Olympic and defending world champions will be competing at the Shanghai Velodrome for the 2026 Track World Championships this week, and you can watch it on the BBC.

There are 22 titles at stake and this is the first track cycling qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The championships, taking place between 14 and 18 October, will see riders compete for the coveted rainbow jerseys in a range of disciplines, with events split between endurance and sprint.

Great Britain finished second in 2025 with the Netherlands taking top spot with nine gold medals. Harrie Lavreysen was once again the dominant force for the Dutch team, winning an incredible four gold medals in the Keirin, Sprint, 1km Time Trial and the Team Sprint.

GB will be without one of their most decorated track cyclists, as reigning Madison world champion Katie Archibald hung up her cleats in May this year to pursue a career in nursing. Olympic team sprint champion Katy Marchant also announced her retirement last month.

They do, however, boast a strong team including eight riders who have won world titles and eight Olympic medallists.

Olympic team sprint champions Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell will be hoping to regain their world title. Welsh rider Finucane arrives in Shanghai after a brilliant summer which saw her win a record four golds at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow gold medallist Lowri Thomas and World and Commonwealth medallist Rhianna Parris-Smith complete the women’s sprint team.

Exciting young endurance prospects Millie Couzens, Erin Boothman and Abi Miller will all make their elite World Championships debuts. And there’s also plenty of experience with former world champions Meg Barker and Josie Knight, along with reigning individual pursuit champion Anna Morris.

On the men’s side, Commonwealth Games silver and bronze medallist Harry Ledingham-Horn will be hoping to improve on last year’s World Championships team sprint silver medal.

Matt Richardson, who beat the mighty Lavreysen to win the European sprint title earlier this year, returns from injury. The men’s sprint contingent is completed by the experienced Joe Truman and Ed Lowe, who won Olympic silver in the team sprint at Paris 2024.

GB endurance veterans Ethan Vernon, Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood, who have 15 Olympic and world medals between them, bring experience and strength. Also selected are brothers Noah and Henry Hobbs, and the men’s endurance squad is completed by Matt Bostock.

Schedule

Wednesday 14 October

Thursday 15 October

Friday 16 October

Saturday 17 October

Sunday 18 October

iPlayer and BBC Sport website