The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery today announce the new qualification system for the 2024 UCI Track Champions League.
The updated system outlines a clear and rigorous pathway for athletes to qualify, emphasizing performance in top-tier track competitions on the UCI Track International Calendar. The competitive and transparent selection process is designed to ensure the highest level of racing.
As of the 2024 edition, athletes can qualify for the UCI Track Champions League through outstanding results in the following events:
Olympic Games
UCI competitions:
Tissot UCI Track World Championships
Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup rounds
Previous UCI Track Champions League (overall winners).
Continental Championships:
UEC Track Elite European Championships
CAC Track African Championships
Pan American Track Championships
Oceania Track Championships
Asia Track Cycling Championships.
For the first time, Continental Champions who have also achieved a top-10 placing in the UCI Track Nations Cup or UCI Track World Championships in the previous 18 months, will qualify for the UCI Track Champions League. Winners of at least one round of the UCI Track Nations Cup – in the kerin and sprint for the Sprint League, and in the omnium and elimination for the Endurance League – will also earn a starting spot.
In addition, wild cards will be granted based on other exceptional performances in specific competitions or notable achievements such as a high number of points in UCI individual rankings. This wild card system aims to recognise a wide range of talents and promote diversity.
As in previous editions, the UCI Track Champions League will feature a total of 72 athletes, divided equally between the Sprint and Endurance Leagues, with 18 male and 18 female athletes in each category. The UCI points awarded to UCI Track Champions League participants remain unchanged, as does the prize money: €25,000 for the overall winners (men and women in each category).
UCI President David Lappartient said: “Thanks to the new qualification pathway, we can be sure that the 2024 UCI Track Champions League will be even more representative of the very best track cyclists from the world over. Our different stakeholders contributed to the review of the qualification system which reflects more than ever the depth of talent across the globe. Since its creation in 2021, the UCI Track Champions League has brought the curtain down on the track cycling season in spectacular fashion, and we can only look forward to this year’s edition with the participation of athletes who have proven they are amongst the best thanks to impressive results at events on the UCI Track International Calendar.”
Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, stated: “This new qualifying process is the result of a long period of reflection and debate among all the stakeholders involved in the development of the UCI Track Champions League since its inception: the governing body, the UCI, the global promoter, WBD Sports, but also athletes, National Federations, and local organizers. We are satisfied with the outcome and hope that this new system will grant greater sporting legitimacy to a competition that is already a consolidated benchmark in the international track cycling calendar and will continue attracting the best track cyclists in the world.”
The 2024 UCI Track Champions League will kick off on 23 November in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France), followed by rounds two (29 November) and three (30 November), in Apeldoorn (Netherlands), then round four (6 December) and the Grand Finale (7 December) in London (Great Britain).