British cyclists set records

Great Britain’s superior dominance in Paralympic cycling was put on show once again with a superb team performance at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

The British cyclists picked up where they left off from the Paralympic Games in Beijing by winning ten gold medals and setting two new world records.

Jody Cundy in particular shone for Great Britain, with the former swimmer sharpening his reputation as a world class cyclist in his own right.

Cundy took gold in the LC1/LC2/CP4 1km time trial, before smashing the world record in the 200m time trial with a lap of just 10.998 seconds.

He also claimed gold in the team sprint with fellow Brits Darren Kenny and Mark Bristow.

Cundy said, “To have had the opportunity to break the record here in Manchester at the BT Paralympic World Cup, on a home track in front of a home crowd with friends and family, is great.”

Kenny was also on hot form as he added double Paralympic World Cup gold to the four golds and one silver that he won at last summer’s Paralympics.

He led fellow countrymen Rik Waddon and Simon Richardson home in a British one-two-three in the 1km time trial for LC3/LC4/CP3, before seeing Japanese cyclist Ishii Masahi off in the CP3 3km pursuit final.

“I’m pleased with my performance: it’s all gone pretty much to plan,” he said.

“I’ve not done a lot of specific track work ahead of the competition but I knew I’d perform, just maybe not as well as I actually achieved today – so it’s good.”

There were also golds in the Blind/Visually Impaired 1km time trial from Aileen McGlynn and Vicky Blegg.

Meanwhile in the men’s event, former Paralympic judo star Simon Jackson and pilot Barney Storey edged out newcomers Neil Fachie and David Readle in a time of 1:04.029.

Jackson said: “It feels fantastic to win the world title here. I left my job in January to go full-time and commit myself to another sport after retiring from judo in 2005, and the rewards are now there to see.

“I train here every day in Manchester and all the other Paralympians that I train with have got gold medals.

“I’ve always felt a bit left out so it feels good now to have that gold medal draped around my neck.”

Another former swimmer, Sarah Storey, also got in on the act, winning gold in the women’s 500m LCI/L2/CP4 time trial before storming to an emphatic victory in the Women’s 3km Pursuit with an impressive time of 3:46.403.

There was also some controversy at the event as Paralympic champion Anthony Kappes took to the track with former Olympic cyclist Jason Queally as his pilot.

The kilo race was billed as an “exhibition event alongside the Paralympic World Cup”, as Queally is not yet eligible to compete in Paralympic cycling.

(Former elite athletes have to complete three years away from non-disabled competition before being eligible to take part in Paralympic sport.)