Thailand Cycling Teams Eye Olympic Points After Asian Games
Thai cycling teams will compete across multiple international championships to earn Olympic qualifying points for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, with road cyclists competing in Canada and Asia while BMX and track riders aim for World Cup and c
General Decha Megarasen, president of the Cycling Association of Thailand, revealed that the federation plans to send Thai national cycling teams across multiple disciplines to compete internationally to accumulate Olympic qualifying points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics following the completion of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The teams will compete in road cycling, track cycling, and BMX racing categories.
For road cycling, Thai-French cyclist Atith Pularad, who competes in the Asian Games men's individual time trial on September 20, will travel immediately to Montreal, Canada to compete at the UCI Road World Championships 2026 in the elite men's category. He will be joined by Thai-American rider Judah Thompson in the under-23 men's category and Captain Chanthapeng Nonthacin in the elite women's category, replacing rider Pithyaporn Saetan who faced visa complications.
Meanwhile, other Asian Games team cyclists will compete for the professional teams Thailand Continental Cycling and Thailand Women's Cycling Team. The men's team, featuring pilots Peeraphol Chawchiangkhwang and Thanakan Chaiyasamadet, will compete at the 2026 Tour of Langkawi in Malaysia from September 27 to October 4. The women's team, comprising four riders including Petchdarin Somrat and Chomnipon Battiya, will compete at the 2026 Tour of Zhongming Island in China from October 9-11 in UCI World Tour events, the highest level of road cycling.
For BMX racing, three-time Asian champion Gomet Sukprasert and Putthaphumi Nakpan will travel to China on September 28 to compete at the UCI BMX World Cup 2026, which features four rounds across two cities: rounds 5-6 in Mentougou on October 3-4 and rounds 7-8 in Zhangjiakou on October 10-11. All four events carry significant Olympic qualifying points, with individual round champions earning 500 points compared to 300 points for continental champions. Thailand's current ranking for the 2028 Olympic qualifying stands at 12th in the world.
For track cycling, Thailand's short-distance sprint team comprising Jai Angsudasavit, Norseth Bunyma, and Yuenyong Petchratchan will travel to Shanghai, China to compete at the UCI Track World Championships 2026 in team sprint and 1-kilometer time trial events after the Asian Games conclude. The Thai sprint team currently ranks 15th in the world.
