Stirling will host the time trial in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will be the biggest event in the sport’s history.
It is the seventh location to be announced for the event, which is taking place principally in Glasgow but also across Scotland from 3-13 August.
The 11-day inaugural event will combine 13 existing UCI World Championships into one event for the first time.
Time trial riders will race around a set course at one-minute intervals.
Stirling’s iconic landscape held the opening time trial as part of the inaugural Pru Tour in 1998, won by Britain’s Chris Boardman.
Boardman, who won Olympic gold in 1992, is now a policy adviser at British Cycling and is thrilled the sport is returning to Stirling.
He said: “I have great memories of winning the time trial stage of the Pru Tour. The castle is a spectacular backdrop that adds drama and showcases the heritage of the region.
“It is the perfect stage for an extra special World Championship that brings together so many disciplines for the first time.”
Anna Shackley, a Team GB time trial athlete, was born just 30 miles from Stirling and made her Olympic debut in the event in Tokyo.
The 20-year-old is eager to secure her place on the team for the multi-discipline championships.
She added: “Competing in the Olympics gave me a real taste for international competition at the highest level and made me determined to make the team for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
“Combining the championships for the first time will be absolutely huge and a really positive step for the sport of cycling. It would be a huge honour for me to compete in front of a home crowd.”
