British Cycling has today confirmed the 16 riders who will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team at the 2021 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, from 9th – 13th June.
Following her recent victory in the time trial and silver medal in the road race at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Ostend, Crystal Lane-Wright will line up for both WC5 events, as will the reigning Paralympic and world champion for both, Dame Sarah Storey.
In the women’s tandem races, Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall will represent Great Britain, along with Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl who make their world championship debut having won bronze medals in both their races at the Ostend World Cup. Daphne Schrager will also make her world championship debut, competing in the WC1 road race and time trial.
In the men’s events, Paralympic time trial champions Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby will contest the MB events, while fellow Paralympic medallist David Stone will contest the MT2 events. Fin Graham and Ben Watson will both compete in the MC3 events, with Will Bjergfelt competing in the MC5 events and George Peasgood will line-up for the MC4 events. In the hand-cycling category, Alex Brooke-Turner will compete in the H4 events, with Luke Jones contesting the H3 events, both making their world championships debut.
Stephen Park, Performance Director for British Cycling, said: “This is going to be an exciting event for the para-cycling team, not least because it falls in this unusual Paralympic year.
“We have a mix of very experienced Paralympians who are using the event to assess where they are ahead of Tokyo, and who we can expect to see in strong contention for the podium. We also have a number of riders who are making their world championship debut with Paris 2024 in mind, and for those riders, as well as having the potential to medal, we are equally interested in looking at their personal performances at this stage of the Paralympic cycle.
“From looking at the results from the Para-cycling Classics Ronde in Flanders plus the world cup in Ostend, as well coaches’ feedback from training, the riders are all in a good place and we can expect to see some good racing in Cascais.
“It’s a pleasure to be able to welcome all the new riders on to the squad, and I’m particularly pleased we have been able to give Jenny Holl, formerly from the Great Britain Cycling Team’s senior academy programme, an opportunity to progress her cycling career by transitioning into a tandem pilot. Along with stoker Sophie Unwin, the pairing won two bronze medals at the world cup in Ostend, so I’m looking forward to seeing how they get on against world-class competition.”
Crystal Lane-Wright, who won gold in the time trial and silver in the road race at the recent world cup, said: “I was pleased with my results in Ostend, it was a good reflection of where I am at in training and it felt good to be back out racing on the road again. I’m very much looking forward to competing at the world championships and using it as an opportunity to determine my final preparations as we approach Tokyo.”
GBCT for the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Cascais
Men
Steve Bate piloted by Adam Duggleby (MB Road Race and Time Trial)
Alex Brooke-Turner (H4 Road Race and Time Trial)
Will Bjergfelt (MC5 Road Race and Time Trial)
Fin Graham (MC3 Road Race and Time Trial)
Luke Jones (H3 Road Race and Time Trial)
George Peasgood (MC4 Road Race and Time Trial)
David Stone (MT2 Road Race and Time Trial)
Ben Watson (MC3 Road Race and Time Trial)
Women
Lora Fachie piloted by Corrine Hall (WB Road Race and Time Trial)
Crystal Lane-Wright (WC5 Road Race and Time Trial)
Daphne Schrager (WC1 Road Race and Time Trial)
Dame Sarah Storey (WC5 Road Race and Time Trial)
Sophie Unwin piloted by Jenny Holl (WB Road Race and Time Trial)
