World Class Pedal Power Captures Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN, Oct 4 /CNW/ - Copenhagen is the City of Cyclists. And next year, hundreds of professional riders will take over the streets when the city hosts the UCI Road World Championships.

From 19 to 25 September 2011, Copenhagen will be the setting for the country's biggest-ever sporting event - the UCI Road World Championships. This has just been announced at this year's championships in Australia. And being a city with more bicycles than people, Copenhagen will be the perfect host.

In 2007, Copenhagen was named the world's first Cycle City by the International Cycle Union, and Denmark is renowned as a nation of cycle enthusiasts who turn a headwind into an opportunity and cycling into an important weapon in the fight for a greener environment.

In Denmark, cycling is a lifestyle which gives people a lot of freedom. People cycle to work and prefer to shop locally. Hardly any space is needed to park a bicycle when shopping or just going for a coffee.

So there is every reason for Copenhagen to invite cycle sport into the heart of the city and put it at the top of the agenda - even closing streets to other traffic for the duration of the racing. And it is in fact the first time that the UCI Road World Championships have been held in the middle of a capital city.

More bicycles than people.

In the centre of Copenhagen there are more bicycles than inhabitants - 560,000 bicycles and only 519,000 people. Every day, over half of them cycle to work - covering a total of more than 1.2 million kilometres a day. In Denmark as a whole, there are 5.5 million people and around 4 million bicycles.

Copenhagen is also used as a role model by other cities who want to get more people on their bikes. Even New York talks about "Copenhagenizing" itself. So there is no doubt that the UCI Road World Championships will receive an extremely warm welcome in Copenhagen in 2011.

Read more or check out facebook: http://www.copenhagen2011.dk - http://www.facebook.com/copenhagen2011

Info on biking in Copenhagen: http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/content/tourist/plan_and_book/transport_in_copenhagen

Download footage of the route for next year's championships, and Copenhageners biking:

We Love Bikes - Denmark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz9J2qQGt4k

Copenhagen - Rudersdal 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBEj5kWZO-k

Free photos of Copenhagen: http://www.copenhagenmediacenter.com

For further information:

Further info on UCI Road World Championships 2011:

Project Manager Martin Strange Persson, Wonderful Copenhagen: [email protected] or [phone]

Further info on Copenhagen, facts and figures:

Head of Communication, Aneh Hajdu, Wonderful Copenhagen: [email protected] or [phone]