Four Special Olympics Great Britain athletes recently made history by taking part in a demonstration race at the first ever Glasgow 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Following on from the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Special Olympics and UCI at Brandenburg Gate at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin in June, Ruairidh Brown (Special Olympics Scotland), Niall Guite (Special Olympics Sheffield), Luke Mahoney (Special Olympics North Devon & Barnstaple) and Andrew Newey (Special Olympics Greater Manchester) competed in a road race on part of the course from the Glasgow 2023 elite races, which finished at the city’s iconic George Square.

“As a partner we understand the UCI’s commitment to inclusion and supporting an opportunity for Special Olympics cyclists to compete in a great race, in what is a historic first of its kind UCI World Championships,” said Lou Lauria, Chief of Sport and Competition, Special Olympics International. “This event will create many opportunities going forward, including further inclusion of Special Olympics at major cycling events, stronger coaching pathways and developing relationships between Special Olympics national programs and national cycling federations.”

The Glasgow 2023 Demonstration race also follows on from an invitation for international Special Olympics athletes to compete at the 2022 UCI Masters Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Ipswich, England. Even more athletes will compete at this event in Hamburg, Germany, from 1 to 3 December 2023.

"It was a real honour to represent Special Olympics Great Britain again by racing at this first ever UCI Cycling World Championships,” said Ruairidh Brown, who won the demonstration race. “I was incredibly proud to be part of the group that raced and it’s a dream that it was in my home city of Glasgow. The support from the crowd took me back to my previous experiences of racing at two Special Olympics World Games.

“I’m really happy to have finished first, but to have also made some new friends in Andrew, Luke and Niall. I’m looking forward to seeing them later in the year at our next major Special Olympics Great Britain cycling event.”

Glasgow 2023 is the first time that the UCI has brought together all 13 cycling World Championships, with more than 8,000 athletes participating across 11 days of competition.

Jacques Landry, Director of UCI World Cycling Centre, said: “Through our events like the Glasgow 2023 World Championships, we can leverage greater support for Special Olympics, and it was fantastic to see these four athletes compete on this course where the many elite world cyclists are racing this week.

“Our partnership with Special Olympics aims to support coach education, mechanic education and we want to help support as many people as possible who are working with the movement.”

Following the success of its first event in the 2022 Special Olympics Great Britain Summer Series of Sport, Special Olympics Yorkshire & Humber is again hosting its National Cycling competition at Wyke Community Sports Village on 23 and 24 September 2023.

Please click here for further details and athlete entry.