The city of Bergamo, Italy, is moving ahead with its plans to host the 2015 World Championships. Organiser GS Domus now has a course planned for the time trial and road races.
"We needed it now, it will be one of the first things the UCI asks us for if they call," explained Gianni Sommariva, vice president of the Italian cycling federation (FCI). "The course takes in the entire city and offers several spots to see the race multiple times."
The 13-kilometre city course starts and ends on Vittorio Emanuele II, the same finishing straight where Kanstantsin Siutsou won stage eight of the Giro d'Italia last year. It uses part of the surrounding communities and skirts around Bergamo's famous upper city.
President of GS Domus, Stefano Civettini joined Sommariva in the presentation. Civettini's group also organises the Settimana Lombarda, which Lance Armstrong won in 1991.
Civettini hopes that Milan hosting the 2015 Worlds Fair will add extra momentum to Bergamo's bid.
Bergamo will face competition from Québec. In February, Québec's mayor, Régis Labeaume, talked with ex-UCI president Hein Verbruggen about the possible bid. The UCI will make its decision on the host city for 2015 at the next year's World Championships.
In September, the UCI awarded The Netherlands' Limburg Region the 2012 Worlds. This year's edition is in Geelong, Australia, and the 2011 edition will run in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ponferrada, Spain, Genova, Italy, and Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, are bidding for the 2013 edition. The UCI decide from the cities September 29 in Geelong.