Iúri Leitão ‘leads’ the six summoned from Portugal to the World Championship, with the list not to include Rui Oliveira, the other Olympic madison champion in Paris2024, today released the Portuguese Cycling Federation (FPC).
© Lusa
05/10/2026
by
Lusa
ANDm male, the selector Gabriel Mendes summoned the double Olympic medalist Iúri Leitão, Ivo Oliveira, already medaled in Mundials, Diogo Narciso and Miguel Salgueiro, while Olympic pioneer Maria Martins and Daniela Campos will represent the national team in women's races.
“I consider that a factor that will contribute to raising the level of demand of the tests and the quality of the athletes will be the fact that this competition is the first point for the Olympic qualification ranking to count to Los Angeles2028,” said Gabriel Mendes, quoted in a statement by the FPC.
The track World Championship is held between October 14 and 18 at the Shanghai Velodrome in China, and will be the first competition to count for the Olympic ranking of madison and omnium.
Portugal has the ‘responsibility’ to defend in Los Angeles2028 the two medals won in Paris2024: the gold, in madison, of Rui Oliveira and Leitão, the first Portuguese to add two medals in the same edition of the Games, by being equally runner-up in the omnium.
“ Everyone will seek to be as high as their capabilities in Shanghai, to achieve the best possible results and to start the clearance process well. This reality will be the matrix of competition. Our medium-term goal is to be in the fight and successfully finish the qualification of Portugal for LA2028 ", advanced Mendes.
The runway selector admitted that the results in the Olympic competitions will be “a priority”, but also highlighted the importance of the performances “in the other endurance events”, which contribute directly to the UCI rankings, “determines in the qualification process for the 2027 Track World Championship”.
Only on the eve of the Mundials, Gabriel Mendes will communicate what evidence each runner will compete in Shanghai.
The male elites will participate in the omnium, the madison, the points race, the elimination, the individual chase and the scratch, while Maria Martins and Daniela Campos will compete for the omnium races, the points race, scratch and elimination.