The event, in the Lee Valley VeloPark on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which will see the world's best riders return to the venue which hosted track cycling at London 2012, had originally been scheduled to take place between February 24 until 28. 

But the move to avoid the Six Nations, one of the highlights of BBC Television's winter sports schedule, should ensure more media coverage of an event that will be a key part of cyclists' build-up to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.  

"The UCI, organisers and TV broadcasters worked hand in hand to find the best possible dates for our track marquee event, taking into account the international sporting calendar," said UCI President Brian Cookson.

This year's World Championships are due to start at the Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in Paris tomorrow. 

"One year after the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the new Velodrome National in Saint-Quentin, the best riders will compete in another world class venue, the Lee Valley VeloPark Velodrome, London," said Cookson.

British cyclists dominated the track cycling at London 2012, winning a total of nine medals, seven of them gold.

"We still have vivid memories of the track cycling raced there during the London 2012 Olympics, and next year's UCI World Championships promise to be another great event," said Cookson, the former President of British Cycling and widely credited with being behind the country's unprecedented success in the sport. 

The London 2012 track cycling events took place at the Lee Valley VeloPark ©Getty Images





Forming part of UK Sport's major events programme, which aims to bring 70 world class events to the country by 2019, the World Championships will also be a great opportunity for the public to show their support for Great Britain's cyclists in the final stage of the Olympic qualification process on the road to Rio 2016.

"The appetite for top-level international racing has rarely been higher in this country and it is with great excitement that we confirm the dates for the 2016 UCI World Track Cycling Championships," said British Cycling's cycle sport and membership director Jonny Clay.

"Becoming world champion in any year is a landmark moment in an athlete's career but in 2016, competitors in London will also be fighting for the chance to head to the Rio Olympics marked as the best in the world.

"Having the event in London allows the Great Britain cycling team to make a statement of intent to the world's best ahead of Rio 2016, while also providing the British public with the opportunity to give the team their backing.

"The major events we have delivered over the last decade have rightly been regarded as world class and I'm certain that the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in this iconic venue will be the best yet."

Tickets for the 2016 World Championships will be available soon and sold via Ticketmaster.

British Cycling members will be given priority access and will be notified about their opportunity to join the front of the queue, but anyone else interested in purchasing tickets should register now for updates by clicking here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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