Norway picks Bergen as possible host for 2016 Worlds

If Norway chooses to bid on the 2016 UCI World Championships, Bergen will be the host city it will put forward. The plan to bring the worlds to the mountainous Scandinavian country has the full support of former world champion Thor Hushovd, who might extend his career to include the race.

The Norwegian Cycling Federation picked Bergen ahead of Drammen and Stavanger. The final decision as to whether to apply for the worlds will be made in February.

Bergen was seen as “the best opportunity to win as the host of an international competition and thus give Norway the greatest chance of being awarded the world championships in 2016. Bergen had the best concept based on the evaluation criteria as a whole and is considered the best,” the federation said on its website.

Part of the reason for choosing Bergen was “because they had a strong character and is a bit exotic. The UCI is clear that they will have the world championships 'world wide'”, federation president Harald Hansen Tidemann told procycling.no.

Norway's native son, Hushovd, enthusiastically supported the plan. “Bergen is a great city, and a good alternative. They have much to offer with beautiful scenery and opportunities to make a hard race. This can be a really tough race,” Hushovd told procycling.no.

“It is true that the sport is expanding more and more. UCI wants to spread the sport around the world, and that can be an advantage for Norway, which is not of the countries that tend to organize these championships.”

Would he be interested in riding the Worlds in Norway?  “It would be really great to ride the championships at home. But they are some years away and I'm not exactly young,” he said. Hushovd will be 38 years old in 2016.