Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003

 An estimated total of 104,000 spectators lined the race route throughout Hamilton as the 2003 Road World Championships concluded on Sunday, October 12 with the Elite Men's Road Race. The total attendance for the six days of racing was estimated to be 230,000. On Saturday, an estimated 67,000 spectators crowded the 12.4 km Road Race course for the Junior Men's and Elite Women's Road Race

 Hamilton 2003 Chief Operating Officer Neil Lumsden commented, "This has been an absolutely fabulous week in Hamilton. The response from the community in support of the Road World Championships has been tremendous and we'd like to thank everyone for making the event such an enormous success. The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), the spectators, the athletes and the media have all voiced their praise of the City of Hamilton, the Organizing Committee and the volunteers. Thank you to all our funding partners, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Hamilton, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, our corporate and media partners, the Board of Directors, the staff and the volunteers for their vital contribution. We have demonstrated that Hamilton is capable of successfully staging a world championship event."

 The Road World Championships were complemented by a week-long Festival with a program that included the Opening Ceremonies on Sunday, October 5 with entertainment provided by Tom Cochrane, Sass Jordan, Jeff Healey and Canadian Idol Ryan Malcolm. Other events were the Steamwhistle "Bikes, Bands & Beer Party" at Copps Coliseum Exhibition Hall on October 9, a sold-out Gala Dinner on October 10, Oktoberfest at Copps Coliseum Exhibition Hall on October 11, an Aboriginal Festival at Bayfront Park, the Downtown and International Village BIAs' "Rib Row", Hamilton Regional Arts Council's and Native Indian/Inuit Photographers' Association Rooftop Art & Music Festival at Jackson Square, and "Mohawk In Motion" at Mohawk College.

 The Road World Championships were awarded to Hamilton in 1999 and were staged in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from October 6 to 12, 2003. It was only the sixth time the Road World Championships have been held outside Europe and the second time in Canada, the first occasion was 1974 in Montreal.

 Here are some fast facts on the 2003 Road World Championships:

 Sum 1,225 athletes from 57 countries participated

 Sum in excess of 900 media covered the event from 33 countries

 Sum over 2,500 volunteers assisted at the event in areas such as security, course marshals, media centre, the Festival and more

 Sum the roads which were scheduled to be opened within one hour of the end of each race and were actually opened on average within 38.2 minutes of the end of each race.