The Tour of Thailand cycling race has become highly sought-after, with professional teams worldwide rushing to join the competition.

The international long-distance cycling event, Tour of Thailand 2026, is extremely popular, drawing numerous professional and national teams from all continents eager to compete. It is set to take place from 24 March to 2 April 2026, along routes in Nong Khai and Udon Thani provinces. "Sergeant Major Muek" revealed that the Cycling Association must carefully select participating teams across multiple dimensions, limiting both men's and women's teams to 20 each.

"Sergeant Major Muek," General Decha Hemkrasae, Vice President of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), President of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and President of the Cycling Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage, disclosed that the long-distance cycling races "Tour of Thailand 2026" and the women's "Women's Tour of Thailand 2026," competing for the royal trophy bestowed by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, scheduled from 24 March to 2 April 2026, have attracted overwhelming interest from professional teams worldwide. The number of applicants has exceeded the available slots, requiring stringent team selection to honor the prestige of the royal trophy.

General Decha stated that the men's competition of the Tour of Thailand 2026 is scheduled from 24 to 29 March 2026. The technical team of the Cycling Association has planned the route almost entirely within Nong Khai province, with some stages in Udon Thani province to showcase key tourist attractions in both provinces to a global audience via live broadcasts on Facebook Live and Thai PBS's YouTube channel. Due to the race's intense competition and world-class organizational standards, it has attracted leading professional teams from Europe, America, Africa, and Oceania to compete against Thai teams such as Thailand Continental and the national team in the men's category, as well as Thailand Women's Continental and the national women's team.

"Since the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced the 2025-2026 road cycling calendar in October 2025, the Cycling Association, as the organizer, has received numerous participation requests from professional teams worldwide. These include two UCI ProTeams from Italy: MBM Colpack and Solution Tech Vini Fantini, and from France, Unibet Rose Rocket. Many Continental teams from Europe have also applied, including Tarteletto-Isorex and Wagner-Basel from Belgium, Eneos Grenadier Racing Academy from the UK, Run and Race Solar Power from Germany, Parkhotel Valkenburg and Universe Cycling Team from the Netherlands, Anicolor-Taian 21 from Portugal, and CLN Kosovo from Switzerland. Additionally, the Cyprus national team has applied to compete in both men's and women's categories of the Women's Tour of Thailand 2026," General Decha said.

General Decha added that beyond European professional teams, there are also teams from Africa such as Chenolo Pro Cycling (South Africa); North America with Eurocycling Trip CCN (USA); Oceania with Cicache Bodywrap (Australia); and professional teams from Asia including Vino North Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan), Shimano Racing (Japan), Seoul Cycling and LX Cycling Team (South Korea), Heng Chiang and Quick Pro Team (China), 7-11 Click and Victoria Sport Pro (Philippines), Malaysia Pro Cycling (Malaysia), Nusantara and ASC Monster (Indonesia). The women's long-distance race, Women's Tour of Thailand 2026, has also attracted a strong lineup of professional and club teams from Europe, Asia, and Africa, including Nesetis (Switzerland), XDS Chinese Women's Team (China), USC Cidi Ali (Morocco), Bodywrap (Australia), OU7 Women's Cycling Team (Uzbekistan), as well as national teams from Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

"However, when inviting teams to participate in both the Tour of Thailand 2026 and Women's Tour of Thailand 2026, the association must carefully consider multiple factors, especially the development of cycling standards for Thai athletes and neighboring ASEAN countries, given my role as President of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF). We must evaluate factors such as the potential and standards of ASEAN cyclists, alongside the association's capacity as host. Organizing the event entails significant budget responsibilities, including accommodation and meals for participating teams, provision of team vehicles, and ensuring safety during the races. These demand substantial personnel and financial resources, leading us to limit the number of participating teams to 20 men's teams and 20 women's teams," General Decha concluded.

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