A UNIQUE tartan was unveiled in the Scottish Borders today Friday June 23 2023, which has been designed specifically for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland from August 3-13 this year.
To mark the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in true Scottish tradition, organisers have created an official tartan for the event.
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The tartan, which is inspired by the iconic rainbow stripes of the UCI jersey and the blue of the Scottish Saltire flag - has been designed and woven by long established weavers, Lochcarron of Scotland, a founding member of The Scottish Tartans Authority.
The tartan has been approved as an official tartan and will be listed within the Scottish Register of Tartans, which is administered by National Records of Scotland.
The design has been used to create promotional branding which will be used within the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. It will also be worn by hosts and hostesses at the medal ceremonies and has been woven into high quality merchandise items – all of which will provide instant recognition for Scotland as well as celebrate the strong traditions and heritage of the host nation.
The tartan was unveiled at Traquair House in Innerleithen, one of the main attractions in the Tweed Valley, which will see two UCI World Championships held in the region in August, for Mountain Bike Cross-Country and Mountain Bike Cross-Country Marathon. The official event village will be based at Glentress Forest.
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To launch the tartan, two Scottish mountain bike stars Charlie Aldridge and Isla Short, who will be aiming for success in the Mountain Bike Cross-Country Olympic events, took the tartan on a spin today at Traquair.
Short, who grew up in Peebles and learnt to ride her bike on the trails at Glentress, can genuinely say this is a UCI World Championship in her back yard, whilst Crieff’s Aldridge is no stranger to competing against the best in the world, having taken the UCI World Junior title in 2019.
Now in the U23 category, the reigning British Elite Champion will be hoping to add another rainbow jersey to his collection, to complement the tartan he donned today.
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The tartan will be available to purchase as scarves and blankets, available from June 27 from the 2023 Cycling World Championships official store.
UCI President David Lappartient said: “It is a fantastic initiative to produce a tartan to mark the first ever edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships. The tartan will be a lasting reminder of an event that wrote a new chapter of cycling history and a reminder that this inaugural edition took place in Glasgow and across Scotland. Long after the competitions are finished, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will live on in the tartan created in their honour.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “As the countdown continues to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in August, the vibrant colours of the UCI tartan will bring together the traditions of our past with the bright future for this inaugural event. Woven in Scotland, the tartan brings a uniquely Scottish flavour to the event and a brilliant souvenir for visitors to take home.”
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Paul Bush, OBE, Chair of the UCI Cycling World Championships said “We are very privileged to be the first ever nation to host the event, so it seems fitting that a unique tartan be created for it. Promoting the rich heritage and traditions of Scotland within the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is not only important for the eyes of the world that will be on us, but by having a unique and officially registered tartan, it will create a moment in history for the event that will be on record for centuries.”
Dawn Robson-Bell, Managing Director of Lochcarron of Scotland said: “We were delighted to be asked to design a tartan in celebration of Scotland hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships event. This is a testament to Lochcarron of Scotland's dedication to preserving our rich textile heritage while embracing innovative partnerships and, the tartan we created combines the distinctive design of the UCI rainbow jersey with the Scottish Saltire.”
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John McLeish, Chair of The Scottish Tartans Authority said: “Tartan is as at home on the catwalks of Milan as in the stands of Murrayfield or the Highland Games Park at Braemar. We are delighted that the UCI Cycling World Championships have chosen to create a new tartan to mark such a prestigious sporting event for Scotland as well as the wider international cycling community.”
Councillor Scott Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Community and Business Development, said: “The Scottish Borders is proud to be a regional host of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and I am delighted that one of our local businesses has created the official tartan for what will be the world’s biggest ever cycling event, and one of the standout global sporting events of 2023.
“Glentress Forest and the Tweed Valley will be a fantastic location for the mountain bike cross-country events and gives us an opportunity to showcase our world class products. We also hope the event will deliver long term benefits to the Scottish
Borders and support the South of Scotland – the home of the bike - to become the country’s leading cycling destination.”
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