Netherlands’ 2032 World Championships bid gathers momentum, but dangerous rival remains

The chances of the UCI Road World Championships being held in the Netherlands in 2032 have increased. The northern provinces of Groningen and Drenthe have been working for some time on a plan to bring the event to the Netherlands, and the UCI has now announced that they are among the final two candidates alongside India.

UCI president David Lappartient told Ouest-France that only two candidates remain in contention to organise the 2032 Road World Championships. “In September, we will choose between India and the Netherlands. India has 1.4 billion inhabitants,” the Frenchman added. The Asian country does not have a particularly established cycling culture, but it is eager to continue developing its position as an international sporting nation.

"We're absolutely thrilled," organizer Thijs Rondhuis told RTV Noord. “We would never have dared to predict this a year ago.” At that point, five candidates were still in contention and Lappartient had cautiously indicated a preference for South America, but Colombia and Mexico are among the countries that have since dropped out.

“I previously carried out a risk assessment, and India was number one on that list,” Rondhuis explained. “That is not only because of its enormous population, but also because there is a huge amount of money to be made if they manage to open up that market.”

“On top of that, they are investing heavily in sport because they want to secure the 2036 Olympic Games, so money will not be a problem there either,” Rondhuis added.

“We will officially present our bid to the UCI Management Committee at the upcoming World Championships. The following day, we will find out whether we have been awarded the Road World Championships.”

“We are looking forward to the possibility of bringing an event of this magnitude to Groningen and Drenthe, 20 years after the Road World Championships were last held in the Netherlands,” Rondhuis concluded, referring to the 2012 edition in Valkenburg.