FLS to hand over Glentress site for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships prep
From 10 July Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) will begin to hand over control of Glentress to ESO for the final site dressing and preparation for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships event in August.
The handover marks the completion of the first two of three phases of a major £6 million FLS investment in the Glentress Masterplan development that has facilitated The Championships event coming to the Tweed Valley.
During the hand-over, available car parking space will gradually diminish as event vehicles and infrastructure for the event village begin to occupy the site. All car parks will be closed to visitors by 31 July.
However, the wider trail network will remain open and will be accessible from Peebles (for example, via Janet’s Brae), or via the multi-use path from Peebles, Cardrona and Innerleithen, where public car parking will still be available.
John Dougan, FLS Regional Manager (South), said;
“This hand-over marks the event build-up proper and it’s been a phenomenal effort from all involved to reach this point.
“The Glentress Masterplan has always been about upping our game, reinvigorating this amazing attraction and increasing its value to the area, including the Tweed Valley and the Scottish Borders as a whole.
“A key aspect of this has been raising the specifications of the works to national and international race standards to help bring the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships – the first of its kind – to the Tweed Valley.
“We will continue to work with our partners at ESO to ensure that the event is the best that it can possibly be for competitors, visitors and for the millions-strong television audience around the world. It’s a privilege to be able to welcome such a prestigious event to the region.
“It’s been months in coming but it will be well worth the wait.”
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will see 8000 athletes from 120 countries compete at sites across Glasgow and Scotland, with the first event in the Tweed Valley being the Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon on 6 August. Starting at Traquair House - Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited house – the gruelling 96km course wends its way through the Tweed valley forest park and finishing at Glentress.
Glentress will be home to a range of other fringe activities and attractions throughout The Championships event and will be open to all Tweed Valley residents and visitors. Full details are available online.
ESO project manager, Emma Guy, said;
“We have worked collaboratively over the last year with FLS, as well as other local stakeholders and local businesses to bring the event to fruition - it's been a real team effort.
“The next three weeks are crucial to bring the event to life and get the infrastructure in to welcome the world to the Tweed Valley.
“Showcasing not just Glentress and the Tweed Valley but the South of Scotland as a whole, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is an opportunity for us all to put the region on the world stage.
“It will see the South of Scotland acknowledged as Scotland’s leading cycling destination, as well as being a great place to play, live, visit, and invest.”
From 12 August, ESO will immediately begin the removal of event infrastructure to allow the re-opening of the car park spaces, with access beginning to return from 18 August.
After The Championships in August 2023, work will start on the phase III, which will include the construction of 56 environmentally sensitive forest holidays cabins, the construction of a new MTB skills park, removing temporary UCI event specific trails and features, and installing short skills loops of various grades to the south-west of the site.
It is anticipated that – every year - the revamped Glentress will help draw over 300,000 visitors to the area and inject around £1million into the local economy.
Notes to editors
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Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
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Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.