It’s official: the World Cycling Championships will be organized in 2027 in Haute-Savoie. The announcement was made this Thursday around 8:45 a.m. (French time) during the Congress of the International Cycling Union in Australia, where the Road World Championships are also taking place this week. The candidacy of the Netherlands was ultimately not retained, and that of Haute-Savoie won. The case of the Netherlands was still under study, as we were still assured this Wednesday, September 21 by the national and international cycling authorities.
19 World Championships played at the same time
Those are “great world championships” which await Haute-Savoie in 2027, because everything will be multiplied by 19. There will be 19 World Championships contested at the same time on the same territory in the space of eleven days, i.e. around 5,000 elite runnersaccording to the president of the French Cycling Federation, Michel Callot, not counting the participants in the mass events, i.e. nearly 10,000 participants in total.
The majority of the events would take place on existing sites, road and mountain bike in particular. The heaviest and most contested investment lies in the construction of a velodrome, the cost, location and post-world use of which remain unknown.
2027 will offer an exceptional showcase for cycling – Michel Callot, President of the French Cycling Federation
This decision of the Championships in France is a source of great pride for Michel Callot, the President of the French Cycling Federation. “We are committed to ensuring that 2027 offers an exceptional showcase for international cycling, for cycling supported by the UCI. This event will be the envy of other sports, it will allow us to promote cycling around the world and in France in particular..”
Savoie and Haute-Savoie, lands of cycling
The Pays de Savoie have already hosted the World Road Cycling Championships three times: twice in Sallanches (Haute-Savoie) in 1964 and 1980, when Bernard Hinault triumphed in the Domancy coast, and once in Chambéry (Savoie) in 1989 where the duel Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon once again turned to the American’s advantage on the Montagnole hill. Haute-Savoie has also hosted the MTB World Championships in Les Gets twice, the second World Championships were held there last August.
– International Cycling Union