A formidable ARA Australian Cycling Team will be hunting for rainbow stripes when they hit the streets of Huntsville, Alabama for the 2026 UCI Para Cycling Road World Championships.
Among the 11-strong Australian squad racing from September 4-7 are four dual world champions who will be out to defend their road and time trial world titles from 2025.
Australia won nine gold medals at the 2025 UCI Para Cycling Road World Championships. Image: SWPix
The team will be looking to build on last year's history-making campaign where they won nine gold medals, and secured Australia's first-ever medal in the Mixed Team Relay with silver.
The courses
Time trials on Friday and Saturday will be raced on various laps of an undulating 14.6-kilometre circuit with 74m of elevation gain per lap.
The road race course on Sunday and Monday will be various laps of the 13.8-kilometre circuit.
Each lap will have 76m of elevation gain.
The team relay will be nine laps of a 2.1-kilometre punchy course.
What they said
Grant Allen won the silver medal last year in the mixed team relay alongside Lauren Parker and Alex Welsh.
He said: "This year's course looks straightforward but will be pretty challenging with some punchy hills on the relay course.
"It’s also the first year all teams have to race as a mixed team, with at least one female member. For us, we’ve always raced this way so it will be interesting to see how the other teams go with this change. For me, I’m here to have a bloody good time riding my bike and hopefully pick up some good results along the way."
Grant Allen, Lauren Parker and Alex Welsh won silver in the team relay last year. Image: SWPix
2025 dual world champion Tara Neyland returns to Huntsville to defend the rainbow stripes.
"To wear the green and gold and find myself in the fight for the rainbows again is a huge achievement in itself. Being here is already the win. Everything that follows is a bonus," she said.
"Representing Australia on the world stage is something you can never take for granted. Whatever the outcome, I’m incredibly proud to be here - representing my country, my family and friends, and everyone who has helped me get to this start line."
Tara Neyland won two world titles on debut in Belgium last year. Image: SWPix
ARA Australian Cycling Team
Men
- Grant Allen – H4 (Inside Line Inc/SA)
- Alistair Donohoe – C5 (Blackburn CC/VIC)
- Darren Hicks – C2 (Norwood CC/SA)
- Alex Welsh – H3 (Lifecycle Cycling Club/QLD)
Women
- Tahlia Clayton-Goodie – C1 (Geelong and Surf Coast CC/VIC)
- Alana Forster – C5 (Ballarat Sebastopol CC/VIC)
- Meg Lemon – C4 (Port Adelaide CC/SA)
- Emma Mickle – C3 (Southern Masters CC/VIC)
- Tara Neyland – C4 (Brunswick CC/VIC)
- Lauren Parker – H3 (Newcastle Hunter CC/NSW)
- Emily Petricola – C3 (St Kilda CC/VIC)
Darren Hicks returns for another tilt at the rainbow jerseys in Alabama. Image: SWPix
Schedule
Friday, September 4 (Time Trials)
From: 13:00 local / 04:00 (+1) AEST
- Grant Allen
- Alex Welsh
- Lauren Parker
Saturday, September 5 (Time Trials)
From: 10:00 local / 1:00 (+1) AEST
- Alana Forster
- Darren Hicks
- Alistair Donohoe
- Meg Lemon
- Emily Petricola
- Tara Neyland
- Emma Mickle
- Tahlia Clayton-Goodie
Sunday, September 6 (Road Races)
From: 9:00 local / 12:00 (+1) AEST
- Grant Allen
- Alex Welsh
- Lauren Parker
Monday, September 7 (Road Races and Team Relay)
From: 08:o0 local / 23:oo AEST
- Alana Forster
- Meg Lemon
- Emily Petricola
- Tara Neyland
- Emma Mickle
- Tahlia Clayton-Goodie
- Alistair Donohoe
- Darren Hicks
- Team Relay (Grant Allen, Lauren Parker, Alex Welsh)
See the full schedule here.
How to watch
The road races on Sunday and Monday will be broadcast on the UCI YouTube channel for Australian viewers.
Results
Start lists, results and live timing can be found here.