under 19 and the Men’s Under 23. The feature races of the day will be the Women’s Elite, starting at 13:10 and the Men’s Elite at 14:40.
This year will see significant changes to the course used in 2022 and 2023. The course will be the maximum length of 3500m. The riders will face a tough course where the course designers are making maximum use of the available gradient, especially on the cross-country field.
Additional changes to the course, include the planks being places uphill which will significantly increase the challenge for the riders, and the pits and sand have both been relocated from previous years.
The second part of the course, which has attracted large crowds in previous years, remains almost unchanged, with the often decisive hills between the rugby fields. The new addition is that just before the finish, riders will be sent through “the waddy”.
Overall, the course is now more compact and spectator friendly. There are many interesting obstacles clustered around the fan zone, where spectators can again enjoy the race this year with food and drinks offerings under the public marquee, a big screen and a new partner zone.
While a full rider entry list will not be published until nearer the date, new UCI regulations state that any rider wishing to contest for the World Championship must ride in Dublin, as this becomes a protected event with no other top-level races sanctioned by the UCI this weekend.
With the 2022 edition bringing Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock in the men’s race, and Fem van Empel, Puck Pieterse and Pauline Ferrand Prevot taking to the course in the women’s race, the return of the ‘protected’ status for this year’s event will hopefully ensure another star-studded line up.
As with the previous two iterations of the event, Irish athletes will be out in force across all races on the Sunday.
Adding to the excitement of the weekend, Cycling Ireland is pleased to host domestic racing on Saturday, 30th of November. This will include youth and masters’ races taking place around the World Cup course, and a new addition for 2024, races for Under 6’s to Under 12’s, taking place on a specifically designed course.
Saturday’s racing will not only highlight some of the best of domestic Irish cycling but will also give cyclists an opportunity to get involved in Cyclo-cross and ride around the same course as some of the world’s best. Racing on Saturday is free to attend.
Quote from CEO of Cycling Ireland, James Quilligan: “We’re delighted to welcome the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup back to the Sport Ireland Campus for a third year. The past two years were very successful and attracted large crowds, so we are looking forward to the same again this year. From the world class racing, the fan zone and the participation and skills zones there will be something for all the family.
“The event creates a brilliant atmosphere on the campus and is a great opportunity for Irish riders to complete on home soil. We are looking forward to seeing plenty of Irish jerseys going around the course.
“We are delighted to host domestic racing on Saturday, 30th of November, giving some youth riders and masters riders a chance to ride around the World Cup track. It’s set to be a great weekend and we’re very much looking forward to it.”
Dr Úna May, CEO of Sport Ireland, said: “The return of UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Dublin reflects the demand for events of this scale in Ireland and the huge response from both Irish and international fans over its past two editions. This includes the large TV viewing figures across Europe, as well as the thousands who flocked to the Sport Ireland Campus.
“We look forward to working with our partners Cycling Ireland, the UCI, and Flanders Classics to host an event for all the family that’ll inspire future generations of cyclists and sportspeople across the country. It also allows us to showcase the world-class facilities of the Sport Ireland Campus and the potential to host similar scale events in line with the Government’s Major International Sports Events Policy and Strategy Framework.”
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Tickets:
Tickets for the World Cup are €20 per person and children go free.
To purchase tickets - click here
They are also available to purchase on the day for €25 per person.
Parking:
Parking on the day will be available at the M3 Parkway, with a shuttle service to and from the Sport Ireland Campus.
Parking people with health conditions or impairments is available on the Sport Ireland Campus.