SCOTLAND could be set for a huge economic boost as plans to hold the world’s largest cycling championships in the nation move forward.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s governing body for sports cycling, already holds the highly prestigious Road World Championships. Alongside the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, it forms part of cycling’s “Triple Crown”.

However, the UCI world championships due to be held in Glasgow in 2023 will be the first in a new, modernised format.

It will pull together 2600 elite cyclists from 120 countries to compete across BMX, mountain biking, road cycling, and para-cycling. As many as one million spectators could descend on the championships.

The event could bring in as much as £67 million to the Scots economy, according to reports. Around 190 new champions will be crowned across male and female events.

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The UCI’s 2022 agenda makes clear its plans keep evolving in order “to generate even greater appeal and passion”. The Glasgow championships will mark 130 years since the inaugural event was held, in 1893.

The 2023 championships’ website says: “In the first event of its kind - never seen nor cycled before - the world’s greatest riders will come together in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023 to compete at the highest level over thirteen world championships.

“There will be track, road, mountain, para-cycling, buttery BMX combos, bunny hops, crashes, climbs, insane chases, snapped chains, blood, sweat and gears, legs out of breath, lactic acid and dangerous levels of extremely tight lycra, mud, mayhem, and the toughest miles known to two wheels.”

The championships also say they hope to promote the “power” of the bike to increase sustainability, forge community ties, stimulate innovation, and improve people’s health and wellbeing.

Now Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth previously said:  ”Hosting the biggest cycling event in history is a game-changing opportunity for cycling in Scotland, allowing us to use the power of the bike to deliver transport, health and environmental benefits to communities across the country.”

The cycling event will extend beyond Glasgow, with Dumfries and Galloway having been announced as host for some of the para-cycling events in September.

Other events will take place in the city’s Kelvingrove Park and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, with several more venues still to be confirmed. Glasgow City Council is contributing £15 million towards the championships.

Winners are given a distinctive rainbow jersey, which they can wear to race until the next championships.

The championships are due to be held in August 2023, with follow-up events held in the year before every Olympic Games.