“Sergeant Major Muek” confirmed that the war between the US-Israel and Iran will not affect the international long-distance cycling race "Tour of Thailand 2026." It will proceed as planned.
“Sergeant Major Muek,” General Decha Hemkrasri, 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, revealed that the outbreak of war in the Middle East between the US-Israel alliance and Iran has severely impacted air travel. Airports in the Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, as well as airports in Qatar, all major hubs connecting Asia and Europe, have been affected, leading to airport closures and numerous flight cancellations.
General Decha stated that due to these issues, the Cycling Association of Thailand, as the host of the international cycling race "Tour of Thailand 2026," competing for the Royal Trophy of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, with routes in Nong Khai and Udon Thani provinces from 24 March to 2 April, has already checked with all participating teams. It appears that there will be no impact on their ability to join the competition.
“Among the 20 men's teams participating are professional teams from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Australia, the Philippines, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and professional Thai teams. National teams include Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. These teams can travel directly to Thailand without passing through Middle Eastern routes. Only the Quick-Step team from Estonia, based in Europe, may face travel difficulties. For the women's category, nearly all teams' travel routes remain unaffected, except for the VIB Sports Team, a club from Iraq, which may encounter problems. The Foreign Affairs Department of the Cycling Association of Thailand is currently coordinating with these teams to confirm any travel issues. Should Quick-Step or VIB Sports be unable to attend, reserve teams are ready to participate immediately, ensuring no reduction in total team numbers,” General Decha explained.
General Decha added that to be cautious, the Foreign Affairs Department of the Cycling Association of Thailand has sent inquiries to all participating teams, both men's and women's, to verify their readiness and ensure no quota spots are lost. If any team faces issues, the organizers will immediately invite waiting teams to take their place.
General Decha further stated that the teams participating in the "Tour of Thailand 2026" men's category include Thailand Continental Team, Roojai Insurance Winspec, Grant Thornton, and the Thailand national team. Other teams are Terengganu Cycling Team (Malaysia), Li Ning Star (China), Vino-North Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan), Nusantara (Indonesia), St. George Continental (Australia), 7-Eleven Cliqq (Philippines), LX Cycling (South Korea), Malaysia Pro Cycling (Malaysia), KSPO (South Korea), Finex-Heng Chiang (China), Quick-Step (Estonia), Shimano Racing (Japan), China Anta (China), Go For Gold (Philippines), Singapore national team, and Vietnam national team.
For the women's category, participating teams include Thailand Women's Team and the Thailand national team, Malaysia national team, Singapore national team, Vietnam national team, Indonesia national team, Uzbekistan national team, Kazakhstan national team, Laos national team, Kedah Loga (Malaysia), XDS China (China), VIB Sports Team (Iraq), Standard Insurance (Philippines), BikeWheel.com (Australia), Dong Thap (Vietnam), Li Ning Star Ladies (China), GRC Valky (China), Body Wrap Women's (China), GNCF Nick (China), and KZO (Kazakhstan).
The international long-distance cycling race "Tour of Thailand 2026" is scheduled from 24 March to 2 April, covering a total distance of 1,113.70 kilometers. The men's category will compete in six stages from 24 to 29 March across Nong Khai and Udon Thani provinces, covering 816.60 kilometers. The women's category will compete in three stages from 30 March to 2 April within Nong Khai province, covering a total distance of 297.10 kilometers.