2021 UCI Road World Championships also look ahead to the future
Tuesday 10 August 2021
The 2021 UCI Road World Championships may be celebrating their centenary, looking back at the interesting past of the UCI World Championships, but the organisers in Flanders are also putting an accent on innovation. That is why, together with Sport Vlaanderen, they are setting up an Innovation Hub, an experience centre about the future of cycling.
Flanders is known for its cycling culture, but also for its innovation. The 2021 UCI Road World Championships are therefore the perfect opportunity to combine the two. For cycling fans or anyone who is fascinated by innovation, technology and likes to look into the future, the Innovation Hub in the Museum M Leuven will offer four days of plenty of interest.
How will cycling fans, recreational cyclists and TV viewers experience cycling in the future? What challenges await in the field of sustainability, fan experience, logistics, safety, waste management, mobility, crowd control, visitor flows, etc.? In the 'Future of Cycling Experience' you will be immersed in the search for the answer to that question. This free experience centre is the place to discover and test the latest cycling gadgets.
In the 'Exhibition domes' you can discover the latest products and bicycle gadgets from Flemish, Belgian and international manufacturers. icec (various mobilidata projects) and Velusta (3D Impact Protection) already signed present. You can also follow the race on a big screen at any time while enjoying a drink in a cosy cycling setting.
Are you interested in the latest technological innovations, ideas and products in the cycling industry? Then the 3 theme evenings 'Future of Cycling meetups' are the opportunity to inspire, educate and connect you. Many leading speakers will share their view on the future with you.
Topics like digital applications, health, equipment and materials will be addressed in keynotes or panel discussions. Be inspired by cases of Strava, Wahoo and Deceuninck - Quick-Step or by keynotes by Tom Boonen and Steven Van Belleghem. As a professional in the cycling or tech industry, this is an event you cannot miss out on!
Flemish Minister of Sports Ben Weyts: "For the 100th edition of the UCI Road World Championships, the race returns home to Flanders. But Flanders has not stood still in the past century. We are a dynamic region focusing on innovation. We like to be creative with things we have a tradition in for centuries. Flanders is the cradle of traditional cycling and we will also be the cradle of future cycling".
Flemish Minister of Innovation Hilde Crevits: "This 100th anniversary of the UCI Road World Championships is going to be a big sports festival that I, as a cycling tourist, am looking forward to immensely, especially because it is dominated by innovation. Innovation is not a goal in itself but a means. A means to make new and better products in the field of materials, equipment and health. Flanders is strong in cycling, but also in innovation. These now intertwine nicely in the interesting 'Innovation Hub' experience centre."
"Flanders' sports policy aims to encourage as many citizens as possible to take part in sports and to keep them active. In a rapidly changing society, this is only possible if the sports sector, and therefore also cycling, continuously evolves," says Philippe Paquay, administrator-general of Sport Flanders.
