UCI Moves 2025 Track Cycling World Championships from Argentina to Chile

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has announced that the 2025 Track Cycling World Championships will now take place in Santiago, Chile instead of the originally planned location of San Juan, Argentina. The governing body made the decision to change venues due to "organizational reasons" and the "inability to meet the necessary requirements" in San Juan.

Santiago's Velodromo Penalolan, also known as the Santiago Velodrome, will host the championships from October 15 to 19, 2025. The venue has a capacity of 3,000 spectators and previously hosted World Cup events in 2017 and 2018. This will mark the first time Chile has staged the track cycling world championships.

The San Juan provincial government in Argentina had to suspend plans to host the 2025 event due to financial problems and high costs. "The decision was made due to 'organizational reasons' and the event will be held in the Chilean capital instead of the originally planned location in Argentina," the UCI stated.

Why this matters: The relocation of the 2025 Track Cycling World Championships to Chile represents a significant opportunity for the country to showcase its cycling infrastructure and capabilities on the global stage. It also highlights the financial and logistical challenges that can arise when hosting major international sporting events.

The 2025 championships in Santiago will be the first time South America has hosted the competition since Colombia in 2014. Meanwhile, the 2024 Track Cycling World Championships remain scheduled to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark from October 16-20.

Key Takeaways

• 2025 Track Cycling World Championships moved from Argentina to Santiago, Chile.
• Santiago's Velodromo Penalolan to host the event from Oct 15-19, 2025.
• First time Chile has hosted the Track Cycling World Championships.
• San Juan, Argentina had to suspend plans due to financial problems.
• 2025 event marks the first time South America has hosted since 2014.