Aguascalientes aims to host World Track Championships in 2015

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Aguascalientes is bidding to host the 2015 track World Championships, the Mexican government commission for sports announced. It is the first time that Mexico could play host to the World Championships. The Mexican city Guadelajara is also bidding to organize one of the World Cup races in 2014, as it did this season. 

The UCI is quite late in announcing the venues for the 2014-2015 World Cup and World Championships. It awarded the 2016 World Championships to London last September. The final decisions on the venue for 2015 will be announced after the UCI Management Committee meets in June. Mexico is up against bids from Perth and Melbourne in Australia, while France is considering putting in to have the new velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines play host.

Aguascalientes hosted a World Cup race this season and it proved to be a very fast track. Located 1,800 metres above sea level, no fewer than seven official world records were set during the World Cup meeting last December. François Pervis rode two and a half seconds faster than the previous, 12-year-old world record in the kilometre, and four other riders also broke finished inside the 2001 world record time of Arnaud Tournant. 

An eighth world record, in the 3,000m individual pursuit was set in Aguascalienties in 2010 by American rider Sarah Hammer.

Because of its altitude and fast nature, Fabian Cancellara is rumoured to be considering tackling the world hour record in Mexico, although the Swiss rider is also understood to be exploring options in Europe.

Guadelajara wants to play host to one of the three World Cup events next season. The Velodrome Panamericano organized the third and last World Cup this season in January. 

This article was corrected March 11, 2014. The announcement by the Mexican government prematurely supposed it had been approved as host for the 2014 World Championships.