A total of 80 riders have entered the event at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, which would play host to cycling if Los Angeles is successful with its bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This is less than half of the 215 competitors who took part at the 2016 edition of the event in Montichiari in Italy.

The short notice period athletes given by the UCI is widely blamed.

The sport's worldwide governing body only announced the Championships would be staged in Los Angeles on January 9.

That left riders only seven weeks to prepare and prompted some of Para-cycling's leading names, such as Britain's four-time Paralympic gold medallist Jody Cundy, to criticise the UCI.

Cundy, who is on the British team for the event in the American city, told the BBC last month that the UCI risked making the sport look "Mickey Mouse".

"I know of athletes not going because it is too close for them to even get back on the track, while other nations are not going because they do not have the funding," the 38-year-old, a 12-time world champion, said. 

"I am not sure the message it sends to go to Los Angeles with half of the normal competitors."

Another Briton, Dame Sarah Storey, claimed last year that there was a "lack of clarity" over the organisation of major events in Para-cycling.

UCI President Brian Cookson insisted however, that progress in Para-cycling was being made by the governing body.

The United States has the largest delegation of athletes at the upcoming World Championships, due conclude on Sunday (March 5), with 14 riders.

It includes Joseph Berenyi, who has two titles to defend in the C3 individual pursuit and one kilometre time trial events.

Shawn Morelli, C4 world champion and Paralympic gold medallist in the individual pursuit, has also been selected.

A total of 20 countries will be represented, with 28 gold medals on offer.