Manchester to hold UCI World Cup Classics heat in 2011

 Manchester is to host the fourth round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics between 18 and 20 February 2011.

It is the third successive year British Cycling have hosted a round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester and the announcement comes on the back of a sell out success in November 2009 which saw British riders win 10 gold medals in front of an audience of nearly 10,000 spectators.

The Manchester Velodrome already has a good reputation as a first class sporting facility and will once again be the venue for the deciding round of the series with the three previous rounds taking place in Melbourne (2-4 December 2010), Cali (16-18 December 2010) and Beijing (21-23 January 2011).

Jonny Clay, Cycle Sport and Membership Director at British Cycling, said: “It is fantastic news that we have once again been awarded a round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup and another welcome addition to the exciting events British Cycling will be staging in the near future.

“Our round will come just one year before the 2012 London Olympic Games, offering fans an opportunity to watch some thrilling cycling with potential British Olympic gold medallists in action on their doorstep.”

“The 2009 Track Cycling World Cup was a major success for the GB Cycling Team with many of our athletes winning gold medals while ticket sales exceeded expectations and over one million people tuned in to watch the competition on BBC2.”

The right to host the event has been granted to British Cycling and its partners including Manchester City Council, North West Development Agency and UK Sport; securing its return to the UK.

Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture & Leisure at Manchester City Council said: "In Manchester we are committed to enhancing our event portfolio and we are delighted to be once again hosting the UCI Track World Cup Classic.

“Last year was a busy time for cycling in the city with several high profile events taking place at Manchester Velodrome. The next few years will no doubt see much more cycling action in Manchester as we look towards 2012.”

Simon Morton, UK Sport’s Head of Events, said: “As the organisation responsible for bringing major sporting events to our shores we are delighted to learn that the Track Cycling World Cup is returning to the UK.

“We have supported the event before and it is always one of the most anticipated events on the cycling calendar. We look forward to discussing the support package with British Cycling in the coming months.”

The UCI Track Cycling World Cup is just one of numerous major event properties hosted by British Cycling such as the forthcoming 2010 UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup at Dalby Forest (23 – 25 April) and the 2012 UCI BMX World Championships in Birmingham.