UCI Road World Championships 2028 in Abu Dhabi: transport and road-closure planning
Abu Dhabi hosts the 2028 UCI Road World Championships in late October 2028. What's confirmed, and how to plan cars, team vans and road closures.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 6 min read
The UCI Road World Championships 2028 are in Abu Dhabi, in the last week of October 2028. Cycling media reported in June 2026 that the UCI had moved the week to 22–29 October for cooler weather; the courses haven’t been published. Plan on an Abu Dhabi hotel base, a car you keep for the day, and road closures on race days.
It’s the first Road Worlds in the Gulf since Doha in 2016, and a week of racing on public roads rather than inside a stadium. We run the Dubai to Abu Dhabi chauffeur transfer every day, and this page will grow as the organiser publishes routes. For now, here’s what’s confirmed and how we’d plan around it.
When are the 2028 Road World Championships in Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi won the hosting rights in August 2023. The Abu Dhabi Media Office announcement confirmed that the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s bid had secured both the 2028 UCI Road World Championships and the 2029 UCI Track World Championships.
The original window was 15–22 October 2028. In June 2026, cycling outlets including Domestique reported that the UCI Management Committee had approved a move to 22–29 October 2028, after talks with the local organiser, because the later week should be cooler. That’s Sunday to Sunday. The UCI hasn’t opened a race hub for 2028 yet, so check the UCI’s road cycling pages before you book flights.
| Edition | Dates | Host | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20–27 September 2026 | Montréal, Canada | Held |
| 2027 | 24 August – 5 September 2027 | Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc, France (combined UCI Cycling World Championships) | Confirmed |
| 2028 | 22–29 October 2028 (reported; originally 15–22 October) | Abu Dhabi, UAE | Host confirmed; programme and courses not published |
| 2029 | UCI Track World Championships | Abu Dhabi, UAE | Host confirmed |
A Road Worlds week runs individual time trials, road races and a mixed relay across elite, under-23 and junior categories, so there’s racing on most days rather than one big Sunday. Our Dubai events calendar will carry the race-by-race dates once the UCI publishes them.
Where will the races be?
Not announced. Two things are known:
- No artificial mountain. Abu Dhabi has been building a climb at Al Wathba since 2023, and there was talk of using it. In February 2026 the UCI’s sports director, Peter Van den Abeele, told Belgian broadcaster Sporza that a man-made mountain won’t be part of the course, and that it will be a sprinter’s world championship.
- Hudayriyat Island is Abu Dhabi’s cycling hub. It has a cycle track, the Velodrome and a growing set of sports venues, and it hosts World Triathlon’s championships in November 2026. Whether the Worlds use it hasn’t been said.
So don’t book a hotel “near the course” yet. Book somewhere central in Abu Dhabi that you can cancel, and move once the routes are out.
Who needs transport, and what kind?
Each group has a different problem to solve.
| Group | What they need | What we’d supply |
|---|---|---|
| National teams and federations | Riders, staff and bikes from AUH to the hotel; daily runs to the start; staff cars on the course side of closures | Vans with drivers for bikes and kit; minibuses for riders through our bus rental in Abu Dhabi |
| UCI and federation officials | Hotel to meetings, the start and finish areas, and back | Business or first-class sedans, often for the whole week |
| Sponsors and hospitality guests | Hotel to hospitality, between viewing points, to dinners | First-class sedans or SUVs on hourly or full-day hire |
| Fans based in Dubai | Early run to Abu Dhabi, a day at the roadside, the drive home | SUV or van with driver for families and cycling clubs |
Team vehicles that follow riders inside the race convoy are accredited through the UCI and the organiser. That’s separate from passenger transport, and we don’t drive in the race convoy. What we do is get people to the right side of a closure at the right time.
Road closures: what to expect
Every Road Worlds closes public roads for the time trials and road races, usually as rolling or full closures around each circuit. Abu Dhabi already does this for the UAE Tour stages each February, and our UAE Tour road closures guide shows how those notices usually work. For 2028, the official closure notices will come from the Abu Dhabi authorities shortly before race week.
How we’ll plan once the routes are public:
- Map the closures against your hotel. If your hotel sits inside a circuit, the car may not be able to reach the lobby during racing. We’ll agree a pickup point outside the closure.
- Move between viewing points the long way. Crossing a live circuit by car usually isn’t possible. A chauffeur who knows the alternative bridges and roads saves more time than a shortcut.
- Keep the car for the day. Hourly hire has a 3-hour minimum; a road-race day is a full-day booking. The car waits at the agreed point, so you aren’t hunting for a taxi when the race finishes and thousands of spectators leave at once.
- Leave Dubai early. From Dubai Marina, Abu Dhabi city is about 1 hour 20 minutes on a clear road, and more from Downtown. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi travel time guide has the times by hour.
Booking advice for October 2028
Late October is the start of Abu Dhabi’s event season, and a week of world championship racing fills hotels and vans fast. Our advice:
- Teams: send us your squad size, bike count and arrival airport as soon as your federation books hotels. Bike vans are the bottleneck.
- Corporate hosts: reserve your cars when you reserve hospitality. You can change times later; you can’t easily find six matching SUVs in race week.
- Fans: if you’re a cycling club travelling from Dubai, a minibus with a driver beats four cars, and nobody has to drive home after a long day in the sun.
We’ll update this guide with confirmed dates, courses and closure notices as they’re published.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the 2028 UCI Road World Championships?
In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council won the hosting rights in August 2023, together with the 2029 UCI Track World Championships. The 2027 Road Worlds are part of the combined UCI Cycling World Championships in Haute-Savoie, France.
What are the dates of the 2028 UCI Road World Championships?
Cycling media reported in June 2026 that the UCI Management Committee moved the championships to 22–29 October 2028, a week later than the original 15–22 October, to get cooler temperatures. The UCI hasn’t published the full race programme yet, so treat the day-by-day schedule as unconfirmed.
Will the 2028 Worlds in Abu Dhabi have a climb?
No man-made climb, according to the UCI’s sports director, Peter Van den Abeele, who said in February 2026 that the course will suit sprinters. Abu Dhabi has been building a climb at Al Wathba, but the UCI said it won’t be part of the 2028 route.
How do I get from Dubai to the Abu Dhabi Worlds?
By car is the practical option for race days. Abu Dhabi city is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Dubai Marina on a clear road and longer from Downtown or Deira. With road closures on race days, we recommend staying in Abu Dhabi, or booking a car for the full day so the driver can work around the closures.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
LinkedIn