Competitions

UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships – Day 1

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Parent Category: Competitions

Category: Race 2011

Published on Saturday, 12 March 2011 18:27

Written by Luca Salvatelli

Brits deliver on the first day of the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Montichiari with 7 Medals, 7 Personal Bests and 2 British Records.

As predicted, a Battle of the Brits unfolded in the C3 Individual Pursuit which saw all three British riders – Rik Waddon, Shaun McKeown and Darren Kenny – go through to the finals in a thrilling qualification race. Waddon posted a strong time in his qualifying ride but it was his less experienced team mate Shaun McKeown (who posted a PB) that was to face Paralympic Champion Darren Kenny in a gold ride off. In the finals Kenny won gold, McKeown placed second and Waddon third, resulting in an all British podium.

Jody Cundy made a strong debut in the C4 Individual Pursuit at the World Championships by winning silver in the event, posting a PB and setting a new British Record, yielding only to his old Kilo rival Jiri Jezek of the Czech Republic. Jon-Allan Butterworth also produced a ride of his life in the C5 Individual Pursuit, setting a new PB and breaking the British Record, which placed him sixth in a highly competitive international field.

Despite a brilliant ride with new pilot Helen Scott, Aileen McGlynn had to hand her World Champion’s crown to Australia’s Felicity Johnson, piloted by Stephanie Morton, who beat the British pair by less than a tenth of a second. The new British pairing walked away with silver and a PB of 1.09.474, a shade of the current World Record. Lora Turnham, piloted by Fiona Duncan, came sixth after a solid ride and a PB for the new pairing.

The Brits made the Men’s Tandem Kilo look easy, with winning Beijing duo Anthony Kappes and Barney Storey setting an impressive time of 1.02.681 half way through the race for other riders to match. Neil Fachie and Craig Maclean, competing together for the first time, rose to the challenge and took 0.022 of that time in the final tandem ride of the day. The gold and the silver rides resulted in PBs for both pairings giving coaches and riders plenty to smile about.

Medals

C3 Individual Pursuit:

Darren Kenny – Gold

Shaun McKeown – Silver

Rik Waddon – Bronze

C4 Individual Pursuit:

Jody Cundy – Silver

Women’s Tandem Kilo:

Aileen McGlynn, piloted by Helen Scott – Silver

Men’s Tandem Kilo:

Neil Fachie, piloted by Craig Maclean – Gold

Anthony Kappes, piloted by Barney Storey – Silver