The two-wheeled sculpture, known affectionately as the ‘Squiggly Bike’, now has pride of place outside the Albert Halls.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships brought around £4.5 million of economic benefits to the Stirling area, as well as sporting, social and cultural gains, and the Squiggly Bike is a reminder of an unforgettable three days.
Almost 200,000 people lined the city’s streets and surrounding areas for the Individual Time Trials between 9-11 August 2023, with 80,000 visitors making their way to the city centre on Friday 11 August, alone. Three road races also passed through the area, with Stirling featuring in almost 5,000 hours of broadcast and a cumulative television audience of almost 140 million.
Leisurely
A social media campaign promoting summer cycling and outdoor adventures has been launched to take advantage of the feelgood factor from the event and promote cycling tourism, worth £300 million annually to the Scottish economy.
It will highlight the very best cycling routes in and around the local area, from the gruelling courses taken by the pro riders during the Cycling Worlds to more leisurely routes suitable for family groups and friends of all ages around gentle country lanes and popular coffee stop offs.
Work is also continuing to deliver a lasting legacy from the event by making sustainable travel easier than ever across Stirling. Contractors have completed the first stage of the ambitious £11 million Walk, Cycle Live Stirling infrastructure project, from Raploch Road South to Albert Place, and handed it over to the council with the full project scheduled for completion later this year.
Stirling Council leader, Cllr Chris Kane said: “We’d like to thank organisers of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships for their gift of the ‘Squiggly Bike’. It is a fun reminder of a brilliant occasion last summer when the people of Stirling came together and hosted the biggest sporting event in our history.
"In doing so, they showing the city at its very best – friendly, welcoming and hospitable to visitors from all over the world.
“The Cycling Worlds will live long in the memory of all those attended and, as we celebrate our 900th anniversary as a royal burgh, we’re keen to build on the obvious economic benefits they brought with a social media campaign signposting cyclists of all ages and abilities to the very best routes in and around Stirling.
Economic
“We’re also seeing high-quality active travel routes taking shape all around the city, for residents and visitors alike, and we thank local people and businesses for their patience as Walk, Cycle, Live Stirling nears its conclusion.
"Our aim is to make it easier than ever before for people to access and adopt more sustainable modes of transport across Stirling and support economic activity and footfall.
“We’re grateful to the Scottish Government, Sustrans and Transport Scotland for their investment in Walk, Cycle, Live Stirling, which will provide key infrastructure for walking and wheeling that isn’t funded from our core Council budget.”
Paul Bush OBE, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair, said: “Stirling provided the perfect stage for the hosting of the Individual Time Trials and the Elite road races at the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships, with 200,000 visitors and cycling fans lining the streets to watch the best cyclists in the world.
"Stirling Council’s ongoing work to promote the benefits of cycling and build a lasting legacy for the community, clearly demonstrates the Championships were more than just an event.
"The successful delivery of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships would not have been possible without the commitment and collaboration of the Council and the local community.
"The gift of the Squiggly Bike statue is just a small token of our appreciation in helping to ensure a great event for athletes and fans and for helping showcasing Scotland in the best light to the millions watching around the world.”