The 2016 UCI Track World Championships in London will take place on the first weekend of March to avoid a clash with the RBS 6 Nations rugby tournament.
Many of the world’s best riders will gather at the Lee Valley VeloPark between March 2 and 6, a week after the dates initially set by the UCI.
But with a wider television coverage in mind, the sport’s governing body decided that moving the championships to a weekend without international rugby would be the best option.
UCI president, Brian Cookson, said: “The UCI, organisers and TV broadcasters worked hand in hand to find the best possible dates for our track flagship event, taking into account the international sporting calendar.
“One year after the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the new Vélodrome National in Saint-Quentin, the best riders will compete in another world class venue, the Lee Valley VeloPark velodrome, London.
“We still have vivid memories of the track cycling raced there during the London 2012 Olympics, and last December’s UCI World Cup was also very successful. Next year’s UCI World Championships promise to be another great event.”
Tickets for the championships will reportedly go on sale in coming months, with spectators able to register their interest on the event’s website.
British Cycling’s cycle sport and membership director, Jonny Clay, said: “The appetite for top-level international racing has rarely been higher in this country and it is with great excitement that we confirm the dates for the 2016 UCI World Track Cycling Championships.
“Becoming world champion in any year is a landmark moment in an athlete’s career but in 2016, competitors in London will also be fighting for the chance to head to the Rio Olympics marked as the best in the world.
“Having the event in London allows the Great Britain Cycling Team to make a statement of intent to the world’s best ahead of Rio 2016, while also providing the British public with the opportunity to give the team their backing.”
-
-
Ineos Grenadiers extend partnership with Science in Sport
British sports nutrition brand on board with Ineos for another three years
By Simon Smythe •
-
Giro d'Italia 2021: Rider start times for the opening stage one time trial
The rider start times for the opening stage of the 2021 Italian Grand Tour
By Jonny Long •
-
Six Day Series goes virtual with Olympic and European champions
The 2020 London edition was postponed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic
By Jonny Long •
-
Four, the record: Inside the race to smash the Individual Pursuit four-minute barrier
The individual pursuit may no longer be an Olympic event but the race to break the four-minute barrier has taken on a new urgency
By Simon Smythe •
-
European Track Championships: race schedule and how to watch
Eurosport will be showing extensive coverage of the European Track Championships over the next five days
By Simon Collis •
-
Cycling world pays tribute to Belgian cycling legend Patrick Sercu
Sercu died at the age of 74 on Friday
By Jonny Long •
-
Olympic champion Callum Skinner steps away from British track team
Olympic champion Callum Skinner is calling time on his elite track cycling career, after 11 years in the sport.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Omnium bronze for Hayter at track world championships
Ethan Hayter put in a solid omnium performance but slipped off the top spot in the final points race as New Zealand's Campbell Steward took a late lap and with it the gold medal.
By Simon Richardson •
-
Neah Evans: From a veterinary practice to the track world championships
Neah Evans will make her world championship debut today in Pruszkow, Poland. Her trajectory has been rapid but the path has been anything but typical.
By Vern Pitt •
-
Katie Archibald pulled from women's Madison due to concussion
Archibald crashed during the omnium points race and was allowed to continue at first
By Simon Richardson •
