Roads in and around Loch Lomond are to be closed this weekend as the UCI Cycling World Championships stages its grand finale.

The world-class event enters its final days with two races starting at the bonnie banks, resulting in traffic havoc for would-be motorists.

From the starting line in central Balloch, some of the world’s best road riders will set off along a route taking them from the scenic shores of Loch Lomond, through West Dunbartonshire and into the Stirling region, before heading over the Crow Road and through East Dunbartonshire as they race to the finish in Glasgow’s George Square.

It means areas such as Balloch Bridge will be closed from today (Friday) until Sunday evening.

Balloch Road from Luss Road/Old Luss Road up to Carrochan Road will have static road closure barriers in place, although pedestrians will have access at all times.

Rolling road closures will be in operation along the remainder of the route, with roads closed for the period that it takes the race to pass through, lasting around 20-30 minutes in total, and re-opening immediately after the race convoy has passed.

Men's Under 23 - Saturday, August 12

The Men Under 23 road race is scheduled to start at 11.30am in Balloch on Saturday, August 12.

The course will then take riders east along Balloch Road and Drymen Road, before joining the A811, travelling through Gartocharn and by Drymen, then turning at Balfron Station.

The route then continues east beyond Fintry, where it turns south, joining the Crow Road into East Dunbartonshire, through Lennoxtown and Torrance, then joining the A807 towards Bearsden.

The route then moves further south on the A81, joining the Maryhill Road as it descends into Glasgow’s West End, travelling along the Great Western Road to Byres Road and joining the Glasgow City Circuit, a 14.3km loop through the city centre and West End, which competitors ride a total of 7 times, before finishing in George Square around 4pm.

Women's Elite road race - Sunday, August 13

On Sunday, the Women Elite (including Women Under 23) road race will take centre stage as it closes the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

The race follows the same route as the Men Under 23 and is scheduled to start at 12:00pm in Balloch on Sunday 13 August, and arriving in Glasgow at 13:30pm, where competitors will ride around the city circuit 6 times before finishing in George Square just before 4pm.

Plan ahead

Locals and visitors are encouraged to turn out to support the event across the weekend and plan other activities ahead of time.

Trudy Lindblade, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships CEO, said: “We are so excited to be bringing the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to Scotland.

"Bringing 13 cycling World Championships together to create one mega event for the first time, it will be a truly historic moment and we want everyone to get out and enjoy all the event has to offer.

"Whether you’re attending an event or not, we want to encourage everyone to plan ahead so you have the best day possible.

“A huge amount of planning has gone into ensuring this a great event for athletes, fans and local communities and we want to thank everyone across the race routes for helping us to bring this global event to your region.”