Two prominent Trinidad and Tobago cycling clubs have initiated urgent legal proceedings against the national cycling federation regarding athlete selection protocols for the upcoming 2026 Pan American Track Cycling Championships. The JLD Cycling Academy and Heatwave Cycling Club, represented by sports attorney Dr. Emir Crowne, filed a comprehensive 198-page legal submission to the High Court on December 1 seeking immediate intervention.
The core dispute centers on the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation’s (TTCF) decision to conduct mandatory selection trials on January 17, 2026—just four weeks before the February championships in Chile. The clubs contend this scheduling directly violates the federation’s established selection policy, which explicitly requires trials to be held at least twelve weeks prior to international competitions.
According to the legal filing, the clubs allege multiple procedural violations by the TTCF leadership. The federation executive reportedly ratified the January trial date during an emergency council meeting without following proper governance procedures, which the plaintiffs characterize as an abuse of power. The clubs further argue that the TTCF had been aware since June 2025 of the Pan Am Championships’ rescheduling to February yet failed to adjust the domestic racing calendar accordingly.
The controversial trial timing poses particular concern for internationally ranked athletes like world number 23 Alexi Costa-Ramirez, who formally expressed concerns to the TTCF that the schedule disruption could jeopardize preparation cycles and competitive performance. Costa-Ramirez and other elite riders advocate for discretionary selection based on objective criteria including world rankings and recent competitive results rather than what they term ‘impromptu trials.’
The TTCF has mounted a robust defense against these allegations. The federation maintains that the January trial date received unanimous approval during a September 2025 planning meeting attended by all member clubs, including the claimants. This decision was subsequently confirmed during a November emergency meeting where all clubs exercised voting rights. The federation’s legal representative, attorney Zelica Haynes-Soo Hon, emphasizes that trials remain mandatory unless a National Championship has occurred within three months of the international event, with discretionary selection only permissible when no rider qualifies through formal trials.
With both parties at an impasse, the High Court now faces the task of determining whether the federation violated its own regulations and the legitimate expectations of its member clubs and athletes.