The 2026 UCI Track Cycling World Championships will be held in mainland China for the first time

China News Service, Shanghai, October 14 (Reporter Miao Lu) The 2026 Tissot International Cycling Union Track Cycling World Championship opened at the Shanghai Velodrome (Chongming) on ​​the evening of the 14th. This is the first time that the event has come to mainland China. This World Championship attracted a total of 399 riders from 45 participating teams, including many Olympic champions and multiple World Championship gold medalists.

In 1893, the first World Track Cycling Championships was held in Chicago, USA. For more than 130 years, the "rainbow jersey" symbolizing the highest honor has become the lifelong goal of countless riders. As the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approaches, track cycling has officially entered the Olympic points cycle. In two years, each team will compete for Olympic qualifications through 8 games, with the World Championships in 2026 and 2027 becoming the games with the highest weight of points.

On October 14, the 2026 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Championships kicked off at the Shanghai Velodrome (Chongming). The competition has 11 competition events for men and women. The picture shows the scene of the women's team pursuit qualifying match.

The current World Championships will be held from October 14 to 18. There are 22 events in total (11 events for men and 11 events for women), covering all Olympic events such as keirin, Madison, all-around, sprint, team pursuit, and team sprint. It also includes high-level competition units such as knockout, individual pursuit, scoring, 1-kilometer time trial, and capture.

Track cycling is much more than just "riding fast". It splits explosive power, endurance, coordination and tactical application into competitions in different events. From the tacit relay of the team pursuit to the breakout sprint of the motorcycle keirin, from the race against time in the time trial to the personal game of the first race, each event is an independent competitive stage.

At the recent Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, the Chinese track cycling team won 6 golds, 4 silvers and 4 bronzes, ranking first in the medal list in this event. It also successively refreshed the Asian Games record for women's team racing and broke the record for men's team racing.

Enrico de la Casa, President of the European Cycling Union, said that China is not only an important force in Asian cycling, but also plays a pivotal role in the development of world cycling. With the holding of this track cycling world championship, Chinese cycling has begun a new chapter, and the Shanghai Velodrome (Chongming) will also become an iconic venue for cycling in China, Asia and the world.

At the just-concluded 2026 UCI Women's Road World Tour Tour of Chongming Island, Dutch star Lorena Vibes won three honorary jerseys in one fell swoop. She then moved to this World Championships and appeared with her teammates in the women's team pursuit race that day. She said, "This is my second time coming to Chongming. I have gained a lot on the road track in both competitions. Next, I will show off my skills on the indoor track with my teammates. I believe Shanghai is my blessed place, and I also like the unique cycling atmosphere here."