The 2026 UCI Track World Cup marks a turning point in the international calendar, not only for its return as a flagship series, but for what it represents on the road to the 2026 UCI Tissot Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai and, beyond that, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The Union Cycliste Internationale is reviving a historic platform that for years symbolised memorable duels, technical innovation and the crowning of stars in the world’s most demanding velodromes.
The 2026 season will be structured around three rounds across different continents, consolidating a global and strategic vision for track cycling. Perth, Hong Kong and Nilai will be the stages where the elite begin to measure themselves in a cycle that already carries an Olympic feel. It is not just about competing; it is about building rhythm, identity and hierarchy in a discipline where every thousandth of a second can define a legacy.
Perth sets the stage: tradition, talent and spectacle
The opening round will take place at the legendary SpeedDome in Perth, a venue inaugurated in 1989 that breathes history and specialisation. From 6 to 8 March, the UCI Track World Cup will come alive with a compact three-day format of intense competition, daily finals and a programme featuring all Olympic track events: keirin, individual sprint, team sprint, Madison, team pursuit and omnium. These will be complemented by the elimination race and side events showcasing a wide range of talent.
Perth will not only be the starting point, but also a window to the future. Junior scratch races will offer a glimpse of riders aspiring to headline upcoming cycles, while the 200m time trial by Australian UCI Para-cycling world champion Kane Perris will add an inclusive, high-performance dimension to the programme. The Australian velodrome, which hosted the 1997 World Championships, will once again become the epicentre of track cycling, blending tradition and renewal with every lap.
A global roadmap towards Shanghai and Los Angeles
Following the Australian round, the series will move to Hong Kong from 17 to 19 April, marking a strategic stop in Asia ahead of the 2026 UCI Tissot Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, scheduled for October. Just days later, from 24 to 26 April, Nilai, in Malaysia, will conclude the 2026 edition at its National Velodrome, reaffirming the expansion of track cycling in Southeast Asia and consolidating a truly intercontinental narrative.
The planning does not end there. The 2027 and 2028 editions already have confirmed calendars featuring three annual rounds at venues such as the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, in Canada, and the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, host of the track events at Paris 2024 and future venue of the 2027 World Championships. With this structure, the UCI is not only reviving a historic brand, but designing a clear competitive pathway that supports the development of athletes, national teams and technologies in the decisive stretch toward Los Angeles 2028.
