Organisers reveal routes for 2019 Yorkshire World Championships

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Organisers of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire, Great Britain, have unveiled the full routes and race schedule for next year's September 21-29 event as well as more details for the revamped team time trial.

The racing will be centred around Harrogate, with start locations across the county, including Ripon, Northallerton, Richmond, Doncaster, Bradford and Leeds.

The UCI will roll out the newly formulated team time trials on Sunday, September 22, with the new format that involves national teams of mixed male and female riders competing in a "relay."

"This event will replace the separate men's and women's trade team time trials and will be contested by national teams consisting of three male riders and three female riders," the organisers said in their route announcement at the World Championships in Innsbruck.

"The male athletes will ride first and the women will replace them on the road as soon as the second male rider has crossed the finish line. Final timings will be taken when the second female rider crosses the finish line, with the fastest team declared the winner."

The Harrogate Circuit will feature again the following day as the junior men and women contest their individual time trials.

The elite women and U23 men start their individual time trials on Tuesday, September 24 on a 32.5km route that starts in Ripon and finishes on the Harrogate Circuit. The following day, the elite men decide the time trial title on a 54km route that starts in Northallerton and ends in Harrogate.

On day six, the junior men decide their road race title on a 144km course that starts in Richmond and finishes on the Harrogate Circuit. The junior women and U23 men race the next day starting on Doncaster, with the women tackling 91.5km and the U23 men taking on 192.5 and ending with three loops of the Harrogate Circuit.

The elite women decide their road race on Saturday, September 28, with a 149.5km course that starts in Bradford and finishes with three laps of the Harrogate Circuit.

The elite men close things out on September 29 with their road race, which will be decided over 284.5km that start in Leeds and finish with seven loops of the Harrogate Circuit.

"The countdown is now well and truly on, and there will be many people in Yorkshire and across Britain who are looking forward to this iconic event. We can promise huge, passionate crowds, stunning scenery and epic racing," said Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity at a presentation in Innsbruck that was also attended by UCI President David Lappartient, British Cycling CEO Julie Harrington, and Great Britain riders Alex Dowsett and Hayley Simmonds. Prime Minister Theresa May concluded the presentation via video message, lending the UK Government's full support.

"We have worked hard with the UCI to design a challenging and spectacular range of routes which take place in all four corners of the county," Verity said. "We are thrilled to be able to share these routes and are sure they will make for exciting racing."

Lappartient said he was excited to open the 2019 Worlds with the new team time trial

"The competitions in Yorkshire will open with the new team time trial mixed relay, a UCI initiative that will replace the trade team time trial and will see men and women competing together for their nation," the UCI president said. "I cannot wait to witness this first-ever team time trial mixed relay, which is part of the UCI's drive to further increase the attractiveness of our Road World Championships, encourage gender equality, and showcase national federations and their riders."

2019 UCI Road World Championships Schedule

• Day 1: Saturday, September 21: Harrogate Circuit – Para-cycling Road Races (C1 Event)
• Day 2: Sunday, September 22: Harrogate Circuit – Team Time Trial Mixed Relay – 28km (two circuits)
• Day 3: Monday, September 23: Harrogate Circuit – Women Junior Individual Time Trial – 14km (one circuit) and Men Junior Individual Time Trial - 28km (two circuits)
• Day 4: Tuesday, September 24: Ripon to Harrogate – Men U23 Individual Time Trial – 32.5km (route plus one circuit) and Women Elite Individual Time Trial – 32.5km (route plus one circuit)
• Day 5: Wednesday, September 25: Northallerton to Harrogate – Men Elite Individual Time Trial - 54km (route only)
• Day 6: Thursday, September 26: Richmond to Harrogate – Men Junior Road Race – 144.5km (route plus three circuits)
• Day 7: Friday, September 27: Doncaster to Harrogate – Women Junior Road Race – 91.5km (route only) and Men Under 23 Road Race – 192.5km (route plus three circuits)
• Day 8: Saturday, September 28: Bradford to Harrogate – Women Elite Road Race – 149.5km (route plus three circuits)
• Day 9: Sunday, September 29: Leeds to Harrogate – Men Elite Road Race – 284.5km (route plus seven circuits)