It will provide the stage for some of the world’s best riders as the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships come to Scotland this year. 

The event will see the 13 existing UCI World Championships combined for the first time to create one mega event, creating the single biggest cycling event in history and one of the largest events ever hosted north of the Border.

However, with less than six months to go, organisers have found themselves addressing concerns over potholes and the potential dangers the condition of some of the nation’s roads could pose to the safety of competitors, reports our sister title The Herald. 

READ MORE: Glasgow residents to be charged £50 to have garden waste collected

An estimated 8000 elite and amateur cyclists from more than 120 countries will be competing over 11 days of competition at cycling centres, arenas and other locations across the country, including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, Glentress Forest in the Tweed Valley, Fort William, and the Glasgow BMX Centre, Scotland’s only World and Olympic standard BMX Racing track. 

The event, which starts on August 3, is also predicted to bring in an estimated £67 million to the Scottish economy.

READ MORE: New community hub with sports facilities and a library to be created

A Glasgow cyclist has issued a call to David Lappartient, president of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), to ensure the roads being used for the event are repaired, amid fears a failure to do so could see the showpiece event “remembered for all the wrong reasons”.

Liam McReanan took to Twitter to share photos of a section of road that is set to be used by cyclists in the Elite Men’s Race, which will cover a route of more than 170 miles from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and the Women’s Elite Race, which will set off from Loch Lomond and head to Glasgow on a 97-mile route.

The road is the B822 Lennoxtown to Fintry road, known locally as the Crow Road, which climbs up the side of the Campsie Fells, a favourite with cyclists from Glasgow and the surrounding areas. 

The tweet read: “UK has some of the worst roads in western Europe. The roads around Glasgow some of the worst in UK. 

“These roads have been like this for years, decades. Kilometre after kilometre, the whole course is like this. Very dangerous in a peloton [the main group or pack of riders in a road bike race]. Is there enough time/money to fix them?”

Speaking to our sister title The Herald about his concerns, Mr McReanan said: “The UCI Cycling World Championships is, in theory, a great thing for Glasgow and the surrounding area. But cyclists and drivers will know what local councils are like when it comes to road maintenance, so any promise made by them to fix these legacy repairs has to be taken with a pinch of salt. 

“If a peloton goes down those roads, 150 riders strong, and they haven’t been fixed, or have been repaired in the same old sub-standard way, then it’s an accident waiting to happen.”

READ MORE: Petition launched to have CCTV installed in East End due to 'criminal' behaviour

After approaching event organiser UCI about Mr McReanan’s concerns, a spokesman for the world governing body confirmed it has contacted the Local Organising Committee and informed it of the topic “since the race organiser is responsible for ensuring safe conditions at their event and for following the UCI regulations, notably when designing the road race course and by making teams and riders aware of any potential dangers along the route”.

“Please know that the safety of cyclists is an absolute priority for the UCI and we work with all stakeholders of professional road cycling towards the common objective of delivering safe race conditions”, the UCI spokesman added.

With the Men and Women Elite Race taking place on roads in a number of different council jurisdictions, The Herald approached each in turn to ask which, if any, preparations were in place to ensure local roads being used for the events will be in the necessary condition to do so.

A Falkirk Council spokesman said: “The council has held a number of meetings, and will continue to do so,  with the UCI to discuss the cycle route through the authority and these meetings include traffic management, logistics as well as road conditions. 

“Falkirk Council and UCI will carry out a joint condition assessment to ensure the race route meets the required standards.” 

A Stirling Council spokesman said: “We are working alongside the organisers to ensure the conditions of the routes chosen are appropriate for the events.”

Ann Davie, depute chief executive of East Dunbartonshire Council, said, “We have conducted an initial route audit and are in regular discussion with the UCI World Cycling Championship event organisers. 

“A further route audit will be conducted in advance of the event to address any issues that are identified.”

Councillor Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener for Edinburgh City Council, said: “Edinburgh has a lot of experience hosting events similar to the 2023 UCI World Cycling Championships. 

“Once the route in Edinburgh is finalised our events and road operations teams will work together to ensure roads being used for this event will be in a suitable condition.”