For the cycling competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the following qualification systems are in place.
Summary
An NOC is entitled to qualify up to one place per track event for a total of eighteen quota places, a limit of 14 riders (8 men, 6 women ) is placed on each NOC, with the possibility of drafting in two further riders from other cycling events. For certain countries, therefore, the number of quota places earned will significantly exceed the numbers of riders qualified.
Similarly, the cyclists who compete in the road time trial must also compete in the road race event; thus an NOC may win 2 quota places, but be allowed to take only one rider.
- Legend
- TS – Team Sprint
- KE – Keirin
- SP – Sprint
- TP – Team Pursuit
- OM – Omnium
- RR – Road Race
- TT – Individual Time Trial
- Q – Quotas
- R – Riders
Timeline
The following is a timeline of the qualification events for the cycling events at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
| Event | Date | Venue |
| Road[1] |
| 2015 African Continental Championships (men) | February 9–14, 2015 |  Wartburg, South Africa |
| 2015 Asian Cycling Championships (men) | February 10–14, 2015 |  Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand |
| 2015 Pan American Continental Championships (men) | May 7–10, 2015 |  Puebla, Mexico |
| 2015 UCI Road World Championships | September 19–27, 2015 |  Richmond, United States |
| 2015 UCI World Tour | January 1, 2016 | N/A |
| 2015 UCI Africa Tour |
| 2015 UCI America Tour |
| 2015 UCI Asia Tour |
| 2015 UCI Europe Tour |
| 2015 UCI Oceania Tour |
| 2016 African Continental Championship (women) | TBA | TBA |
| 2016 Asian Cycling Championships (women) |
| 2016 Pan American Continental Championships (women) |
| 2015–2016 UCI World Ranking (women) | May 31, 2016 | N/A |
| Track[2] |
Close of the UCI Olympic Track Ranking 2014–2016
(at end of 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships) | February 29, 2016 |  London, United Kingdom |
| Mountain biking[3] |
| 2015 Oceania Continental Championships | February 26–27, 2015 |  Toowoomba, Australia |
| 2015 Pan American Continental Championships | March 27–29, 2015 |  Cota, Colombia |
| 2015 African Continental Championships | May 5–10, 2015 |  Musanze, Rwanda |
| 2015 Asian Cycling Championships | August 12–16, 2015 |  Melaka, Malaysia |
| Establishment of the UCI Olympic qualification ranking | May 25, 2016 | N/A |
| BMX[4] |
| 2016 UCI BMX World Championships | May 25–29, 2016 | Medellín, Colombia[5] |
| Establishment of the UCI Rankings by Nation | May 31, 2016 | N/A |
Road cycling
Men's road race
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| Host nation | N/A |  Brazil | 2 |
| 2015 UCI World Tour | 1st | | 5 |
| 2nd | | 5 |
| 3rd | | 5 |
| 4th | | 5 |
| 5th | | 5 |
| 6th | | 4 |
| 7th | | 4 |
| 8th | | 4 |
| 9th | | 4 |
| 10th | | 4 |
| 11th | | 4 |
| 12th | | 4 |
| 13th | | 4 |
| 14th | | 4 |
| 15th | | 4 |
| UCI Africa Tour | 1st | | 3 |
| 2nd | | 2 |
| 3rd | | 2 |
| 4th | | 2 |
| UCI America Tour | 1st | | 3 |
| 2nd | | 3 |
| 3rd | | 3 |
| 4th | | 2 |
| 5th | | 2 |
| UCI Asia Tour | 1st | | 3 |
| 2nd | | 2 |
| 3rd | | 2 |
| 4th | | 2 |
| UCI Europe Tour | 1st | | 3 |
| 2nd | | 3 |
| 3rd | | 3 |
| 4th | | 3 |
| 5th | | 3 |
| 6th | | 3 |
| 7th | | 2 |
| 8th | | 2 |
| 9th | | 2 |
| 10th | | 2 |
| 11th | | 2 |
| 12th | | 2 |
| 13th | | 2 |
| 14th | | 2 |
| 15th | | 2 |
| 16th | | 2 |
| UCI Oceania Tour | 1st | | 2 |
| 2015 African Championships | 1st | South Africa | 1 |
| 2nd |  Ethiopia | 1 |
| 2015 Asian Championships | 1st |  Iran | 1 |
| 2nd |  United Arab Emirates | 1 |
| 2015 Pan American Championships | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| Total | | | 144 |
* Quota reduced to the number of riders in the ranking of the respective tour
** Quota reduced by one to accommodate for the individual qualifiers on the same tour
*** Additional quota places earned on the continental tour for countries with quota reduction due to lack of ranked riders on the world tour
Men's individual time trial
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2015 UCI World Tour | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| 3rd | | 1 |
| 4th | | 1 |
| 5th | | 1 |
| 6th | | 1 |
| 7th | | 1 |
| 8th | | 1 |
| 9th | | 1 |
| 10th | | 1 |
| 11th | | 1 |
| 12th | | 1 |
| 13th | | 1 |
| 14th | | 1 |
| 15th | | 1 |
| UCI Africa Tour | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| UCI America Tour | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| 3rd | | 1 |
| 4th | | 1 |
| UCI Asia Tour | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| UCI Europe Tour | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| 3rd | | 1 |
| 4th | | 1 |
| 5th | | 1 |
| 6th | | 1 |
| UCI Oceania Tour | 1st | | 1 |
| 2015 UCI World Championships | 1st | | 1 |
| 2nd | | 1 |
| 3rd | | 1 |
| 4th | | 1 |
| 5th | | 1 |
| 6th | | 1 |
| 7th | | 1 |
| 8th | | 1 |
| 9th | | 1 |
| 10th | | 1 |
| Total | | | 40 |
Women's road race
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| Host nation | N/A | Brazil | 2 |
| 2016 UCI World Ranking | 1 to 5 |
| 4 |
| 6 to 13 |
| 3 |
| 14 to 22 |
| 2 |
| 2016 African Championships | 1st | | 1 |
| 2016 Pan American Championships | 1st | | 1 |
| 2016 Asian Championships | 1st | | 1 |
| Total | | | 67 |
* As other quota places are awarded to ranked athletes, the quota places for the ranked NOCs will be decreased to keep the total number of athletes constant.
** If, among the riders occupying the qualification places, there are athletes representing an NOC
already qualified according to criterion n°1, it is the NOC whose rider who is ranked in the next place
in the competition concerned who will benefit from the right to participate.
Women's individual time trial
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2016 UCI World Ranking | 1 to 15 |
| 1 |
| 2015 UCI World Championships | 1 to 10 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 25 |
Track cycling
Men's team sprint
Teams must be composed of 3 riders.
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Teams per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 9 |
Men's sprint
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| 1 rider per NOC qualified for Team Sprint | |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 18 |
Men's Keirin
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| 1 rider per NOC qualified for Team Sprint | |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 18 |
Men's team pursuit
Teams must be composed of 4 riders.
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Teams per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 9 |
Men's Omnium
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 18 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 18 |
Women's team sprint
Teams must be composed of 2 riders.
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Teams per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 9 |
Women's sprint
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| 1 rider per NOC qualified for Team Sprint | |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 18 |
Women's Keirin
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| 1 rider per NOC qualified for Team Sprint | |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 18 |
Women's team pursuit
Teams must be composed of 4 riders.
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Teams per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 9 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 9 |
Women's Omnium
| Event | Ranking by Nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2014–2016 Olympic track ranking | 1 to 18 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 18 |
Mountain biking
Men's cross-country race
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| 2016 UCI Olympic qualification ranking | 1 to 5 |
| 3 |
| 6 to 13 |
| 2 |
| 14 to 24 |
| 1 |
| 2015 African Championships | 1 to 2 |
| 1 |
| 2015 Pan American Championships | 1 to 2 | Brazil
Colombia | 1 |
| 2015 Asian Championships | 1 to 2 |
| 1 |
| 2015 Oceania Championships | 1 to 2 | Australia
 New Zealand | 1 |
| Total | | | 50 |
Women's cross-country race
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| Host nation | N/A | Brazil | 1 |
| 2016 UCI Olympic qualification ranking | 1 to 8 |
| 2 |
| 9 to 17 |
| 1 |
| 2015 African Championships | 1 | | 1 |
| 2015 Pan American Championships | 1 | Mexico | 1 |
| 2015 Asian Championships | 1 | | 1 |
| 2015 Oceania Championships | 1 | Australia | 1 |
| Total | | | 30 |
BMX
Men's BMX
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| Host nation | N/A | Brazil | 1 |
| UCI Olympic qualification ranking | 1 to 4 |
| 3 |
| 5 to 7 |
| 2 |
| 8 to 13 |
| 1 |
| UCI BMX individual ranking | 1 to 4 |
| 1 |
| 2016 UCI BMX World Championships | 1 to 3 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 32 |
Women's BMX
| Event | Ranking by nation | Qualified | Athletes per NOC |
| Host nation | N/A | Brazil | 1 |
| UCI Olympic qualification ranking | 1 to 3 |
| 2 |
| 4 to 7 |
| 1 |
| UCI BMX individual ranking | 1 to 3 |
| 1 |
| 2016 UCI BMX World Championships | 1 to 2 |
| 1 |
| Total | | | 16 |
References