February 18, 2010 (Quebec City, QC) – A bid is expected soon to try and bring the 2015 UCI Road World Championships to Quebec City reports the Journal de Quebec. An article this week featured a photo of former UCI president, Hein Verbruggen, Quebec premier Jean Charest, and Quebec City mayor Régis Labeaume at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Apparently both the Canadian (CCA) and Quebec (FQSC) cycling federations have been apprised of the initiative that is being overseen by the private company Gestev Inc. well known for staging major events in the province including many MTB World Cups and this year the 2010 MTB Worlds. It is expected that the bid will soon be submitted to the UCI which will likely make a decision in 2011. It is not known which other cities will be competing for the Road Worlds in 2015.

Discussions are expected to continue this fall when UCI president, Pat McQuaid, visits Quebec City for the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships at Mont Ste Anne from August 30-Sept 5.

The Road World Championships includes a road race and individual time trial for elite men and women, and U23 riders. The annual event began in 1927 and will be held in Melbourne, Australia in 2010. Only a handful of sites outside of Europe have been awarded the prestigious Road Worlds Championships: Montreal, QC (1974); San Cristobal, Venezuela (1977); Colorado Springs, CO (1986); Duitama, Colombia (1995), and Hamilton, ON (2003).

The complete list since 1927 is here. Quebec City also bid for the event in 2003 but lost to Hamilton, Ontario. Original article (in French) here.