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DMBinS Guide To The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships - TWEED VALLEY

In just under a month, Scotland will host the biggest cycling event ever held, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. We wanted to ensure that you had all the info you needed to have the best time and get the best out of the biggest 10 days in Scottish cycling history. Here is the DMBinS team guide to the World Champs, Tweed Valley edition!

Front cover Credit Scotty Laughland and DM Bin S

We wanted to ensure that you had all the information you needed about the mountain bike championship events, and the fringe events happening in the host destinations of Fort William and Tweed Valley. We want to help you plan your time, make the most of the pretty cool fringe events, parties and shenanigans happening to celebrate this historic event and have the most awesome time.

The best party atmosphere over the whole World Champs we think, will be in the mountain bike host destinations - granted, we are biased! So please check out what's on, join us in both destinations for the biggest party ever and lets show the world that the Scottish mountain bike community knows how to have a good time!


RACING

Schedule of Racing and tickets

6th August - XC MARATHON ELITE FINALS - Free - Tickets only required for shuttle bus

8th August - XC SHORT TRACK QUALIFYING - Not ticketed

9th August - XC TEAM RELAY AND E-MTB - Tickets available

10th August - XC SHORT TRACK FINALS - Tickets available

11th August - XC OLYMPIC U23 - Tickets available

12th August - XC OLYMPIC ELITE - Tickets available

Scottish Cycling Race The Worlds - XC DIRT CRIT FINAL, 6th August

Providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for young riders across Scotland this series has been running across Scotland to get youngsters involved and earn their place to compete in finals on the perfect stage during the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

The XC Dirt Crit final will, of course, take place at Glentress! Come along and cheer on the best young riders in Scotland!

We have been working with Go Tweed Valley and Scottish Borders Council to pull together a solid programme of events to complement the racing happening at Glentress. There are special events particularly organised to welcome spectators and visitors alike and are bookended by Borders classics the Rugby Sevens Tournament, which incidentally is the oldest Sevens circuit in the world, and the Peebles Country Show.

We hope you will agree that there is something for everyone and will ensure that the party vibe is strong in the Valley and stoke levels are high!

FRINGE EVENTS

  • 4th - 6th August – Rugby -The Borders Sevens. Kings of the Sevens. The event opens on the evening with the U16’s, the morning of Saturday has a Women’s tournament and the Men’s event is in the afternoon. The U18’s event is the afternoon of Sunday 6 August. Ticketed - More info.
  • 6th August - Bosch ePowered XCM Race After Party, Riders Retreat, Glentress, kicking off the Tweed Valley racing with live music, great local beer and iconic views to see in the opening day, right at the foot of the action! Ticketed - More info
  • 6th to 13th August - Summer Cycling FREE Bike Hire. Hike & Bike Hub, 47 Channel Street, Galashiels. Please call 07476 316242 or email info@hikebikegalashiels.co.uk to book.
  • 7th August - Tweed Valley Trails Association (TVTA) Volunteer Dig Day. No experience necessary. Get involved building a MTB trail. Working with the TVTA, you will extend one of the most iconic trails at the Golfie. Find out more and Book a space.
  • 7th - 9th August - Ridelines Kids Champs - This 3 day dynamic Mountain Bike course is aimed at kids aged between 7 - 14 providing skills coaching to enhance their riding, confidence and control. Find out more and book your youngster on.
  • 8th August - Tales From The Trails, Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. Our very special evening ofinspiring speakers and films of global and local leaders who will tell stories of how trails are having a positive impact in communities. All profits from the evenings will be put backinto our trail network through the Scottish Trail Fund. Book now!
  • 8th – 12th August - Park Hotel Grounds, Peebles. Scottish Cycling – Ride the Worlds. Free come and try session with pumptrack. Free access to bikes andexperience coaches. BSpoke Cycles - Free Bike Park. Police Scotland - Bike Marking/Registering.
  • 9th August - Bosch ePowered E-MTB XC Race After Party, Riders Retreat, Glentress. Celebrate the power of Ebikes with Bosch and Loam Club. Enjoy upbeat electronic music and great local beer to celebrate the rising dawn of power assisted cycling at elite level. Ticketed - More info
  • 10th August - Tweed Valley Trails Association (TVTA) Volunteer Dig Day. No experience necessary. Get involved building a MTB trail. Working with the TVTA, you will extend one of the most iconic trails at the Golfie. Find out more and Book a space.
  • 10th August - Be Nice Say Hi. Edderston Cross Country & Livery Yard. Horse riders and bike riders share a love of getting out into the fantastic Scottish countryside. But do you know how best to share the trails with horses? More info
  • 10th - 12th August - Riverside Rest, Tweed Green, Peebles. All day activities from 10am on Thursday and Friday, including inflatable fun, treasure hunts, face painting, cycle speedway and a huge screen to watch the racing. Some events are bookable.
  • 10th – 13th August - We are Innerleithen. Old Food Store Warehouses, Innerleithen. This is a photography project designed to showcase Innerleithen’s vibrant community and how an organic love of the outdoors and biking has given rise to one of the best cycling destinations in the UK. With silver and pipe bands no less! Find out more
  • 11th August - Bike and Bantz. Women and Girls MTB ride. Innerleithen Trails Car Park Join two local MTB groups, the FNY Collective (women’s MTB) and MissAdventures (girls MTB) for a Friday evening ride around the trails of Innerleithen. There’ll be an easy andan intermediate ride so something for everyone. More info
  • 11th August - The Foo Birds. Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. The Foo Birds are a vocal-led 5 piece, playing in-the-pocket, move-your-body, soulful sounds (think Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones & Lake Street Dive). To book.
  • 11th – 12th August - Garden BBQ at Coltman’s - Coltman's will be cranking up the BBQ in their beer garden. The perfect place to chill out and tuck into some tasty scran!Booking essential.
  • 11th – 13th August - Adrenalin Uplift’s Worlds Weekender. Uplift running from 10am to 4pm daily, live music in evenings, schedule TBC, please check. Join Adrenalin Uplift down at the Innerleithen Trails Car Park for the ultimate mountain bike festival. Adrenalin Uplift’s Worlds Weekender will be action-packed with fun for all the family featuring top brands such as Specialized, Marin and Fox, live music, live streaming of the UCI World Championships, airbag, bike demos, uplift and local food and brewers. More info
  • 13th August - Women MTB Social Ride. Starting at the FINDRA HUB in Innerleithen, this event will take a lovely scenic route from Innerleithen to the Glen Estate, cycling past the house and through the valley until we drop down to the beautiful and very magical Loch Eddy. More info and tickets
  • 13th August - Peebles Show. Nether Horsburgh Farm, Cardrona. A traditional agricultural event that has evolved into a great family day out. More info
  • Daily - Daily Outdoor Activities at Peebles Hydro Hotel - All day every day - see website

DOWNLOAD FULL PROGRAMME - WHICH INCLUDES A HANDY MAP OF ALL VENUES, PARK AND RIDE SITES AND POP UP CAMPSITES.


ACCOMMODATION

At this stage - accommodation will be scarce, with most accommodation being booked as soon as the event dates went live, but please keep checking. There are plenty of camping options from glamping, to tepees, motor home hire, pitches for tents, campervans and so many other options in two special pop up campsites. Both have entertainment and food options on site!

Check out further information from our friends at Go Tweed Valley

You may also, under Scottish Outdoor Access Code, choose to 'wild' camp - especially if you want a bikepacking adventure. Please be aware that you only have this right if you are a responsible camper - click away for more details on what that means in practice from our friends at Nature Scot.

Further reading

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