Great Britain Cycling Team won three time trial silver medals on day two of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.
Ben Watson took C3 silver on his international debut before the tandem duos of Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby and Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall added two more silver medals to the tally in South Africa.
Superb silvers
Watson, on his world championships debut, made a superb start to his international career.
The British rider held first place after the opening lap, clocking the fastest run in the men’s C3 category by crossing the line in 10:49.
By the end of the second lap, the lead had switched places with Canada’s Michael Sametz - a bronze medallist in the time trial at the Rio Paralympics - edging out an eight second gap.
Sametz showed his experience in the final lap to go further ahead, finishing his run in 32:48.920 - the only rider to go under 33 minutes.
But Watson’s consistent riding demonstrated his time trialling ability, and he crossed the line 37 seconds behind the Canadian in 33:26.110 to win silver.
Bronze went to Esneider Munoz Marin of Colombia, around 52 seconds behind Watson.
The silver medallist was understandably thrilled with his performance.
"I'm pretty stoked to get a medal. I set off a little too hard on the first lap but felt like I controlled my pace pretty well after that.
"I knew the Canadian rider was going to be strong and would take some beating. My legs felt great in the warm up and I certainly felt like I could be competitive.
"I only attended my first British Cycling talent I.D camp in October last year so to have won a medal at my first world championships is an amazing feeling."
Tandems
Bate and Duggleby won their first ever world championships medal - on either the road or the track - in the men’s B time trial.
The pair crossed the line in 39:20.930 to take silver - just 3.66 seconds behind Poland’s Polak and Ladsoz who took gold.
The British duo had produced a stunning ride to finish second after suffering a mechanical on the start line which cost them 25 seconds - making the silver medal a bittersweet moment.
Bronze went to Ter Schure and Fransen, 40 seconds behind the British riders.
There was a third British silver medal in the women’s B time trial after a thrilling contest between Fachie and Hall and the Irish duo of Dunlevy and McCrystal.
The pairs dominated the closing stages but it was the Polish combination of Podkoscielna and Teclaw who held the lead after the opening lap.
Fachie and Hall then pushed on and held the provisional lead at the halfway mark before the Irish riders went seven seconds up with one lap remaining.
The British riders were able to reduce the deficit to 5.45 seconds to take silver, with the Polish pair 1:17 further back for bronze.
In the women’s C5 category, Crystal Lane-Wright suffered a mechanical which may have cost her a place on the podium.
Lane-Wright crossed the line in 38:54.340 to finish fifth, 2:14 behind the race winner and world champion Anna Harkowska of Poland.
Silver went to Samantha Bosco of the USA, ten seconds behind Harkowska with Kerstin Brachtendorf a further three seconds behind for bronze.
In the men’s C2 time trial, Simon Price finished ninth in a time of 37:34.800.
Price produced consistent lap times around the 12:30 mark to finish just over two minutes behind winner Tristen Chernove of Canada.
Silver went to Australia’s Darren Hicks, 16 seconds behind Chernove with Peru’s Israel Hilario Rimas two seconds behind for bronze.
Will Bjergfelt took sixth place on his world championships debut in the men’s C5 time trial.
The British rider stopped the clock in 43:12.310 - 2:04 behind the winner Daniel Abraham Gebru of the Netherlands.
Silver went to Yahoo Dementyev of Ukraine, nine seconds behind the Dutch rider, with Lauro Cesar Chaman of Brazil third, 17 seconds further behind.
