2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships returning to the US
Huntsville, Alabama has been awarded the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced today. The event will take place from September 4-7, 2026 in Cummings Research Park, marking the first time the Para-cycling Road World Championships have been held in the United States since 2014.
The announcement came concurrently with this week’s 2023 UCI Para-Cycling World Championships. It was made at a press conference held by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce to formally share the news with the local community.
“On behalf of U.S. Paralympics Cycling, we are extremely excited that the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships will once again be held here in the United States,” said Ian Lawless, Director of U.S. Paralympics Cycling. “Huntsville has successfully hosted numerous Para-cycling events and proven itself to be one of the most sought-after venues in the world for the sport. We cannot wait to return to this supportive community.”
The UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships brings together hundreds of athletes from around the world for four days of competition divided into three events: time trial, road race, and mixed team relay. Athletes compete across divisions including cycle, handbike, tricycle, and tandem.
Huntsville successfully hosted the 2021 and 2022 U.S. Paralympics Cycling Opens, and most recently, the 2023 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup earlier this year, which was the first-ever Para-cycling world cup held in the United States.
“Our athletes have continuously felt the support of the Huntsville community every time they return here, and it means the world to them,” said Julie Dussliere, Chief of Paralympics & Internally Managed Sports at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). “We are thrilled to return in 2026 and put on an even bigger show for this community and nations from around the globe.”
The last time the United States hosted the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships was in 2014 in Greenville, South Carolina.
“Our community is ready for the challenge, and we eagerly await the return of these talented athletes,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “We loved watching them compete this year. Our city is proud and thankful for the opportunity to host them again in 2026.”
The 2023 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships are currently taking place in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland this week, following the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Glasgow earlier this month. Both events are part of the first combined UCI Cycling World Championships being held in Glasgow and across Scotland, bringing together 13 different UCI World Championships.
Twenty-two American athletes, including 11 Paralympians and 8 former world champions, will be competing for Team USA at this year’s Para-cycling Road World Championships.
To learn more about the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Huntsville, click here.