GB Para-Cycling Team wins 6 medals on Day 2 of Para-Cycling Track World Championships in LA
Great Britain picked up six medals on Day 2 of the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in LA, two golds, three silvers and a bronze.
The second day of racing at LA’s Velodrome in Home Depot Centre proved dramatic and eventful for the British Team.
Mark Colbourne got off to a great start in the C1 3km Pursuit and posted the second fastest time (4:06.895) in qualification behind Spain’s Mendez Fernandez. This impressive track debut prompted a protest from the German team which claimed Mark should be in a different, less disabled class.
The protest led to Mark facing potential reclassification half way through the competition but he was eventually deemed to be in correct class by UCI classifiers and able to race in the finals. As if to prove a point, Mark went on to win the Pursuit in style by catching his opponent 2/3 through the race.
Stroking his World Champion’s jersey after podium presentations, Mark told us: “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet to be honest. Since first stepping on the bike two years ago I’ve had this dream (to become a world champion) and I didn’t know how long the journey would take.
“Today certainly means a heck of a lot to me and to my family and is a result of hard training, lots of efforts on the track and lots of time in the gym. Big thanks to my coach Tom Stanton for getting me to possibly the best year of my life.”
The other highlight of the day came from GB’s two male tandem pairings in the B Kilo. Defending Champion Neil Fachie, piloted by Barney Storey, lost his title to Anthony Kappes, piloted by Craig Maclean, by a mere 0.099 of a second.
Kappes commented after competition: “It was a close race last year when Craig was riding with Neil and today was very similar. At 1:03.013, our win was marginal.”
MacLean admitted the race was tough: “You normally feel yourself fatigued after about 2.5 laps but when it’s 1.5 laps and you start to blow the gasket, you start to panic a bit.”
“Conditions aren’t ideal out there and people aren’t going that fast. The track feels vastly different from Manchester or Newport,” he added.
In other events, Darren Kenny had to settle for silver in the C3 3km Pursuit final, Aileen McGlynn and Helen Scott could not match Australia’s world record braking pace in the Kilo, placing second, and Jody Cundy picked up a bronze in the C4 4km Pursuit.
Racing continues tomorrow with five GB riders competing in the 1km Time Trial and Sarah Storey in the Pursuit.
GB Medal Tally
Gold
Women’s C5 500mTT – Sarah Storey (PB & British Record) – Day 1
Men’s C1 3km Pursuit – Mark Colbourne – Day 2
Men’s B 1km Time Trial – Anthony Kappes, piloted by Craig MacLean – Day 2
Silver
Women B/Vi 3km Pursuit – Aileen McGlynn, piloted by Helen Scott – Day 1
Women’s B 1km Time Trial – Aileen McGlynn, piloted by Helen Scott – Day 2
Men’s B 1km Time Trial – Neil Fachie, piloted by Barney Storey – Day 2
Men’s C3 3km Pursuit – Darren Kenny – Day 2
Bronze
Men’s C4 4km Pursuit – Jody Cundy – Day 2
