The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recently informed all national federations qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games about their allocated quota places. All the competitors will be vying to achieve a repeat of Anna Kiesenhofer’s victory in Tokyo in 2021. Countries can send a maximum of four female cyclists based on their earned quota spots. Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have secured the maximum allotment, allowing them to send four women each to France.
2024 Olympic Games Road Race allocation method
In total, ninety cyclists will participate in the Games. The UCI Nation Ranking as of October 17, 2023, is crucial for qualification. The top five countries in this ranking can send four cyclists each, the next five countries can each send three, and the nations ranked 11th to 20th can dispatch two cyclists. Countries ranking from 21st to 45th will send one cyclist each, filling eighty of the ninety spots based on the 2023 UCI Nations Ranking.
The remaining ten spots are allocated as follows: 1) the two highest-ranked countries at the World Championship road race not already qualified, 2) the two highest-ranked at the African Championships, 3) the two highest-ranked at the Asian Championships, and 4) the two highest-ranked at the Pan-American Championships.
Host nation France automatically receives two spots. If they qualify through regular channels, these spots will be given to the next nation on the UCI Nation Ranking 2023 that hasn’t already qualified.
There is currently ambiguity regarding the participation of Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics. While the IOC and UCI have made statements about Russian athletes, there has been no update concerning those from Belarus. Should Belarus be barred from participating and its athletes not allowed to compete individually or neutrally, the spot will go to Zimbabwe, currently 48th on the UCI Ranking.
Even with the maximum allocation, the Dutch will have a tough job selecting their 4 riders. With numerous elite cyclists to choose from, national coach Loes Gunnewijk has the tough task of selecting only four to represent the nation in France. Recently, she and six athletes on the long list, including Ellen van Dijk, Charlotte Kool, Riejanne Markus, Demi Vollering, Marianne Vos and Lorena Wiebes, surveyed the course. However, other strong contenders like Shirin van Anrooij, Micha Bredewold, Floortje Mackaij, Lucinda Brand and Fem van Empel also vie for selection, adding to the selection dilemma.
2024 Olympic Games Women’s Road Race allocation
Correct as of 25th November – the UCI has made a few recent changes to points allocations. That has seen Poland overtake Great Britain who had occupied the 5th spot originally as the race season drew to a close in mid-October.
4 riders
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Belgium
- Switzerland
- Poland
3 riders
- Great Britain
- France
- Australia
- Germany
- Denmark
2 riders
- Canada
- United States
- Austria
- New Zealand
- Spain
- South Africa
- Norway
- Uzbekistan
- Cuba
- Slovenia
1 rider
- China
- Individual Neutral Athlete*
- Finland
- Ukraine
- Colombia
- Sweden
- Hong Kong
- Czech Republic
- Rwanda
- Thailand
- Ireland
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Belarus*
- Mauritius
- Brazil
- Chile
- South Korea
- Slovakia
- Namibia
- Algeria
- Israel
- Portugal
- Hungary
Based on the World Championship results – 1 rider
- Latvia
- Trinidad & Tobago
Based on the African Championship – 1 rider
- Burkina Faso
- Nigeria
Based on the Asian Championship – 1 rider
- Vietnam
- Malaysia
Based on the Pan-American Championship – 1 rider
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
Reallocation of Places – 1 rider
- Lithuania
- United Arab Emirates
- Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe’s spot is contingent on the IOC and UCI’s decision regarding the participation of Belarus)
