2022 UCI Road World Championships head back to Australia

The 2022 UCI Road World Championships have been awarded to the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, in Australia.

It will be the second time that Australia has hosted the event, following Geelong and Melbourne in 2010, which also marked the first time they had been held in the Oceania region.

The host city, which has a population of 290,000, is located some 100 kilometres south west of Sydney and at the foot of Mount Keira on the south coast of New South Wales.

The announcement means that the host regions for the next five editions have now been identified – although the actual host cities for the 2020 and 2024 events, both of which will be held in Switzerland, are yet to be confirmed.

2019 UCI Road World Championships: Yorkshire (Great Britain)

2020 UCI Road World Championships: Cantons of Vaud and Valais* (Switzerland)

2021 UCI Road World Championships: Flanders region (Belgium)

2022 UCI Road World Championships: Wollongong (Australia)

2024 UCI Road World Championships: German-speaking region of Switzerland*.

UCI President David Lappartient said: “In 2022, our leading annual event will again take place outside Europe after five editions organised on the continent.

“This is particularly pleasing as it shows that our UCI Road World Championships have become truly universal, not only as far as participation goes, but also when it comes to their location. This global trend will be further strengthened when they are held in Africa in 2025.

“When the 2023 UCI Worlds for road cycling – which for the first time will bring together multiple disciplines – are awarded, in principle by the next Management Committee meeting at the latest, we will know where all our UCI Road World Championships will be taking place during the 2020-2024 Olympic cycle.

“This will enable optimal planning by National Federations and their riders for these important fixtures.”

He added: “I am confident that Wollongong will organise a very high-quality event, in a region which has become known as true cycling territory.”