The only U.S. stop of the 2026 UCI World Cup brings the world’s elite BMX Racing riders to Sarasota on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games

SARASOTA, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2026) — Sarasota BMX, in partnership with USA BMX and Visit Sarasota County, will host the final two rounds of the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Cup on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Rounds 9 and 10 will bring the world’s elite BMX Racing riders to Sarasota for the season finale of the 10-round international series and serve as the only stop in the United States on the event’s 2026 calendar.

“BMX Racing is an incredibly popular Olympic cycling discipline that continues to grow globally,” said UCI President David Lappartient. “The United States has played an important part in the discipline’s history, and we are delighted to bring the final rounds of the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Cup to Sarasota. Not only will the season’s overall winners be crowned at Sarasota BMX, but the riders will also have a chance to gain precious qualification points towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. We thank Sarasota BMX, USA BMX and Visit Sarasota County for their commitment to hosting world-class BMX Racing and for helping us bring the excitement of the discipline to new audiences.”

The event comes as Sarasota BMX was selected by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to host two UCI World Cup final rounds in 2026, and two in 2027. This year’s series runs through France, the Netherlands, and China before its Sarasota finale, where overall season titles in the Men Elite, Women Elite, Men Under 23, and Women Under 23 categories will be decided. The Sarasota rounds also fall within the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which opens with the UCI World Cup’s October rounds in China and runs through the 2028 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Houston. BMX Racing has been an Olympic discipline since the Beijing 2008 Games.

“We are very excited and honored to welcome hundreds of world-class athletes to Sarasota for the final rounds of the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Cup,” said USA BMX CEO B.A. Anderson. “Sarasota BMX, the world’s oldest continuously operating BMX track and Visit Sarasota have been doing their utmost to prepare for this international affair, and we have no doubt that the competitors have been doing the same. We anticipate a thrilling weekend of professional riding with Olympic qualification points on the line, so we encourage spectators to purchase their tickets as soon as possible.”

Sarasota BMX is the oldest continuously running BMX Racing track in the United States. The venue was upgraded to full UCI World Cup standards in 2016 and features an 8 meter (26.3 feet) starting ramp, built to host international elite competition. The facility is home to a year-round local racing program with USA BMX-certified coaching for riders at every level.

“We’re incredibly honored to welcome the UCI BMX Racing World Cup finals to Sarasota and to share this moment with the community that has supported Sarasota BMX for more than 50 years,” said Erma Miller, a decades-long spokesperson and volunteer for Sarasota BMX. “To see our track chosen to host the world’s best riders in both 2026 and 2027 is incredibly special, and we hope our friends, neighbors and local businesses will come out and experience the excitement of world-class BMX Racing right here in Sarasota.”

The UCI BMX Racing World Cup format differs from traditional BMX Racing events. Instead of three qualifying motos, riders complete a single qualifying run followed by a last-chance qualifier. Heats of up to eight riders advance through knockout rounds until eight remain for the final. Each round takes place in one day, allowing for two rounds per weekend. Points are awarded to the top 64 elite riders and the top 32 under-23 riders in each round, and the riders with the most points after Sarasota will be crowned the 2026 UCI World Cup overall winners.

“To have the world’s best riders competing here with UCI World Cup titles on the line, while Sarasota plays a role in their Road to 2028, speaks volumes about Sarasota BMX and our community’s ability to host events at the highest level,” said Pete Harvey, Director of Sports for Visit Sarasota County.

Racing will be streamed LIVE on the UCI YouTube channel (geo-blocking applies). Full competition schedules are available at https://www.sarasotacountyparks.com/programs-and-events/bmx-world-cup.

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About Sarasota BMX

Sarasota BMX is the oldest continuously running BMX track in the United States. For over 50 years, it has hosted local, state, regional, national, and international races. Its world-class supercross BMX track offers a thrilling experience, designed for riders ages 3 and up. Learn more: www.sarasotabmx.com/

About USA BMX

Established as the American Bicycle Association in 1977 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ABA is the nation’s largest cycling organization with more than 70,000 members with combined racing and freestyle events at more than 300 sanctioned BMX tracks across North America and Canada. ABA empowers and elevates the early stages of bicycle development by creating opportunities through facility development, programs, and national events. As a result, ABA has developed a structured blueprint. A cyclist can progress from humble beginnings on a balance bike to becoming a BMX Olympian by establishing these roots. Through STEAM, scholarships, freestyle amateur events, the national series, the Olympics and new facilities built across the United States, these four pillars under the USA BMX organization will impact young riders and families: USA BMX Foundation, USA BMX Freestyle, USA BMX Racing and ABA Ethos. Learn more: www.usabmx.com/.

About Visit Sarasota County

Visit Sarasota County is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, Visit Sarasota County makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 500 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. Visit Sarasota County is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com.

About the UCI 

Founded on April 14, 1900, in Paris, France, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms and for all people: as a competitive sport, a healthy recreational activity, a means of transport, and also just for fun. The UCI manages and promotes the 11 cycling disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, cyclo-cross, trials, indoor cycling, cycling esports, gravel and snow bike. Five of these are featured on the Olympic Games programme (road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle), and two in the Paralympic Games (road and track). Cycling also features on the programme of the Youth Olympic Games. For more information:www.uci.org.