UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships : Para-cyclists push back the limits

Para-cyclists completed their last laps of the track as the 2011 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Italy came to an end.

On the final day of competition, Montichiari’s velodrome was the theatre of two new world records, bringing to nine the total number for these Worlds.

The team sprint’s world mark was beaten a first, second…and third time! The Chinese trio composed of Xiaofei Ji, Lu Zhang and Yuan Chao Zheng opened the ball. British Terry Byrne, Jody Cundy and Darren Kenny did not wait long to shoot back, bringing the record to under 50 seconds in the qualification round. And as if it was not enough, they once more improved the time to beat during the final.

Their compatriots Neil Fachie (BVI) and Craig MacLean (PLT), winners of two gold medals at these Championships, also established a new record in the tandem sprint event.

Great Britain: right on track for 2012

Great Britain claimed more than a quarter of the medals during the World Championships, once again proving its prowess on the track. “I think it’s been fantastic World Championships, said Gareth Sheppard, Performance Manager at British Cycling. There have been some really strong performances and we’re where we want to be in the build-up for London. So we’re very happy with our results.”

At Beijing’s Paralympic Games, Great Britain confirmed its domination on the track by winning an impressive 13 medals, of which 12 were gold. In light of these results, expectations will be extremely high for the host nation at the next summer Games.

“We know that’s the expectation, to be able to perform. It’s a home Games. But again, that was, I think, a once- in-a-lifetime performance in Beijing. So it’s going to be really hard to come on equal or build on that result”, he explained.

” We’re not really looking at medals. We’re looking at performances. And I think the guys have shown that they’re on track in terms of performances. We cannot control what the other nations will do in London. We can only control our own performances and that’s really what we’re going to focus on”, he added.

Next major events

The para-cyclists’ next big rendezvous will be from May 4 to 6 in Sydney, Australia, for the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup’s first stop. As for the 2011 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, they will take place in September, in the Danish city of Roskilde. And those events

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