DerbyWheel seems to be headed for a showdown with cycling’s world governing body in late August or September, following confirmation that its test event will follow the Paris Olympics.

International track cycling is focused entirely on the four-year Olympic cycle; and riders will inevitably find themselves contemplating their futures when the final track gold is awarded on August 11.

Some will return from Paris empty-handed, happy to have achieved their dream of competing at an Olympic Games, and will decide that they have gone as far along that path as they can.

Others may have had a very successful Games, but may conclude that another four-year commitment is beyond them.

The year’s major track competitions are scheduled for the months following Paris, with the UCI Track World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark on October 16-20, and the UCI Track Champions League starting on November 23.

With no reports of progress in discussions between DerbyWheel and the UCI, top-level riders may find themselves with just a few weeks to decide whether to continue in UCI competition – or accept a lucrative offer to join DerbyWheel, despite the threat of a ban from national and international championships.

Had DerbyWheel launched earlier this year as planned, its test event would have gone under the radar, with few well-known riders. The UCI might have felt able to ignore it.

But if the test event happens in the wake of the Olympics, with prize money high enough to attract a few star names, it will be very different in nature and tone. The stakes will inevitably be higher.

With no agreement in place, the UCI may have to show that its threat to ban DerbyWheel participants was not an empty one. And it could be required to move quickly, issuing any bans ahead of the Ballerup worlds.