World's best Para cyclists race for iconic UCI rainbow jersey in Huntsville
The 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships take place between 4 and 7 September in Huntsville, Alabama 04 Sep 2026
A total of 348 Para athletes from 49 countries are set to compete at the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, which take place between 4 and 7 September in Huntsville, Alabama.
Time trial races will be held on the first two days, followed by two days of road races. With two years to go until the LA28 Paralympic Games, the world’s best Para cycling athletes will race to win the iconic rainbow jersey of a UCI world champion.
Time trials
The time trial course is a 14.6km, fast, rolling circuit around the Cummings Research Park area, the second largest research park in the USA and fourth largest in the world. Riders will compete one or two laps of the circuit – 14.6km or 29.2km – depending on their sport class.
There are many Paralympic medallists and rising stars to watch out for in Huntsville.
France’s three-time Paralympic gold medallist Alexandre Leaute is hoping to add more titles to the 25 world titles he has won. He is expected to make his return after suffering a fracture of the femoral neck in a training crash in mid-April and missing the Para Cycling Road European Championships in June.
Another Paralympic champion to follow in the time trials is Katie-George Dunlevy of Ireland. Dunlevy and pilot Linda Kelly will be a force to be reckoned with in the tandem race. Dunlevy, who made her Paralympic debut at London 2012, has won eight Paralympic medals (four golds and four silvers).
Australia’s four-time Paralympic medallist Lauren Parker looks a strong contender in the WH3 category. She is the reigning UCI world champion in both the time trial and road race, plus she has numerous World Cup time trial wins to her name. She has also won Paralympic medals and world titles in Para triathlon. Few rivals can match her strength and versatility.
Road races
After two days of time trials on 4-5 September, the World Championships will continue with the road races and the mixed team relay on 6-7 September.
The road races will unfold on a fast, rolling 13.8km circuit with 76m of elevation gain around Cummings Research Park. Riders will complete between two and eight laps of the circuit – for a total distance of 27.6km to 110.4km – depending on their sport class.
Can Italian Federico Andreoli and his pilot Francesco Di Felice retain the title they won so impressively in Belgium last year? In Ronse, they delivered a tactical masterclass, using their opponents’ slipstreams during climbs before launching a race-winning attack. Thristan Bangma and Patrick Bos of the Netherlands, three-time UCI World Champions in the road race, gave chase but could only finish fifth.
Quan Shiqi is looking strong in the WT1 sport class. She has been virtually untouchable in the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup, winning four of her six races (three road races and one time trial). At just 18, her UCI World Championships resume is understandably limited, but she looks the most likely to challenge current UCI World Champion Marieke van Soest of the Netherlands.
France’s Florian Jouanny is one of this generation's finest handcyclists and competes in Huntsville as the favourite in his class. He is a two-time road race Paralympic champion, having won gold at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. He is also a multiple UCI world champion.
On Monday evening, the mixed men and women H1-5 team relay will close competition on a mostly-flat 2.1km out-and-back course. All nations will have their eyes on France, who have won the title for the last three years.
