TWELVE countries have confirmed their participation in Team Drive Phase Sport’s (DPS) Speed Paradise and Carnival of Speed events to be held at the National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva, from April 26-27 and 29-30 respectively.

Precious International Cycling Union (UCI) class two points will be up for grabs for the competing bunch to aid their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Tokyo Olympic debutant Kwesi Browne (keirin) is expected to lead the Trinidad and Tobago team while world-flying 200m record holder Nicholas Paul is yet to confirm his participation. The full TT team will be named soon.

Spearheading the international contingent is Canada’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic women’s keirin bronze medallist Laurain Genest and compatriots Nick Wammes and Ryan Dodyk.

Other competing nations are New Zealand, USA, Argentina, Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Great Britain, Mexico, Suriname and Thailand.

According to event organiser Robert Farrier, “The objective of Team DPS is to give cyclists the opportunity to obtain UCI points contributing to their world ranking and to aid in their qualification for Paris 2024.”

A statement released by Team DPS on Thursday said that the most important Olympic qualifying event is the World Championships 2023 (August) since it awards the highest value UCI points.

Qualification for the World Champs is based on the highest world ranking of riders’ UCI points. However, riders gain UCI points and world ranking by competing in nice UCI-sanctioned events over a 52-week period ending on June 10.

The statement added, “The importance of hosting two UCI events in Trinidad is that it is economically beneficial to riders in TT, the Caribbean and the wider Western region since most of the events on the UCI calendar are hosted in European and Asian countries.

“This means that athletes have the opportunity to compete for two sets of UCI points over a five-day period.”

There will be a variety of events such as sprint, keirin, scratch race, elimination and omnium for both men and women.

TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) and Commonwealth Games Association president Diane Henderson said, “I would like to say congratulations on stepping up and hosting these events which will provide the necessary competition and UCI points to allow athletes to improve their performances.

“The fact that we now have a UCI-certified velodrome, and other world-class venues, the responsibility rests with us the organisations and clubs to demonstrate the abilities to host in TT.

“Bringing competitors from around the region to our shores augurs well for all of us to better compete against the World.”

Schedules

Speed Paradise: April 26-27 (5pm)

Carnival of Speed: April 29-30 (3pm)