The UCI said its flagship events had returned to pre-pandemic levels ©Getty Images

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has published a report which claims that the 2022 Road and Track World Championships resulted in a significant economic impact.

A major factor is said to be the lifting of travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Road World Championships were hosted in Wollongong in Australia in September, while the Track World Championships were hosted in Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines in France in October.

There were 236,000 people in attendance in Wollongong, with 100,000 being unique visitors and 41,000 coming from outside the region.

The event generated €35.6 million (£31.2 million/$38.9 million), it is reported, with the equivalent of 930 jobs a year and a satisfaction rate of 97 per cent.

In Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines, there were 17,000 people in attendance with 11,000 unique visitors and 4,000 from outside the region.

The event accumulated €3.5 million (£3.1 million/$3.8 million), according to the report, which is the equivalent of 89 jobs a year.

In comparison, the previous edition in Berlin only generated €2.7 million (£2.4 million/$2.9 million).

David Lappartient, the UCI President, was delighted to see the improvement in numbers.

David Lappartient says that cycling is encouraging sustainable transport methods post-pandemic ©Getty Images
David Lappartient says that cycling is encouraging sustainable transport methods post-pandemic ©Getty Images

"The lifting of travel restrictions in many parts of the world in 2022 allowed our UCI World Championships to return to their pre-pandemic attendance levels, and even to record figures that herald their future growth," said Lappartient.

"The report published today in collaboration with EY shows that hosting major UCI events not only encourages people to adopt more active and sustainable modes of travel, but is also very attractive from an economic point of view.”

Peter Arnold, the chief columnist of EY, which was handling the reports, spoke on the benefits of cycling returning to full capacity.

"UCI cycling events continued to bring significant economic benefits in 2022," said Arnold.

"The full removal of travel restrictions across large parts of the world saw spectators able to travel in great numbers to attend the events, supporting local economies through tourism expenditure. 

"The legacy of cycling events can bring further socio-economic benefits, including improved health outcomes through inspiring increased levels of cycling.”