Cycling clubs request High Court intervention

JLD Cycling Academy and Heatwave Cycling Club, through sports attorney Dr Emir Crowne, have asked the High Court for urgent intervention to halt the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation’s (TTCF) January trials and enforce compliance with the selection policy.

Both clubs claim the TTCF organisation breached its own rules and acted unfairly in selecting riders for the 2026 Pan American Track Cycling Championships.

The clubs also believe that the federation’s decision to stage mandatory national selection trials on January 17, 2026 — four weeks before the Championships in Chile — is contrary to the federation’s long-standing selection policy, which requires trials to be held at least 12 weeks before any foreign international event.

Both clubs now are seeking to block what they describe as “impromptu trials” and want the court to encourage the TTCF to make selections instead using riders’ “objective and recent results.”

In a lengthy 198-page statement of case on December 1, Crowne wrote that the federation’s conduct amounted to “a breach of the agreement governing the relationship between the parties… negligent; and/or a breach of legitimate expectations.”

He also said the TTCF executive had abused its power by using an emergency council meeting to ratify the January trial date without following proper procedures.

The clubs argue that the TTCF had known since June that the Pan Am Championships had been moved to February, yet failed to adjust the domestic racing calendar or schedule trials in accordance with its own rules.

The clubs say the late trial date would unfairly disrupt top-ranked international riders, such as world ranked (23rd) Alexi Costa-Ramirez, and could jeopardise their performance and preparation cycles.

Costa-Ramirez also wrote directly to the TTCF expressing concern that the trial date “does not seem to align with the policy” and could distort the qualification process.

Highlighting her world ranking and recent race results, she said, “I believe that the racing committee should be able use their discretion based off of ranking and recent race results to make a fair selection for this event.”

However, the TTCF has rejected the clubs’ objections.

In its response, the federation said the January date was unanimously agreed at a September 2025 planning meeting attended by all clubs — including the claimants — and was later confirmed at an emergency council meeting in November, where the clubs were present and allowed to vote.

The TTCF also argued that trials are required unless a National Championship has occurred within three months of the event, and that discretionary selection can only be used if no rider qualifies through trials. The federation is being represented by attorney Zelica Haynes-Soo Hon.

With no resolution reached, the clubs have asked the High Court for urgent intervention to halt the January trials and enforce compliance with the selection policy.