Leinster Track Championships Return to Sundrive Velodrome as Domestic Cycling Season Reaches Its Climax
The 2026 Leinster Track Championships will take place at the Sundrive Velodrome in Crumlin, Dublin, on 19 September, bringing the domestic track cycling season to a close with competition across a range of disciplines and age categories, as Ireland's cycling community looks to build on the momentum generated by the country's growing presence in international track competition.
Background
Track cycling has undergone a significant revival in Ireland over the past decade, driven in large part by the development of the Sundrive Velodrome in Crumlin, which opened in 2014 and has provided a dedicated indoor facility for the sport for the first time in the country's history. Before Sundrive, Irish track cyclists were forced to train and compete outdoors on temporary tracks or to travel abroad for access to indoor facilities, a significant disadvantage in a sport where the quality of the racing surface and the controlled environment of an indoor velodrome are critical to performance.
The velodrome, which is operated by Cycling Ireland and is located in the heart of a working-class Dublin community, has become a hub for the sport at all levels, from junior development programmes to elite national squad training. It has also hosted a series of international events that have raised the profile of track cycling in Ireland and provided domestic athletes with the experience of competing in front of home crowds.
The Leinster Track Championships are the final counting event of the domestic track season, providing an opportunity for athletes across the province to compete for provincial titles and to demonstrate their form ahead of the winter training period. The championships attract competitors from clubs across Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, and the other Leinster counties, and they serve as a showcase for the depth of talent in the province.
Key Developments
The 2026 championships will feature competition across the full range of track disciplines, including the sprint, keirin, team sprint, pursuit, points race, and omnium. Competition will be held across multiple age categories, from junior to elite, providing a pathway for young riders to progress through the competitive structure of the sport.
The event comes at a significant moment for Irish track cycling, with the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics beginning in earnest in the coming months. Cycling Ireland has identified track cycling as a priority discipline for Olympic qualification, and the domestic championships provide an important opportunity for selectors to assess the form and development of potential Olympic candidates.
The UCI Road World Championships took place in Montréal, Canada, in early September, providing a global context for the domestic season's conclusion. While Ireland's road cycling programme has historically been stronger than its track programme, the investment in Sundrive and the development of a dedicated track squad have begun to close the gap, and the Leinster championships will provide a measure of how far that development has progressed.
Why It Matters
Track cycling is one of the most technically demanding disciplines in sport, requiring a combination of explosive power, tactical intelligence, and the ability to perform under the intense pressure of velodrome racing. The development of a strong domestic track programme in Ireland is important not only for the sport itself but for the broader cycling ecosystem, as the physical qualities developed through track training — power, speed, and bike handling — transfer directly to road and mountain bike disciplines. The Sundrive Velodrome has been a transformative facility for Irish cycling, and the Leinster Track Championships are one of the most important events in its annual calendar. The championships also serve a social function, bringing together the cycling community from across the province and providing a celebration of the sport at the end of a long and demanding season.
Local Impact
For the Crumlin community in which the Sundrive Velodrome is located, the facility has been a significant asset. The velodrome provides employment, attracts visitors to the area, and offers a world-class sporting facility to a community that has historically had limited access to high-quality sports infrastructure. The Leinster Track Championships will bring competitors and supporters from across the province to Crumlin, generating activity for local businesses and providing a visible demonstration of the velodrome's value to the community. Cycling Ireland has also run development programmes at Sundrive that have introduced the sport to young people from the surrounding area, some of whom have gone on to compete at national and international level.
What's Next
The Leinster Track Championships on 19 September will be followed by the National Track Championships, which are expected to take place in October or November. Cycling Ireland will then begin the process of selecting athletes for the international track programme for the 2026-27 season, with a focus on events that carry Olympic qualification points. The organisation is also expected to announce details of its development programme for the coming year, including plans for the use of the Sundrive Velodrome as a training base for the national squad. The 2027 season will be the first full year of the Olympic qualification cycle for Los Angeles 2028, making it a critical period for Irish track cycling.
