​Joplin will be one of 23 cities around the globe to host a 2026 Velosolutions/UCI Pump Track Qualifier event, Aug. 15-16, but it won’t be just for elite professional cyclists.The event, at MOmentum Bike Park, will be open to local riders as well.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”Technically, locals can enter the world qualifier too,” said Ruth Sawkins, of Rufus Racing, race director.No professional status is required to race.Joplin is one of four U.S. cities chosen for the qualifiers. The North Carolina qualifier is set for September; qualifiers in Colorado and California are done. Other cities include Sydney, Australia; Valence, France; Sheffield, England; and Yantai City, China. Winners advance to the 2026 Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championships, which take place Oct. 16-17 in Beijing’s Mentougou District, China.Pump track requires cyclists to navigate rollers, berms and jumps without pedaling. Competitors race head-to-head in knockout rounds for the win.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere also will be adult races — ages 17 and older — open to all skill levels and youth races for ages 16 and younger. According to the city of Joplin, categories are broken down into two-year age increments (male and female, placing three deep as long as there are four riders in the bracket.)All participants will receive an event T-shirt, a finisher medal and a racer goodie bag.There are a limited number of free youth entries available thanks to sponsorships provided of Glidewell Roofing, Ozark Adworks, the Sorrick family and the Twarog family. Amcor is the presenting sponsor.Riders can secure a spot in the competition by going to rufusracing.com and following the links. A link is also available on the MOmentum Bike Park page, joplinmo.org/momentum.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJoplin is on track to be the largest qualifier in the United States, Sawkins said, with 120-150 racers, including 35 professional cyclists.Joplin’s MOmentum Bike Park, with accesses on Lone Elm Road and Zora Street, opened last November. It is the largest municipal bike park in Missouri, featuring more than 132,000 square feet of formal bike park elements alongside 10 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails on 95 acres.The $5.8 million project was funded through the parks and stormwater quarter-cent sales tax, the hotel-motel tax, and a Missouri Department of Economic Development local tourism ARPA grant of $1.5 million to expand and improve the project.The bike park is at the former site of the Dover Hill soccer fields.