The 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships will be held in Huntsville, Alabama, (USA) from 4 to 7 September.
It is one of the leading para cycling events of the year alongside the UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships (to be held in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands next month) and the different rounds of the UCI Para cycling Road World Cup. Para cycling, which made its Paralympic debut in 1984, has been officially administered by the UCI since 2007.
The UCI Para cycling Road World Championships include individual time trials and road races in four sport divisions C (cycles), H (handcycles), T (tricycle) and B (tandem) as well as a mixed H team relay. The first three divisions are divided into different sport classes – C (1-5), T (1-2) and H (1-5) –, with each number indicating a specific grouping of functional impairment.
We take a closer look at the sport divisions and the athletes who have excelled.
C: Ten Argilés and Storey among the legends
The C sport division is for athletes who ride a conventional bicycle but have a physical impairment that affects their ability to cycle. This includes limb deficiencies, amputations, impaired muscle strength or certain neurological conditions. Bikes are adapted according to the needs of each athlete, for example with modified cranks, prosthetic attachments or other adjustments.
One of the standout athletes in this division is Spanish C1 rider Ricardo Ten Argilés, who not only has an impressive sporting career but is also one of the most popular athletes on the circuit. A decorated swimmer and multiple UCI World and Paralympic Champion in cycling, Ten Argilés is now in his fifties but continues to compete and inspire. He plans to challenge for gold at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.
On the women’s side, the recently retired C5 athlete Dame Sarah Storey (GBR) is arguably para cycling’s – and even para sports’ – greatest female athlete. Also a former swimmer, her cycling career saw her win numerous gold medals on the road and track across multiple Paralympic Games and UCI World Championships.
H: all in the arm power
The H division is for athletes who are unable to effectively propel a conventional bicycle with their legs. Instead, they race on a handcycle, using their arms and upper body to drive their machine.
Former motor racing driver Alex Zanardi (Italy) had both legs amputated after a major crash in 2001. He then became a handcycling icon who won four Paralympic golds, plus 12 UCI world titles in the H4 and H5 sport classes between 2012 and 2019. The popular and inspirational athlete died in May this year, six years after a serious accident while racing in Tuscany, Italy.
The Netherlands’ Jennette Jansen (H4) is a veteran of Paralympic sports (athletics and basketball) who then became a world-class handcyclist. She’s UCI World Champion many times over and won road race gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
T: athletes on three wheels
The T division is for athletes who have significant problems with balance, coordination or control, so require a three-wheeled cycle for stability. Two recently-retired athletes have left a remarkable legacy in this division.
Germany’s Hans-Peter Durst, who retired from competition in 2022, left a remarkable stamp on the T2 sport class. After a car accident in 1994, he took up para cycling and won both the road race and time trial at the Rio 2016 Paralympics as well as five titles of UCI World Champion between 2015 and 2019.
A former swimmer and rower, Australian Carol Cooke (T2) was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998. After narrowly missing out on selection for the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in rowing, she took up para cycling, the beginning of an illustrious career. Carol Cooke retired from competition in 2024 with three Paralympic golds to her name (including the time trial – road race double at Rio 2016), plus nine UCI world titles.
B: two-rider effort
Blind and visually impaired athletes compete on a tandem bicycle with a sighted rider, known as the pilot, sitting at the front.
Tristan Bangma (NED)has multiple Paralympic and UCI world titles to his name, alongside pilots Teun Mulder and Patrick Bos. That includes three golds at Paris 2024 – two on the road and one on the track.
Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy is one of tandem’s most decorated riders. She has won multiple Paralympic gold medals and UCI world titles and medals across road and track. Her partners have included Evie McCrystal and Linda Kelly.