UCI calls off Urban Cycling World Championships in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh airport attacks

Cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, has called off the 2026 Urban Cycling World Championships in Saudi Arabia, an event that doubled as a qualifier for BMX freestyle at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, after repeated missile and drone strikes on Riyadh’s main airport.

The UCI and the Saudi Cycling Federation announced on Friday, 16 October, that the championships “will not proceed”, according to Cyclingnews and the Associated Press. The event, covering BMX freestyle (park and flatland) and trials, was due to run in Riyadh from 3 to 7 November.

Decision follows team withdrawals

The two bodies said the call was taken after a “joint assessment” of developments in the region. The UCI said it “regrets having to take this decision” and would “communicate shortly” on what the cancellation means for sporting results and qualification, Cyclingnews reported.

The announcement came a few hours after AusCycling, Australia’s national federation, pulled its squad. Citing government travel advice, it said it “cannot justify exposing our athletes and staff to these risks”, according to both reports. Several other national federations had already withdrawn.

The Saudi federation said it remained committed to growing cycling in the kingdom and to bringing major international events to the country.

Olympic qualification in question

• Event dates: 3 to 7 November 2026, Riyadh
• Disciplines: BMX freestyle park, BMX freestyle flatland, trials
• Olympic stakes: two men’s and two women’s BMX freestyle park places for LA 2028 were to be decided here, the AP said
• Saudi Arabia also hosted the 2025 edition in Riyadh under a two-year deal

The UCI has not yet said whether those Olympic places will be allotted through another event or whether the championships will be staged elsewhere this year.

Airport attacks and closure

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been hit several times over roughly 10 days in attacks blamed on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Escape Collective and Cyclingnews put the death toll at about 18, with hundreds injured. Escape Collective reported earlier in the week that a Saudia A320 was destroyed on the ground in one strike and a terminal building was hit in another.

The Daily Rostrum reported on 13 October that Saudi authorities had shut the airport until 17 October. A notice to airmen keeps it closed until 21:00 UTC on Saturday, 17 October (2:30 am IST on Sunday), according to aviation outlet ITIJ and travel site Wego. Neither outlet reported a confirmed reopening date, and Wego noted that flights would not automatically resume once the notice lapses. As of Saturday, no reopening announcement from Saudi aviation authorities could be confirmed.

Several airlines have pushed suspensions further. ITIJ reported that Air France-KLM has halted Riyadh services until the end of October and Philippine Airlines until 29 November, while Air India and IndiGo have also cancelled or rescheduled flights.

Sources: Cyclingnews, AP via Yahoo Sports, Escape Collective, Escape Collective (14 Oct), ITIJ, Wego