Track Worlds head to Shanghai as road to Los Angeles begins
The rainbow jerseys are on the line in Shanghai. The 2026 TISSOT UCI Track World Championships run from 14 to 18 October at the Shanghai Velodrome, with 22 world titles at stake.
It is the first track qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, which gives every sprint and pursuit in China an extra edge. BBC
British fans can follow it live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. The programme runs across five days of morning and evening sessions.
The form book points to the Netherlands. They topped the medal table at the 2025 Worlds with nine golds, with Great Britain second. Harrie Lavreysen led that charge with four golds in the keirin, sprint, 1km time trial and team sprint.
Lavreysen remains the man to beat. The keirin — a bunched sprint held behind a pacing bike — and the sprint — a short, tactical one-on-one dash — are his territory. But he is not unbeatable this year. Britain’s Matt Richardson beat him to take the European sprint title earlier this season.
Great Britain arrive with a changed team. Reigning Madison world champion Katie Archibald retired in May to pursue a career in nursing. The Madison is the two-rider relay race, with partners slinging each other into the action. Olympic team sprint champion Katy Marchant announced her retirement last month.
Even so, the squad is deep. It includes eight riders who have won world titles and eight Olympic medallists.
The sprint group carries much of the hope. Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell are Olympic team sprint champions, and Finucane arrives after winning a record four golds at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Ed Lowe, an Olympic silver medallist in the team sprint at Paris 2024, joins Richardson and Harry Ledingham-Horn in the men’s sprint squad. British Cycling
There is balance in endurance too. Anna Morris is the reigning individual pursuit champion, the 4km solo race against the clock. Ethan Vernon, Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood bring 15 Olympic and world medals between them. Millie Couzens, Erin Boothman and Abi Miller will make their elite World Championships debuts.
Two days look especially packed. On Thursday 15 October the schedule includes the men’s team pursuit final, keirin finals and scratch race, plus the women’s elimination race and team pursuit final. The scratch is first across the line wins. The elimination ejects the last rider every two laps.
On Friday 16 October the programme lists the men’s points race, time trial and individual pursuit final, alongside the women’s sprint final and omnium. The omnium is the four-race all-round test decided on points.
What makes this stand out is the setting as much as the start list. This is the first time the Track World Championships have been held in mainland China. UCI
For fans, this means early clues to Los Angeles. Olympic places are decided over a long qualifying period, but winning in Shanghai brings points, confidence and a rainbow jersey that must be defended for a year.
