2028 World Championships pushed back due to Abu Dhabi heat

The UCI Management Committee has approved a change to the dates of the championships following discussions between the UCI and the local organiser. The event had originally been scheduled for 15 to 22 October 2028, but will now take place from 22 to 29 October. According to the UCI, the new week is expected to offer more favourable weather conditions, particularly when it comes to temperatures.

That decision underlines the unusual timing of the Abu Dhabi Worlds. Recent editions of the Road World Championships have generally taken place in late September, with the occasional move into August. Flanders 2021 was held from 19 to 26 September, Wollongong 2022 from 18 to 25 September and Zürich 2024 from 22 to 29 September. Kigali 2025 is scheduled for 21 to 28 September, Montréal 2026 for 20 to 27 September and Haute Savoie Mont Blanc 2027 even earlier, from 24 August to 5 September.

Against that backdrop, a finish on 29 October is exceptionally late. Even the 2016 edition in Doha, another desert Worlds shaped heavily by heat concerns, was held from 9 to 16 October.

The 2028 edition has already drawn attention for another reason. Earlier this year, speculation grew around reports that an artificial climb was being developed on Hudayriyat Island, raising questions over whether the route could be made more selective than initially expected. Some riders wondered whether the race might move away from its expected flat profile.

UCI director of sports Peter Van den Abeele later played down those concerns during the UAE Tour, insisting that Abu Dhabi 2028 would remain a World Championships for the fast men.

“It will certainly be a sprinters’ World Championships,” Van den Abeele told Sporza. “It was the request of president David Lappartient to make it a festival for sprinters. It has been quite some time since we had a Worlds designed specifically for them.”

Van den Abeele acknowledged that a climb is being built in the area, but said it was not intended to change the nature of the race. According to him, any hill on the course would be limited and would not turn the Worlds into a selective climbing race.

The definitive route for Abu Dhabi 2028 is expected to be presented later this year.