1. How Athletes Are Selected to Teams

USA Cycling is responsible for selecting the athletes who represent the United States in the highest level of international competition (e.g., Olympic Games, World Championships, or Pan-American Championships).  USA Cycling is committed to implementing a fair and transparent process which will place athletes who provide the United States with the greatest likelihood of success on the start line.  Athletes are selected according to clearly defined criteria and a clearly defined process.  There are two ways an athlete can make a team – by automatically qualifying or being selected according to discretionary criteria.

Automatic Selection

USA Cycling establishes specific automatic selection criteria for each event in each discipline.  By design, only proven contenders for medaling at the highest level of international competition will meet the automatic selection criteria.  Examples of automatic selection criteria include medaling at the most recent World Championships or ranking in the top 5 of the UCI World Cup rankings.  Automatic selection criteria are established by USA Cycling with input from its independent Selection Committee (explained further below) and a democratically elected representative of USA Cycling elite athletes known as the Athletes Advisory Council Representative (AAC Rep).  For qualification for the Olympic Games, the automatic selection criteria must also be approved by the US Olympic Committee (USOC).

Discretionary Selection

It is common that the United States will qualify for more available positions at an event than there are athletes who meet the automatic selection criteria.  In such cases, USA Cycling selects athletes on a discretionary basis using a clearly defined selection process.  Recommendations for who shall be selected are made by USA Cycling coaching staff, but final selection decisions are the responsibility of an independent, volunteer Selection Committee.  Decisions are made using criteria and decision-making guidelines defined in a document known as the Principles of Athlete Selection.  This document is created by USA Cycling with input from the Selection Committee, AAC Rep, and the USOC. 

2. Principles of Athlete Selection

The Principles of Athlete Selection is a document which details the criteria and decision-making guidelines to be used by USA Cycling coaches in making recommendations and by the Selection Committee in making the ultimate selection decisions. 

As outlined in the document, the Selection Committee selects athletes according to three priorities.  The first priority is the selection of athletes who have demonstrated that they are medal capable.  The second priority is the selection of those athletes who have demonstrated that their presence on the team will have a positive impact on the overall team performance and create a medal capable team environment.  The third priority is the selection of those athletes who have demonstrated the capacity to advance to the level of medal capability in the near future.

3. Selection Committee

The USA Cycling Selection Committee is the group of distinguished volunteers who make the difficult decisions when discretionary selections are needed in order to put the best athletes on the team.  The Selection Committee members serve eight year terms over two Olympic quadrennials.  During their terms they help create and approve all event selection procedures, monitor competitions, review data, and make selections for teams when needed. 

The committee members have all competed at the highest levels across all of USA Cycling’s five disciplines and have distinguished resumes on and off the bike.  Each committee member applied to serve on the committee and were chosen for their ability to be knowledgeable, objective, thorough, detail oriented, and unbiased.  

The current USA Cycling Selection Committee is:

4. Discipline-specific Selection Information

Looking for more on team selection, including automatic and discretionary selection forms? 

See discipline-specific information by clicking the panels below.

Olympics

July 24—August 9, 2020: Tokyo, Japan

Athlete Selection 

USA Cycling Games Athlete Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

Pan American Games

July 26—August 11, 2019: Lima, Peru

Athlete Selection

Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

World Championships

July 27-28, 2019: Zolder, Belgium

2020: Houston, Texas

BMX World Championships Automatic Qualification

Resources    

International BMX License Application

Challenge Class Athlete Information

Qualification events:

USA BMX Gator Nationals, Oldsmar, FL : February 22, 2019

USA BMX Spring Nationals, Albuquerque, NM : March 15, 2019

Challenge Selection Documents

USA BMX Challenge Class Page

UCI BMX International Rider License Form (PDF)

2018 Automatic Qualifiers

Frequently Asked Questions

USA BMX Registration Check List

Online Registration for BMX World Challenge

Team USA Jersey Logo Guidelines

Team USA Jersey Size Chart

Championship Class Athlete Information

Championship Selection Documents

Event Information

UCI Event Page

Official BMX World Championship Website

Official Schedule

Track Design

Challenge Practice Groups and Times

Rider Ticket Info

Tickets for Parents and Guests

Event Manual

UCI Rules

UCI World Championship Rule Book

UCI BMX Rule Book

World Cups

April 27-28, 2019: Manchester, GBR

May 11-12, 2019: Papendal, NED

June 8-9, 2019: Paris, FRA

September 14-15, 2019: Rock Hill, USA

September 28-29, 2019: Santiago Del Estero, ARG

Elite Supercross Race Program Automatic Qualification

Development

Development Camp Application

Olympics

July 24—August 9, 2020: Tokyo, Japan

Athlete Selection

USA Cycling Games Athlete Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

Pan American Games

July 26—August 11, 2019: Lima, Peru

Athlete Selection

Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

World Championships

November 7-11, 2018: Chengdu, China

UCI URBAN CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Selection Criteria – FREESTYLE PARK

Event Information

UCI Event Page

UCI Information for Freestyle riders

UCI Rules

UCI Rulebook

UCI Amendments as of 2.1.2018

World Cups

April 6-8, 2018: Hiroshima, Japan

May 9-13, 2018: Montpellier, France

July 14-15, 2018: Edmonton, Canada

September 7-9, 2018: Budapest, Hungary

November 2-4, 2018: Chengdu, China

Event Information

UCI Event Page

World Championships

February 2-3, 2019: Bogense, Denmark

2020 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Qualification Criteria

2020 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Qualification Explanation Document

CX World Championships Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form

World Cups

September 14, 2019 Iowa City, USA

September 22, 2019 Waterloo, USA

October 20, 2019 Bern, Switzerland

November 16, 2019 Tabor, Czech Republic

November 24, 2019 Koksijde, Belgium

December 22, 2019 Namur, Belgium

December 26, 2019 Heusden-Zolder, Belgium

January 19, 2020 Nommay, France

January 26, 2020 Hoogerheide, Netherlands

UCI Cyclocross World Cup Qualification Criteria

UCI Cyclocross World Cup Pre-Qualified Start Request

UCI Cyclocross World Cup Start Petition

UCI Cyclocross World Cup Housing/Staff Registration

Belgian Cyclocross Regulations

Continental Championships

The Pan American Championships is an open event for any rider with a UCI license. 

Development

Cyclocross Development Program Outline

Olympics

July 24—August 9, 2020: Tokyo, Japan

Athlete Selection

Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

Pan American Games

July 26—August 11, 2019: Lima, Peru

Athlete Selection

Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

World Championships

MTB World Championship Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form (All MTB Disciplines)

XCO/DH: August 28-September 21, 2019 – Mont-Saint-Anne, Canada

XCO World Championships Selection Criteria

Downhill World Championships Selection Criteria

4-Cross: August 1-2, 2019 – Val di Sole, Italy

4-Cross World Championships Selection Criteria

Marathon: September 22, 2019 – Grachen, Switzerland

Marathon World Championships Selection Criteria

Eliminator: November 8-10, 2019 - Chengdu, China

Eliminator World Championship Selection Criteria

E- MTB: August 28-September 21, 2019 - Mont-Saint-Anne, Canada

E-Mountain Bike World Championship Selection Criteria

World Cups

XCO-Cross-Country, XCC-Cross-Country Short Track, DHI-Downhill

Resources

UCI MTB World Cup Registration Procedures

UCI MTB World Cup Petition Process

UCI MTB World Cup Pre-Qualified Entry Request

UCI MTB World Cup Start Petition

Continental Championships

April 3-7, 2019– Aguascalientes, Mexico

XCO Pan American Continental Championships Athlete Selection

XCO Pan American Continental Championship Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form

April 12-14, 2019 Villa la Angostura Neuquen, Argentina

DH Pan American Continental Championships Athlete Selection

DH Pan American Continental Championship Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form

Olympics

July 24—August 9, 2020: Tokyo, Japan

Staff Selection

Road Men's and Women's Selection Criteria

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

Pan American Games

July 26—August 11, 2019: Lima, Peru

Athlete Selection

Road and Track Men's and Women's Selection Criteria (amended 4-5-19)

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

World Championships

September 22-29, 2019: Yorkshire, England

2019 Road Worlds - Athlete Selection Criteria - Elite Men and Women

2019 Road Worlds - Athlete Selection Criteria - U23 Men

2019 Road Worlds - Athlete Selection Criteria - Juniors Men and Women

Continental Championships

May 2-5, 2019: Zacatecas, Mexico

Pan American Continental Championships Selection Criteria - Elite Men and Women and U23 Men

Pan Am Championship Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form

Olympics

July 24—August 9, 2020: Tokyo, Japan

USA Cycling Athlete Selection Criteria

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

Pan American Games

July 26—August 11, 2019: Lima, Peru

Athlete Selection

Road and Track Men's and Women's Selection Criteria (amended 4-5-19)

Staff Selection

USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria

Elite Track World Championships

February 27- March 3, 2019 – Pruszkow, POL

World Championships Selection Criteria
World Championships Discretionary Petition

Junior Track World Championships

August 14-18, 2019 - Frankfurt, Germany

2019 Junior Track World Championships Selection Criteria

2019 Junior Track World Championships Discretionary Athlete Petition

Resources 

• Sprint Time Standards

World Cups

October 19-21, 2018 – Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines, France
October 26-28 – Milton, Ontario, Canada
November 30-December 2, 2018 – Berlin, Germany
December 14-16, 2018 – London, Great Britain
January 18-20, 2019 – Cambridge, New Zealand
January 25-27, 2019 – Hong Kong

2018/19 Track World Cup Selection Criteria

Elite Track World Cup Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form

Continental Championships

September 4-9, 2019 - Cochabamba, Bolivia

Pan American Continental Championships Selection Criteria

World Championships

BMX:

TBD

Masters Road Discretionary Athlete Nomination Form

Road:

TBD

Track:

2017/2018: Velo Sports Center, Los Angeles, CA

2019/2020: Manchester Velodrome, Manchester, ENG

MTB:

2018: Vallnord, AND

Cyclocross:

2018: Mol, BEL

Continental Championships 

2018: Orlando, FL