There is much confusion over whether or not St. Johann will continue to host the Master’s World Championships or not, particularly in light of this announcement in conjunction with the Gran Fondo New York. It appears the situation is as follows:
- The official UCI Age Group Amateur World Championships will be held in Belgium, on a course incorporating parts of Liege-Bastogne-Liege this September
- The organizer’s in St. Johann have reformed into the World Master’s Cycling Federation
- This organization does not have official UCI sanctioning as the 2011 Master’s Road & TT World Championships, but many Master’s racers will still consider this to be the true world championships
- We are in contact with both organizations in an attempt to clarify any confusion, and will keep you updated as we hear back
The 2011 “World Championships” will be the culmination in a series of events the UCI is calling the UCI World Cycling Tour – a series of Gran Fondo-like events held round the world. To qualify for the final, one must finish in the top 10% (in their age group) of one of the qualifying events. This seems to me like a world Gran Fondo championship more than a world road racing championship.