Canadian track riders criticize plan to cut women's team pursuit

As Canadian Cycling Magazine reports, members of the Canadian women's track program have sent an open letter to Cycling Canada and other organizations involved in track cycling in the country to criticize the decision not to send a women's team pursuit squad to Worlds in Shanghai, China. Although not as successful in the discipline recently, Canada medaled at the Olympics in the women's team pursuit in both 2012 and 2016.

The letter notes that the team pursuit is a better Olympic qualification pathway for Canada than other disciplines and also that the women's team pursuit squad has secured results to rival those of the men's team pursuit squad, in addition to making other points.

"This decision directly contradicts prior communication from Cycling Canada leadership," reads the letter. "In an email dated April 8, 2026, Sebastien Travers stated: 'Our first priority is maintaining participation in the world championships in all the disciplines in which Canada is traditionally represented.' The women’s team pursuit is a discipline in which Canada has consistently participated and achieved success internationally. The announcement that the women’s team pursuit will not attend the 2026 world championships is therefore inconsistent with this stated priority." [Canadian Cycling Magazine]