How to qualify in Para cycling
How para cyclists qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics
Para cycling at LA28 has 51 medal events (28 men's, 21 women's, 2 mixed) and 220 places: 140 for men and 80 for women. A tandem (a blind or visually impaired rider with a sighted pilot) counts as one place.
Unlike most sports, places go to the country (the National Paralympic Committee), which then chooses its riders. They come in two rounds, both from rankings of countries that add up their riders' points on road and track:
- The 2026 UCI Nations Ranking (results in 2026): the best countries in each region get one place each, 48 men's and 29 women's.
- The 2028 UCI Paralympic Ranking (results from 1 January 2027 to 18 June 2028): the remaining 87 men's and 46 women's places are shared out in proportion to points.
Five places for each gender go by invitation.
A country can win at most 13 men's and 7 women's places (20 in all). Each rider must enter at least two events.
Places by route
| Route | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 UCI Nations Ranking, by region | 48 | 29 |
| 2028 UCI Paralympic Ranking, in proportion to points | 87 | 46 |
| Bipartite Commission Invitations (to the rider) | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 140 | 80 |
Round 1: 2026 Nations Ranking
The best-ranked countries on the UCI para cycling nations ranking for each gender (road and track together) at 31 December 2026 win one place each, until each region's quota is full:
| Region | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 23 | 14 |
| Americas | 10 | 6 |
| Asia | 8 | 5 |
| Oceania | 3 | 2 |
| Africa | 4 | 2 |
| Total | 48 | 29 |
To keep a place, the country must have at least one rider of that gender at one of these: the 2027 or 2028 Track World Championships, the 2027 or 2028 Road World Championships, or a 2027 or 2028 Road World Cup before 18 June 2028. Places not kept pass to round 2.
Round 2: 2028 Paralympic Ranking
The 2028 UCI Paralympic Ranking adds together, for each country:
- its 2027 UCI Nations Ranking points;
- the 2028 Road World Championships (Sunshine Coast, Australia);
- the 2028 Track World Championships (host to be named);
- every round of the 2028 Road World Cup.
The ranking closes on 18 June 2028. Places are then shared out by a factor:
factor = all countries' points added together ÷ places available a country's places = its points ÷ factor (at most 13 men's, 7 women's)
The UCI may adjust the factor slightly to hit the totals, and may round down to stay within them.
Made up to show the arithmetic. Suppose all countries together have 174,000 points in the men's ranking and 87 men's places remain. The factor is 174,000 ÷ 87 = 2,000. A country with 9,300 points gets 9,300 ÷ 2,000 = 4.65, so about four places (rounded down).
Ring-fenced places
To make sure every event can be held, the UCI can ring-fence some of a country's places for a particular sport class: the country keeps that place only if it enters an eligible rider in that class.
Eligibility and entries
- A UCI licence from a national federation.
- At least 14 years old by 31 December 2028; tandem pilots at least 18.
- At least one sanctioned international para cycling race between 1 January 2026 and 18 June 2028.
- International classification (not needed for pilots).
- Up to three riders per individual event; in combined-class events, three per class and five per event; one team per team event; each rider at least two events.
The events
Track: 1 km time trials, scratch races, elimination races, sprints and individual pursuits, for C (cycle), B (tandem) classes, and a mixed C1-5 team sprint. Road: road races and time trials for B, C, H (handbike) and T (tricycle) classes, and a mixed H1-5 team relay. Several events combine classes, with times factored by class.
Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 December 2026 | 2026 Nations Ranking period |
| 1 January 2027 | 2028 Paralympic Ranking period opens |
| 5 May 2028 | Accreditation Long List due |
| 7 June 2028 | Invitation applications open |
| 18 June 2028 | 2028 Paralympic Ranking closes |
| 23 June 2028 | UCI tells countries their places and ring-fenced classes |
| 3 July 2028 | Invitation applications close |
| 5 July 2028 | Countries confirm their places |
| 10 July 2028 | Reallocation and invitations announced; countries declare use |
| 24 July 2028 | Sport entries close |
Unused places go out as invitations; after 10 July 2028 they go back to the IPC.