In a big announcement at the 192nd UCI Congress in Glasgow on August 3, 2023, Cycling South Africa got the green light to organize the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in 2028. This exciting event will take place in Cape Town, giving the city a chance to shine on the global stage.
The UCI Congress was a big deal, with people from 151 different countries coming together. They talked about lots of things, and one of the coolest things was when they told us where the next 14 UCI World Championships will happen. Cape Town was chosen as one of those places, which is a pretty big deal.
The Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships is like the Olympics for biking. It’s a mix of different kinds of races that test bikers in different ways. It’s not just about being strong – it’s about being brave, disciplined, and really loving biking. People from all over the world love to compete in these races, and South Africa is super excited to be the host.
Qondisa Ngwenya, the President of Cycling South Africa, said, “We are very excited to have succeeded in our bid to host the UCI Marathon World Championships in 2028. Mountain biking has become a very strong discipline in South Africa, not only as a sport, but also as a recreational activity. The Western Cape is big mountain biking region is South Africa and hosts many of our country’s biggest events and is a favourite cycling tourism destination for international visitors.”
Minister Anroux Marais, added, “Large cycling events like the Cape Town Cycle Tour and the Cape Epic continue to be very popular and the addition of the UCI World Championships will boost cycling even more in the province.”
Cycling South Africa wants to say thanks to the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Government, Sport SA (SASCOC), and the Department of Sport, Art, and Culture. These guys were a big help in making this happen and growing mountain biking not just in the Western Cape, but all over South Africa.
This project will be led by the business division of Cycling South Africa, with a tender process to appoint commercial partners and an event organizer, to follow over the next 6 months.
Cape Town has already hosted some other international sports events like the Netball World Cup, Formula E, Women’s Ice Hockey Championship, and the T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Now, they’re getting ready to welcome the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in 2028, and it’s going to be a really big deal for mountain biking fans and the city alike.
