SCOTLAND has been praised for its ability to host "world-class events" after the conclusion of the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.
The cycling championship is the latest "feather in our cap", according to Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop.
The country has also hosted events such as the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup, the 2018 European Championships, COP26.
She continued: “Scotland is now well-established for delivering world-class events.
"The reason these events often run like clockwork is down to thorough planning, testing and partnership working. If these events didn’t run well we would know all about it very quickly, so it is encouraging that the events and complex arrangements have run so smoothly."
Some of the organisations involved in running the event included Traffic Scotland, ScotRail, Police Scotland and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), and many more – with some of the key highlights for SPT being 132,606 journeys across the subway system in the first weekend.
SPT chief executive Valerie Davidson said: "[The event has been a] tremendous success and SPT is delighted to have been able to support this fantastic event.
"Our decision to run extended opening hours on the Subway [on] Sunday to assist those trying to get about the city when the majority of main roads were closed was absolutely the right one."
The Traffic Scotland website saw roughly 323,000 visitors, with 149,000 of them to go see the UCI Cycling World Championships Travel Advice page – resulting in a 966% increase from when the adverts began to the prior three weeks.
The races were attended by one million people in Glasgow and around Scotland.
Assistant chief constable Mark Williams, and Police Scotland lead for the event, said: “The size and scale of this unique event cannot be underestimated. It brought into focus a complex planning model which saw around 5000 officers deployed across 11 days supported by mutual aid, logistics and wellbeing support.
"A policing plan was in place to maintain people’s safety, ensure the safe delivery of this event, enable peaceful protest and minimise disruption."
Nick Rennie, the chief executive of Scottish Cycling, said the event had been of a similar size to the Commonwealth Games.
“It has never been done before, this is the first concept of it, and the biggest-ever cycling event,” he said.
“It is fantastic and a model that UCI seems really pleased with and looking at replicating. It is great they came to Scotland to do it.”
He added: “I am sure there will be some announcements in the next few weeks about further international cycling events that will come in the future."
