The races drew a big turnout to Balloch. Balloch was packed with cycling fans over the weekend, as the final two road races of the UCI Cycling World Championships started in the village.
Hundreds of fans lined Balloch Bridge for the official start of the men’s under-23 and women’s elite races; whilst millions more watched around on TV – with stunning aerial shots of Loch Lomond beamed into homes worldwide.
The event – which has attracted an estimated one million spectators nationwide – brought some of the world’s top competitors to the doorstep of thousands of homes across Scotland.
And locals in Balloch got a front row seat, with packed pelotons flying through the streets of the village, before travelling north to Gartocharn and then Glasgow – via Stirlingshire.
Provost Douglas McAllister joined Trudy Lindblade, chief executive officer for the World Championships and president of UCI David Lappertient at the start line to wave cyclists off – amid a party atmosphere that not even drizzly summer weather could dampen.
Provost McAllister said: “It has been so exciting for our area to be part of this event – the first of its size and type in the world.
“We already know how beautiful our corner of the world is, but this event has given us an opportunity to showcase it to millions of people worldwide.“Watching these elite athletes, who will have trained for years for this moment, is extremely inspirational and I’m sure many of our residents will be getting back on their bikes as a […]
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