Paralympic silver medallist and former World Champion on the track Daphne Schrager has been handed a two year ban for the use of a prohibited substance.

Last year, Schrager provided an out of competition urine sample that was found to contain ligandrol, a drug that has been shown to increase lean muscle mass. The drug is not approved for medical use or human consumption and is prohibited in sport at all times.

However, a tribunal of the National Anti-Doping Panel accepted Schrager’s defence that that she had not intentionally taken the drug but that environmental contamination is what had caused it to be in her system.

In a statement posted on Instagram Schrager said: “I’m glad the panel recognise that I have never cheated and never doped, and accepted my credibility without reservation – stating that I am a ‘credible individual, who had honest explanations’ That is the truth, and it is important to me that it is understood clearly and unequivocally.”

Schrager, who won silver in the C1-C3 3000m Individual Pursuit at the Paralympics in Paris 2024, had put forward two possible explanations for why she had tested positive for 0.0006ng of ligandrol. She suggested it could have been from a massage she got at a gym she had attended two days before the sample was taken. Or that it could have come from a shared household she’d been to.

A selection of scientists appeared before the panel for both UK Anti-Doping and Schrager. There was consensus among the scientists the environmental contamination was the most likely explanation for the concentration of ligandrol in her sample.

While the tribunal concluded Schrager had not done enough to establish exactly where the source of the contamination had come from, she had established that she hadn’t taken the drug intentionally.

That meant she received the shorter two year sanction, not a four year ban that’s given to athletes judged to have intentionally doped.

Her two-year ban is dated from 2 June 2025 and she will next be eligible to compete from 7 June 2027.

Twenty-five year-old Schrager has previously won two World Championships on the track in the C2 and C3 individual pursuit as well as bronze in the road race and silver in the omnium.

She grew up with cerebral palsy and was originally a track athlete before switching to cycling in 2019. She was originally inspired to get into sport by attending the 2012 Paralympics in London.

In her statement Schrager said: “I want to be clear I have never cheated, nor have I ever knowingly taken any banned substances. Facing a four-year ban unless I could prove that the result was unintentional has been incredibly distressing.”

She said in an attempt to prove her innocence she had “pursued every avenue available to me at considerable expense” including testing her supplements and getting hair and nail analysis done.

“I believe in clean sport. Complete and without reservation,” she said. “I always have and that will never change. But, in case like mine, by the time an athlete is informed of their positive test, too much time has passed to identify the exact source of contamination with the certainty that the rules demand.

“That is not a failure of honesty or effort, it is simple too much of a burden to be met in every case.”

She added that the last year, which had seen her lose her contract at British Cycling, had been “one of the most difficult periods of my life” and affected her mental health “significantly”.

She added: “It challenged me both professionally and personally, forcing me to confront difficult questions about resilience and what remains when so much that once felt certain has gone. The experience tested my confidence and, at time, my belief in what lay ahead.” Before thanking her family and friends for supporting her.

“Over the past year I have lost a great deal. But I have not lost myself. I will return in 2027 and when I do I intend to make every moment count.”

If you thought Tadej Pogačar’s fifth Il Lombardia victory in a row was impressive, imagine a rider winning the same event, back to back, 16 times.

That was the streak that British para-cyclist Jody Cundy secured at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janerio, Brazil on Thursday, when he won yet another gold medal in the kilometre time trial.

Cundy was 27 years old when he won his first world title in 2006. With no championships held in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2021, he has now gone two decades undefeated in the event. Winning his latest, now aged 47, he said came as a “bit of a surprise”.

“I can’t quite believe it. 16 world titles back to back in the 1km Time Trial, blows my mind to think about that,” he wrote on Instagram.

“In 2006 when I won my first title I could never imagine still pulling on the rainbow bands today, 19 years later. And to think a few weeks ago I didn’t even think I was going to go to the Worlds, I’ve really struggled this year mentally and physically and thought that my age was finally catching up with me… But something has clicked in the last few months and today is the culmination of that.”

A former swimmer, Cundy won his first of nine Paralympic gold medals in the pool at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He transitioned to cycling in 2006, and has since won 22 world titles on the track, becoming known as the King of the Kilo.

He competes in the C4 classification with a prosthetic leg, having had his right foot amputated when he was three due to a birth deformity.

“About two months ago, I really was to the point where I probably wasn't going to come, I just hadn't had a great year at all and nothing seemed to be sticking,” Cundy said in Rio.

“Hopefully this is the start of a renaissance, but I’m not going to count my chickens too soon, as I know only too well how it can go just as quickly as it came.”

Cundy’s kilo gold was one of six medals won by British riders on the first night of the Para-cycling Track Worlds. The 47-year-old posted a time of 1:03.872 in the event, more than two seconds off his 2014 world record, but 1.7 seconds ahead of his team-mate Archie Atkinson, who took silver.

Blaine Hunt also earned silver in the C5 kilo, while there were bronze medals for Fin Graham in the C3 sprint, Matthew Robertson in the C2 scratch, and the tandem team sprint team of Lizzi Jordan, Dannielle Khan, James Ball and Steff Lloyd.

Para-cycling classifications rank athletes by their physical impairment; the lower the number, the greater the impairment.

That Gaza has the world's largest population of amputees has become a grimly renowned statistic. But nobody is just a statistic – every life, and every limb, has a story. One such story is that of Mohammed Abu Asfour, a Palestinian paracyclist from Gaza, who lost a limb in a tragically familiar way. Taking part in a protest at the border fence between Gaza and Israel on 18 January 2019, Asfour was shot in the right leg by an Israeli sniper. "I spent 18 days in Gaza hospitals," he tells me via a video call from Belgium, where he now lives. "Without a transfer abroad, the wound got infected, and the leg had to be amputated".

Like most amputees, Asfour faced depression and mental health difficulties as he adapted to his changed body, but he also found hitherto unknown reserves of strength. The Gaza Sunbirds para-cycling team had not yet been formed, but later in 2019, Asfour met Alaa al-Dali, who would go on to become the Sunbirds team captain. Al-Dali had been shot in a similar fashion in 2018 and observed other riders refusing to let amputation stop them from cycling. Asfour credits this meeting with a rekindled hope. "That moment made me realise I could ride again and start dreaming big”.

Now 25, Asfour is currently living in Liège, Belgium, having been evacuated last year with a handful of other Sunbirds teammates as Israeli strikes on Gaza escalated. Asfour is originally from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, and began cycling as a child. "I had a normal childhood," he says. "I first rode a bike aged six – just for normal things, to get to school or the grocery shop. Racing professionally never crossed my mind back then".

Racing has, however, become Asfour's new normal, and has taken him all the way to the biggest stage in cycling. The Gaza Sunbirds' first participation in an international event, representing Palestine, came in September 2024 when al-Dali took to the start line at the Para-cycling World Championships in Zürich, Switzerland. The big moment for Asfour came third year, in Ostend, Belgium, as he joined al-Dali on the start line of the 2025 Para-cycling World Cup, proudly sporting the team's new black-red-green jersey. Both riders scored enough points to qualify for August's Paracycling World Champs in Ronse, Belgium, which takes place this weekend.

The competition he witnessed at the World Cup opened Asfour's eyes. "Seeing veterans in their forties still fast, riding bikes we could only dream of, pushed me even harder," he says. Back home in Gaza, the infrastructure is ruined and training is impossible. "Gaza has no cycling track. We risked our lives on the Salah al Din Highway [the main trunk road]". His adopted home of Liège is quite a contrast. "Belgium has dedicated, accessible bike lines. It's night and day," he smiles.

Developing as a rider in Gaza, even before the current conflict, was extremely challenging. Though there was a healthy sporting rivalry between the regions of Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah, the absence of hills – Gaza is famously flat – or a road longer than the strip's 45km central highway, are major impediments to competitive cycling.

As Israel prolonged and intensified its military action in Gaza, an international effort with external partners raised the funds necessary to evacuate Asfour and a number of Sunbirds teammates and coaches out of the territory via Egypt. He is safe in Belgium, but Palestine remains his home – and it is agony knowing he cannot return. "When the Rafah crossing closed during the war, returning home became impossible," he says. "Europe offers peace – no bombing every two years. The painful bit is knowing my family is under fire while I'm safe here".

Against that pain, the bicycle offers some small reprieve. "Cycling gives a mental space less crowded by fears for my family. It's helped me concentrate and build a mental resistance I never thought I'd master". This story of overcoming is central to the message of the Gaza Sunbirds, who embody Palestinian fortitude. "We're athletes, not victims" is how Asfour summarises his relationship to riding and how the team wants to be perceived. "People were shocked at first: 'Look, he's missing a leg' but then they noticed, 'Wait, he rides faster than us'. We flipped that narrative," he adds.

Asfour speaks with pride about the Sunbirds' commitment to their local community, and how it shaped their image. "During the start of the war, the Sunbirds delivered aid on bikes; injured riders were distributing food and medicine. That changed perceptions 100%". Starting out with only a few riders, the team has taken massive strides since its creation. "[Back then] we shared a handful of bikes and shuttled them between Gaza City, Khan Younis and Rafah," says Asfour. "A long ride for us back then was 18km or 19km. Funding was zero, gear was scarce, and the roads were unsafe".

There are few greater challenges for a cyclist than losing a leg, but for Asfour it was not the end but a new beginning. By starting small, with a determination to improve, he built his fitness to a competitive standard. "I once dreamt of 10km, now I race 72km and aim for the Paralympic Games," he glows. What has this meant to him? "I'm proud – competing internationally and targeting the 2028 Paralympics. Sport has toughened my mind. Despite war and uncertainty, now I can hammer out 70km in cold rain, totally focused – something I couldn't do before".

And how does it feel to compete on the world stage? "At the start line in Ostend, I was nervous. Halfway through, I remembered Gaza's struggles and pushed harder. Near the finish my only thought was: 'Don't quit – don't let the war steal this'". For all the chaos, trauma and heartache in both his past and his present, Asfour is clear about his aims and motivations. "Personally my goal is to reach world-class level, so that everyone knows me as the kid who went from war to podiums," he says. "I want to inspire the thousands of amputee children in Palestine to lift our flag in global arenas".

'It's a mixture of pride and heartache'

Karim Ali, a Jordanian-Palestinian Londoner, is the co-founder of the Gaza Sunbirds para-cycling team and the manager of Team Palestine. He has witnessed Asfour's development firsthand. Ali met Asfour after his injury, when their staff was scouting in Gaza for para-athletes who had just finished rehabilitation. "Back in Gaza, after rehab in Turkey, he was already training and also competing in football. His commitment jumped out and he joined the Sunbirds almost immediately".

Ali explains that Asfour refused to let his disability define him. "It forged a kind of steel in him," Ali says. "Physically his numbers are great, but the real progress is inside: the willpower, the discipline, the way he stays inquisitive about training science".

Just days before their conversation, Gaza Sunbirds rider Ahmed Al-Dali was killed in an Israeli bombing in Gaza. "It's a mixture of pride and heartache," says Ali. "The pride because a Palestinian jersey on European roads is proof we belong at that level, heartache because I know Asfour is crossing finish lines while his family is trapped under bombardment. We do everything we can to keep him supported".

Starting July 1, 2025, U.S. Paralympics Cycling will merge with USA Cycling, bringing all Olympic and Paralympic cycling under one organisation. This historic move aims to create a more unified, inclusive, and efficient support system for all cyclists in the U.S., enhancing resources, athlete development, and competition opportunities from grassroots to elite levels.

The announcement, made just after Olympic & Paralympic Day, marks a significant shift in how para-athletes are supported in the U.S. Until now, Paralympic cycling operated separately under the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), while USA Cycling governed able-bodied cycling disciplines.

“This is a historic milestone for cycling in the United States,” said Brendan Quirk, CEO of USA Cycling. “By uniting our Olympic and Paralympic programmes, we are building a stronger, more inclusive foundation, giving athletes the same world-class support and resources. We’ll be one team moving forward together toward our ambitions at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.”

The U.S. Paralympic National Team will be welcomed into USA Cycling’s high-performance programme, promising to create a “unified athlete support through all stages of athletic development and preparing them for international competition.”

“By fully integrating paracycling into USA Cycling’s national and development programmes, we are paving the way for extraordinary growth and opportunity for current and future generations of Team USA athletes,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “We are thankful to USA Cycling for their passion and commitment to this unified approach, which unlocks unparalleled resources, training, and support, empowering paracyclists to excel and represent Team USA for years to come.”

Historically, there has been a significant discrepancy in how able-bodied and paracyclists in the U.S. are funded for international competition. National team cyclists via USA Cycling often have their travel, coaching, equipment, and race expenses covered for major international events like World Championships and the Olympics while paracyclists frequently reported needing to self-fund significant portions of their costs—including travel, lodging, and equipment—for training camps, World Cups, and even the Paralympic Games in some cases.

Both USA Cycling and U.S. Paralympics Cycling are largely privately funded, but a significant funding gap exists due to a smaller sponsorship pool for Paralympic sports and less commercial visibility for Paralympic events compared to the Olympics.

As part of its long-term vision, USA Cycling states that it is committed to expanding racing opportunities for paracyclists as well as creating new opportunities for advancements.

The merger was welcomed by Paralympic athletes. Oksana Masters, a 19-time Paralympic medallist, called the merger a “ major step forward.”

“This move sets a new standard for the sport – one that embraces all athletes and truly reflects the spirit of unity and excellence. Here’s to more access, representation, and momentum in cycling,” Masters said.

Paralympic gold medallist and world champion, Samantha Bosco added that the merger feels like “gaining an extended family.”

“Being able to join our able-bodied counterparts is something I’ve always dreamed about. The USOPC has been amazing. Knowing the support we’ll have with USA Cycling makes me excited for the future of paracycling in the U.S. and what LA28 could look like for U.S. cycling as a whole,” said Bosco.

Three-time Olympian Sarah Hammer-Kroening and veteran sport manager Jenny Ryan will play key leadership roles in guiding the future of paracycling under the USA Cycling umbrella. Ryan, who brings nearly a decade of experience in Paralympic sport operations, will oversee paracycling operations and manage athlete development pathways. Hammer-Kroening, formerly the most decorated track cyclist in U.S. history, transitioned to coaching after retiring in 2017 and has since been an integral part of the U.S. Paralympic Cycling staff through two Paralympic Games. Longtime team mechanic Steve Donovan will also continue supporting athletes at training camps and competitions.

USA Cycling had a highly successful Olympic Games in 2024, bringing home six medals across track cycling, road cycling, BMX and mountain biking. It hopes to build on that momentum heading into the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

“Now united under one team, Olympic and Paralympic cyclists are poised to set a new standard for what is possible,” the organisation stated.

British Paralympian Sam Ruddock has been found alive after being reported as a missing person in Las Vegas, USA.

The 35-year-old had not been heard from in 11 days, after travelling to the U.S. to attend a wrestling event.

A statement from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department read: "A missing person report was filed on April 24, 2025. Through the course of the investigation, the individual has been located safe."

Ruddock's friend, Lucy Hatton, who helped lead the urgent search for the paracyclist, also confirmed that he is "alive and well" and "currently being taken care of."

Addressing her Instagram followers, Hatton said: "I need to obviously get more status updates, but I don't care – let's get that boy home. Thank you so much to everybody in the messages."

Ruddock was last heard from on 16 April, prior to his disappearance. He had travelled alone to the Las Vegas, where he had hoped to spectate at Wrestlemania on 19-20 April.

His last known location was the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop from the TV show 'Pawn Stars'.

"Sam stayed one night at the Bungalow Hostel Hotel but did not check out and did not return to collect his belongings. Since then, there has been no communication or confirmed sightings," Hatton previously told Cycling Weekly in a statement.

Speaking to the BBC, Hatton said Ruddock's disappearance was "really, really out of character", but that recently he had not been in "the right head space".

The 35-year-old was reported missing last Thursday, with US and UK police forces notified, as well as the international organisation Interpol. A four-day investigation has now finished in his safe location.

Born in Rugby, Warwickshire, Ruddock has spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that primarily affects the legs, and impacts balance and coordination.

He competed as a runner at the London 2012 Paralympics, and switched to shot put afterwards, participating in the track-and-field event at the 2016 Games in Rio, Brazil.

Ruddock joined the British national cycling squad in 2019. He went on to win two world titles in the kilometre time trial, in 2022 and 2023, competing in the C1 category.

The decision to scrap the individual pursuit from the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships this year has been called “disheartening” and a “sad story” by athletes.

The UCI has made significant schedule changes to the event set to be held in Rio, Brazil this October, including the removal of the individual pursuit and omnium, and introduction of the elimination race and match sprinting.

According to a letter sent by the UCI to national federations, and seen by Cycling Weekly, the changes come after more than two years of discussions. These were prompted by concerns about “long days of competition, unpredictability in the schedule, and a general interest in reducing timed events in favor of more head-to-head or bunch races.”

Official confirmation of the schedule changes was sent to the federations on Monday.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly, GB Paralympian Blaine Hunt said the loss of the individual pursuit “impacts an event that’s historically a massive part of para-sport”.

“It’s disheartening to teams and riders,” he said. “There are a lot of disappointed riders, and rightly so, because everyone puts a lot of effort into that race. It’s a race that pushes the sport forwards. The times are continually coming down

“I understand that they’re trying to make a change, trying to make it maybe more engaging to watch, maybe shorten down the event,” Hunt continued. However, “nobody knows if it’s a permanent decision or not," he said.

"Nobody knows how it’s going to impact the Paralympics for LA. How I understand it is the recommendations get put forward to the Paralympics for the events to be included, and I don’t know how that factors in.”

The individual pursuit is one of just three track cycling events at the Paralympics, and has been part of the Games for over two decades. It was among four events that made up the omnium at the Para-cycling Track World Championships, alongside the 200m flying lap, time trial and scratch race. Due to the pursuit’s removal, the omnium is unable to run in its current form.

The UCI has in turn added an elimination race to supplement the schedule for endurance riders at the competition. This event was first trialled at last year’s World Championships, and is “completely different” to the individual pursuit, Hunt stressed.

“It’s not [about] who’s the most physiologically capable or who can ride to a schedule, it’s who is confident enough to pin the other person down and win a sprint at the end,” he said.

Paralympian Martin van de Pol, who won silver in the individual pursuit at the World Championships in 2023, voiced his safety concerns about the elimination race on Instagram.

“Paralympic elimination race, can you imagine that?” the Dutchman wrote. “Where safety for the outside world is a sacred word in cycling, we will add this event to make it more spectacular is the argument. What about the numbers of crashes in this event in regular cycling?”

Van de Pol concluded his post, which was shared widely by Paralympians, by saying it was a “sad story”.

The individual pursuit changes only affect solo riders across the C1-5 categories. The event will continue as part of the schedule for tandem riders at this October's World Championships.

In the letter sent to national federations on Monday, the UCI’s para-cycling manager, Todd Fraser, said he was “confident that [the changes] will contribute to the long-term growth of the sport”.

Cycling Weekly has contacted the UCI about the changes, and will update this article if the governing body responds.

Cycling will once again receive the most funding of any sport for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic cycle, as UK Sport declares its largest investment to date for the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Announced today, cycling has been awarded £38,950,000 of the overall £330 million pot for the 2025-2029 funding period.

This will be split into £30,125,000 for the Olympic cycling squad and £8,825,000 for the Paralympic squad, both housed within British Cycling. As a result, each programme is set to receive a boost of almost £1 million compared to the funding for Paris 2024, a previous best.

“We’re incredibly pleased with the funding award,” said Stephen Park, performance director of the Great Britain Cycling Team. “With the continued support of UK Sport, we are able to support the maximum number of athletes to train full-time across the seven Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, with the ultimate aim of delivering world-beating performances.

“Our ongoing partnership with UK Sport and this funding commitment for the next four years through to LA 2028 will allow our athletes to continue to inspire the nation to experience the joy of cycling for themselves and increase the social impact that they can provide in their communities, both on and off the bike.”

The money allocated is drawn from National Lottery and Government funding. It will go towards supporting all aspects of the Great Britain Cycling Team, including equipment development and competition costs across road, track, mountain bike and BMX over the next four years.

Dr Kate Baker, UK Sport's director of performance and people, hailed the funding announcement as the body’s “greatest investment to date”.

“Following the spectacular performances of Team GB and ParalympicsGB in Paris this summer, it’s so important for us to be able to keep the momentum going as we head into the LA cycle,” Baker said.

Since UK Sport funding began in 1997, Team GB has topped the Olympic medal table in cycling four times – in Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo.

Team GB finished fifth overall in cycling events in Paris, winning 11 medals, of which two gold – one in cross-country mountain bike through Tom Pidcock and the other in the women’s team sprint on the track, thanks to Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant. The Paralympics squad finished third in the cycling medal table, finishing on a tally of 22, including nine gold.

The next best funded sports for the LA Olympics are aquatics (£28,750,000), rowing (£24,850,000) and sailing (£23,950,000). Para athletics will receive the highest Paralympic allocation with £9,800,000.

These figures do not include the salary grants given to athletes, which are paid directly in the form of Athlete Performance Awards (APAs).

Blaine Hunt, a Paralympic cyclist who competed at the recent Paris Games this summer, says that he feels sport still has plenty of work to do in order to improve on diversity and inclusion for Paralympians.

The topic made the headlines after Paralympic athletes were recently asked to wear their tracksuits to an event at Buckingham Palace in which they met King Charles, while Olympic athletes wore more formal clothing.

Several Paralympic athletes criticised the decision on social media, and said the difference in clothing further highlighted the continued disparity between Olympic and Paralympic athletes in their various sports.

Hunt told Cycling Weekly that he opted to wear a suit at the palace after missing a memo which made clear that it would be preferable for Paralympians to wear the “podium kit” that they wore in Paris. But the 35-year-old says the inclusion issue stretches way beyond clothing choices to a party.

"It’s not about the suit, it’s not about an invite to a party, it’s about inclusion," Hunt said. “This isn’t the first time things like this have happened and it won’t be the last.

"It's very difficult when there are two separate entities, Paralympics GB and Team GB, that are representing the nation at the Paralympics and Olympics. You would think we are all under the same umbrella but the reality is it's separate. There is some crossover but the two have separate partner brands, budgets and staff."

Despite Team GB having a partner formal wear provider, a spokesperson for Paralympics GB said that the team did not have a similar arrangement of its own in place.

"Paralympics GB chose not to have a formal wear supplier for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games," the spokesperson said. "This decision was guided by environmental sustainability considerations and wider athlete feedback. Therefore, we asked athletes and staff to represent the team identity by wearing Paris 2024 kit at the Buckingham Palace reception."

Holding back the sport

Hunt said that he felt mainstream media coverage of the recent visit to meet the King had portrayed athletes as "disgruntled individuals", which was disappointing. As well as Paralympic athletes missing out on the opportunity to wear suits when meeting the royals, they were also largely side-lined from an event at Fortnum and Mason, a high-end department store in central London.

However, he was keen to underline that he felt there were plenty of other occasions in which sports, and in his case cycling, got it wrong when it comes to inclusion.

"As far as Fortum & Mason goes, if they were capped for numbers it could have been made a lucky draw for athletes across the board… rather than choosing to partner with one over another," he said. "There are simple remedies to be inclusive.

"Ultimately, it is a brand's reputation which is on the line and it's up to their PR and partner teams to decide how they proceed, and bear the consequences those decisions may bring."

Fortnum and Mason issued an apology for the snub and said a separate event for Paralympians was in the works.

Hunt added: "As a cyclist I personally reached out to Brompton asking about a Team GB edition Brompton. I didn't see any of those at the Paralympics but I saw plenty of them being ridden at the Olympics. As I see it, that is down to the brand not pushing for equality and to be involved with both entities."

He said that he felt the 2023 super-World Championships in Glasgow was an important catalyst for change. However, he still feels that plenty of other areas in cycling still need to catch up in order to achieve parity between able-bodied and para athletes.

"It shouldn't come down to a Paralympics every four years to give these amazing athletes a platform to show what they can do," he explained.

"The Track Champions League that's about to kick off has no representation of para-athletes. I for one feel I could hold my own and give some of them a run for their money but as a para-athlete I don't have that opportunity and it's a real shame that this barrier exists.

"We are holding back the sport by not giving it the exposure and equality it deserves."

Brompton Bicycles, the Track Champions League and Fortnum and Mason were all contacted for comment in relation to this article.

This weekend, Paracyclist Dr. Meg Fisher and two fellow adaptive athletes will embark on a mission to reach new heights: climbing Ecuador’s three highest peaks—Cayambe, Chimborazo, and Cotopaxi. Their goal? To show that there are no limits to their abilities and to raise critical funds for the Range of Motion Project (ROMP), which provides prosthetics to underserved communities worldwide.

The expedition, which aims to raise enough money to provide prosthetics to 250 people, is part of the 10th annual Climbing for ROMP campaign. Fisher, an elite para-cyclist and retired Paralympian, is joined by Kyle Stepp, an elite para-triathlete, and Zachary Friedley, a para runner, as they take on the physical and mental challenge of scaling heights up to 20,549 feet.

For Fisher, her climb up Chimborazo serves as a powerful metaphor for the mountains we all face in life.

"I’m proud to be part of this campaign and tackle my 'mountain' to help amputees access high-quality prosthetic care so they can take their first steps," said Fisher, who was recently crowned U.S. national gravel para-champion.

Even a 20,500-foot summit pales compared to the 'mountains' Fisher has faced in her life. In 2002, she lost her leg and her then-girlfriend in a horrific car accident. Fisher spent one week in a coma, had brain surgery, and when she did wake up, doctors were unsure what kind of person she would be upon recovery. They even questioned if she’d ever talk, walk, or participate in sports again.

But Fisher defied expectations, proving to herself and the world that no challenge is insurmountable. Today, she is a four-time Paralympic medallist and 10-time World Champion, continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible for adaptive athletes.

"I wholeheartedly believe movement is medicine, and it is my life’s goal to help as many people as possible to redefine their abilities," Fisher said.

"I love my career as a physical therapist and cyclist. I am able to do what I do because I have received excellent healthcare. Climbing with and raising funds for ROMP is just one way I can pay it forward."

Scaling these peaks by foot is not unlike competing in long-distance endurance bike races like Unbound Gravel, says Fisher, who has completed the gruelling event four times.

“You’re grinding away, step after step, unsure of what’s ahead. It’s cold, and the finish line is visible for hours before you reach it,” she said, drawing parallels to both the climb and her endurance races.

Leaving the bike at home for once, Fisher shared that she asked to join ROMP’s climbing team to remind herself what she's capable of while hoping to inspire others to push past their limits, too.

“I will never forget how people told me to keep my expectations low, and I can’t forget how I lost the ability to walk for much of this past spring and summer," she reflected. "I still face many challenges, but I also have a lot of abilities. I know my ability is not guaranteed, so I want to do as much as I can, while I can.”

"I’m doing this to see if I can do it, and to show others that they can do it too, or tackle something similar."

At the time of publishing, Fisher and her Chimborazo climb team were conducting an acclimatization climb of Ruco Pichincha, at 15,696 feet.

“This is an incredible experience, and I never forget how fortunate I am to be here, with a leg that lets me explore what’s possible,” Fisher said.

You can follow Fisher’s attempt to summit the 20,549ft Chimborazo via social media and Strava.

The Paris Paralympics saw Team USA Paracycling on the podium in multiple events, from Elouan Gardon - the youngest member of Team USA Paracycling at this summer’s Paralympics - snagging the U.S.’s first paracycling medal of the Games to Samantha Bosco winning gold in the women’s individual time trial C4.

In addition to those successes, one of the most well-known members of Team USA Paracycling at the Paris Paralympics this summer, 35-year-old Oksana Masters, continued to make a name for herself in the history books by winning gold in both the women’s road race H5 and women’s time trial H4-5, making her a 19-time Paralympic medalist.

Masters’ background isn’t a typical one for an elite athlete, and yet she continues to blaze new paths seemingly with every race she competes in.

Here are 19 things you didn’t know about 19-time Paralympic medalist Oksana Masters.

19 Things You Didn't Know About Oksana Masters

1. Masters was born in 1989 in Ukraine with birth defects caused by radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in spring 1986.
2. Masters spent seven-and-a-half years in an orphanage in Ukraine where she endured, in her words, horrible abuse before being adopted by a single mother and moving to Buffalo, New York and then Louisville, Kentucky.
3. She initially had six toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no thumbs, and was missing weight-bearing bones in her legs. After multiple surgeries in the U.S., her legs were amputated above the knee when she was 14 years old.
4. Masters originally tried adaptive rowing as a 13-year-old - at her mother’s urging, according to Masters - and that is what sparked Masters’ long and decorated career in sports as we know it today.
5. Masters immediately loved rowing, saying that it brought a “new sense of freedom and control” for her. She set her eyes on the London 2012 Paralympics with her rowing partner, Rob Jones, and together they won bronze for Team USA in the trunk and arms double skulls, mixed rowing category.
6. Masters wanted to expand her athletic prowess beyond rowing, and took to adaptive skiing after the 2012 Paralympics, saying that the transition from adaptive rowing to skiing was “easy because both sports target the same muscle groups.
7. Additionally, Masters finished fourth in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls event at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in South Korea. She then secured a third-place finish in the same event at the World Cup II in Eton, Great Britain, later that same year.
8. After only 14 months of learning how to adaptive ski, Masters qualified for Team USA for the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics in all three Nordic cross-country skiing events and all three biathlon events. She took home a silver medal in the women’s 12km sitting and a bronze medal in the women’s 5km sitting Nordic skiing events.

9. Masters went on to achieve multiple medals in global para-Nordic skiing events such as gold medals in the 12km sitting women, 1km sprint sitting women, 5km sprint sitting women and 6km individual sitting women events at the 2017 World Championships.
10. Masters continued her dominance in para-Nordic skiing at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics by winning gold medals in both the 1.5km sprint classic sitting and the 5km sitting events and a bronze medal in the 12km sitting event.
11. Masters is also an accomplished biathlete - she won silver medals in the 6km sitting and 12.5km sitting events at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics.
12. Masters suffered a back injury in 2013 and needed to find a way to cross-train while she healed, so she turned to handcycling, saying: “After trying it for the first time, I fell in love with the speeds I could reach that other sports couldn’t.”
13. She then made a significant change in her summer Paralympic Games journey by switching to focusing solely on hand cycling for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics where she won gold medals in both the road time trial H4-5 and road race H5 events.
14. Masters continued to excel in hand cycling, winning a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow in the road race H5 event.
15. Despite her newfound love of - and success at - handcycling, Masters continued to pursue para-Nordic skiing. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, she earned silver medals in the 15km sitting, 1.5km sprint sitting and 10km sitting events.
16. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Masters won two gold medals, one in the women’s road race H5 and one in the women’s time trial H4-5.
17. When asked if she plans on aiming for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, Masters said: “My dream is to ignite the passion of cycling and show what is possible in hand cycling and grow the women’s field, especially for Team USA. I would love to be in L.A. [in 2028].”
18. Masters authored a book in 2023 about her journey from childhood to elite athlete called “The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph.”
19. With her leg prosthetics, Masters stands at 5’8” - without them, her Instagram biography says she stands at approximately 4’0”.

Paralympic torchbearer Oksana Masters claimed her second medal of the 2024 Paris Games on Thursday – her 19th overall – defending her gold in the women's cycling H5 road race. 

The 35-year-old American secured her spot at the top of the podium after a dominant performance in Clichy-sous-Bois, pulling away from her competitors in the final kilometres of the 56.8km race. China's Bianbian Sun finished second, while Italy's Ana Maria Vitelaru placed third from a field of six riders. 

The victory marked Masters's ninth career Paralympic gold, and came just 24 hours after she put in a remarkable comeback to win back-to-back titles in the H4-5 time trial on Wednesday. At the midway point, the American trailed by 30 seconds but surged ahead to finish with a winning time of 23:45.20.

Thanks to her two triumphs in Paris, Masters's already legendary Paralympic tally now stands at 19 medals. She will have the chance to win a 20th on Saturday, when she takes part in the mixed team relay H1-5 on the penultimate day of the Games. 

Of Master's haul, three of her golds have come in paracycling, one of three sports she has competed in since making her Paralympic debut at the London 2012 Games.

The multi-sport athlete has also won medals in pararowing and paraskiing, making her one of the most decorated Paralympians in history. She currently holds nine gold medals, seven silver, and three bronze, and she's not done yet.

While her sporting career may seem like a fairy tale, her start in life was anything but.

Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989 with congenital disabilities caused by radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Her deformities included the absence of weight-bearing bones in her legs, a sixth toe on each foot, and webbed fingers without thumbs. She was also missing part of her stomach, her right biceps, and one kidney. She was put up for adoption at birth and spent a traumatic childhood in an orphanage. At age seven, she was adopted from an orphanage by an American mother and raised in Louisville, Kentucky.

By the age of 14, Masters had both legs amputated and underwent additional surgeries to modify her fingers into thumbs, improving her ability to function independently.

Encouraged by her mother to participate in sports, Masters began adaptive rowing as a teenager—a sport she fell in love with, kickstarting her Paralympic career. She made her debut at the 2012 London Games, where she won a bronze medal, becoming the first American to medal in that category.

A back injury ended her rowing career, but she soon found a passion for the slopes, competing in para Nordic skiing at the Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022 Games, amassing seven medals, including two golds. Masters made her Paralympic paracycling debut at the Rio 2016 Games, narrowly missing out on a medal, but in Tokyo, she made up for it by winning two gold medals in the hand-cycling time trial and road race.

Just two short months ago, 18-year-old Washingtonian Elouan Gardon had never raced a track cycling event before and he wasn't part of the Team USA paracycling team either. Yet today, Gardon can call himself a Paralympic medalist, having won bronze in the men’s 4,000-meter individual pursuit C5 event at the Paris Paralympics over the weekend. In doing so, he gave Team USA Paracycling its first medal of the 2024 Paralympics.

Gardon competes in the C5 paracycling category; C1-C5 categories are defined as being for athletes who may have one or more disabilities such as cerebral palsy, competing with a prosthesis or limited movement of the upper or lower limbs.

Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Gardon enjoys all the things the great outdoors have to offer, including hiking, road and gravel cycling and downhill mountain biking. He's been competing against able-bodied athletes his whole life, and has found success especially in road cycling, where he competes as part of Fount Cycling, an elite men’s and women’s cycling team. Racing in the Cat 1/2 field, he won the WSBA State Championship TT in mid-July 2024 by more than a minute.

It wasn’t until Gardon’s now-Team USA teammate Bryan Larsen came across Gardon’s Instagram and race results that Gardon was noticed by Team USA paracycling coaches.

Larsen forwarded Gardon’s information to Team USA Paracycling coach Sarah Hammer-Kroening, and she took immediate interest in the young talent.

"Bryan was the person who sent me an Instagram and said, 'Hey, this guy looks like he’s eligible and he’s a beast,'" Hammer-Kroening said via USA Today. "'You should send him a message.'"

Hammer-Kroening did just that, and Gardon attended a select national track camp in June where he impressed coaching staff with his quick learning ability on the track.

Despite his lack of experience in paracycling, Gardon punched his ticket to Paris in early July at the PossAbilities U.S. Paralympics Cycling Time Trial in Loma Linda, California.

Fast forward to the Paris Paralympics and his speedy learning ability translated to securing a bronze medal for Gardon after he narrowly missed out on the gold medal race in the men’s 4,000-meter individual pursuit C5.

In the bronze medal race, Gardon secured the win by six seconds over his next competitor, Austria’s Franz-Josef Lasser, despite initially falling just over a half-second behind Lasser in the opening 1,000 meters.

"It feels pretty surreal," Gardon said in a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee news release. "I am so incredibly happy, and happy to get the first medal for para-cycling in the Paralympic Games. I can’t wait to continue."

Of teammate Larsen, Gardon said:

"He’s been a great mentor," Gardon said via USA Today. "[I]t's truly incredible how much he’s done for me to be here today."

If Gardon wants to continue with track cycling, Hammer-Kroening thinks he has tremendous potential.

"Any time you have a new rider (Gardon) come into the team, especially someone who is so young, obviously they’re very impressionable and you want them to be around the right people," Hammer-Kroening said via USA Today, "He understands that to surround himself with people who have more knowledge. That is beyond his years for a lot of young people. If he wants to, he has a huge future ahead."

Gardon missed out on the medals in the C5 individual time trial on September 4—he finished seventh—but he's scheduled to race the men's road race C4-C5 on September 6. Find out how to follow the action here.

Dame Sarah Storey claimed her 18th Paralympic gold medal at the Paris Games, winning the C5 time trial on Wednesday morning.

Storey completed the 14.1-kilometre course in 20:22.15, just over four seconds faster than France's Heidi Gaugain, with Alana Forster (Aus) rounding off the podium.

However, Storey, who is competing in her ninth Games said that the course was "disappointing", adding "I hope they never do this to the women again".

Speaking after the race, the 46-year-old - who became Britain's most successful Paralympian of all-time in Tokyo - said: "This is the shortest Paralympic time trial we have ever had, and I think it's a real shame because we don't get to showcase Para-sport in the way we want to."

Male athletes will race over two laps of the same course, covering 28.3km. Storey added: "There's plenty of time in the day for us to do two laps like the men. Having fought so hard for parity in women's cycling, to not have it is a real disappointment.

"I've had to put that aside and focus on what I could control, because I couldn't control the race distance. But I hope they never do this to the women again, because it has been appalling.

"It's a hilly 10km. I do lots of those at home so I have plenty of practice. But in championships you expect a race of minimum 22km, that's what we've done in all the other Paralympic Games."

Comparing the course to previous events, in Beijing, Rio and Tokyo, she said: "This has been the most disappointing in that sense, given what came before it."

Storey, who has Gold medals in swimming, road and track cycling, will race only road events this year, with her next opportunity to claim a medal in the C5 road race, on Friday.

GB claimed four medals in the Paralympic time trials on Wednesday. Fran Brown earned a silver medal in the C1-3 race, three days after she was struck by a car driver and dislocated her shoulder. "I had zero more to give today so am stoked with silver," Brown wrote on X. 

There was a silver medal too for Sophie Unwin and her pilot Jenny Holl in the tandem time trial, the duo adding to the gold and bronze they achieved on the track and completing the medal set. Lora Fachie, piloted by Corrine Hall, finished third in the event. 

Editor’s note: Dr. Meg Fisher is a Canadian-American Paralympian with four Paralympic medals and 10 World Championship titles to her name. She competed at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games. She’s retired from international para-racing and continues to compete in gravel events, setting the boundary of what’s possible with every race she finishes.

When paracycling made its debut at the 1984 Paralympic Games, just 22 athletes competed in the seven events. Fast forward to 2024, and paracycling has grown tremendously, with 220 athletes set to compete in Paris. The cycling events have expanded as well. There are now 51 medal events on the program: 17 track events and 24 road events, which include 15 road races and 19 time trials.

If you're like many people, you might wonder: Why are there so many events? Why not just one road race for men and one for women? Great questions! The Paralympic Games were founded on the principle of giving athletes with physical impairments the opportunity to compete at the highest level, mirroring the excellence seen in the Olympics. Since athletes have a wide variety of impairments, different groupings—known as classifications—were created to ensure fair competition. This is why there isn’t just one race per gender.

In the pursuit of fairness, panels of cycling experts and medical professionals have developed a system that groups the athletes not only by ability but also by the type of bike they use.

Four bike types, four categories

There are four types of bikes used in the Paralympics: 

• Typical bicycles
• Tandems
• Handcycles
• Tricycles

Bicycles are grouped under the C category. Handcycles, a tricycle powered by a rider’s arms, are given the H designation. B is for tandems ridden by a blind or visually impaired stoker and their sighter pilot. The letter T identifies tricycle events.

These tricycles are nothing like the trikes you may have used as a kid. The trikes used in UCI and Paralympic racing are high-tech racing machines with one wheel up front and two in the back. Often, a Paralympic-level tricycle will feature a carbon road frame with a titanium rear axle that accepts two rear wheels, broadening the bike’s base of support and increasing stability.

Classifications within categories

Each category is further divided into classifications based on the athlete's level of physical ability. These classifications ensure that athletes with similar capabilities compete against each other. The UCI and Paralympic Committee (currently) recognise 13 sport classes across men and women: five C classes, five H classes, one B class, and two T classes.

Within these classes, athletes are ranked by their physical abilities. For example, a C5 cyclist has greater physical ability than a C1 cyclist, just as an H3 handcyclist will have more physical capacity than an H2. This detailed system of classification creates a level playing field, ensuring that competition is fair.

The classification system can confuse able-bodied athletes, perhaps because it’s a new concept. However, the idea of fairness is as old as sport itself. Every sport needs rules and no one deserves an unfair advantage.

Paralympics is sport at the highest level

During the Olympics, a joke often goes around about how folks wish an everyday person competed against Olympians just to show how incredible Olympic-level performance is. I think the same should be said of the Paralympics. The skill, dedication, and focus required to compete at this level are incredible. Paralympic sport is exquisite, and it deserves the same awe and admiration.

This year, 22 sports will be available live to viewers for the first time in history. This means viewers worldwide will be exposed to thrilling competition by athletes with incredible abilities and physical impairments. Each Paralympic sport has a unique classification system, so I encourage viewers to be patient as they learn new systems.

According to the World Health Organization, 16% of the world's population experiences significant physical impairment. That’s one in six people, or 1.3 billion people. Sports allow us all to explore our abilities, and the Paralympic Games are the epitome of this.

Check Cycling Weekly’s guide to see the paracycling schedule and how to watch the cycling action.

Jaco van Gass and Lizzi Jordan took GB's first gold medal in cycling at the Paris Paralympics on Friday afternoon, with Van Gass winning the C3 3000m individual pursuit final, and Jordan, with co-pilot Danni Khan, won the women's B1 1000m time trial.

The pair led GB's medal rush, with the pair winning two of six medals on the track on Friday.

Van Gass came into his race as the defending champion, having set a new world record in qualifying, and never looked like he would lose, gaining time on his compatrior Graham throughout the race. The latter took silver as a result.

That was followed by glory for Jordan and Khan in the B1 1000m time trial, who set off last in their final, and despite being almost a second behind the Australian team of Jess Gallagher and Caitlin Ward in the opening stages, came back to win. The Aussie pair had earlier beaten the time of GB's Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl, who took bronze as a result.

Van Gass was GB's third medallist of the day, and Graham the fourth, after Blaine Hunt took silver in the men's C4/5 1000m time trial, and Matt Robertson won bronze in the men's C2 3000m individual pursuit.

"I’m overwhelmed, delighted, and just generally happy it’s over to be honest," van Gass said. "It has been a rollercoaster to this moment. I rode an average qualifier, it wasn’t perfect, and I knew I had something to work on for the final. It paid off, and I’m just elated to be there.

"The game plan was always to be selected for the games, and there was no-one in Tokyo. I knew from that second that I had to try again, Paris was next, with friends and family here. That’s what has driven me here."

"[It was a] carbon copy to Tokyo," Graham joked. "I broke the world record and I barely got off the bike before Jaco took it off me. Jaco is the one to beat, and he has again shown he is able to peak at the right time. At this event there’s no hiding, the strongest man wins. I gave it a good go, but not quite able to take gold. [I will] try again in the road races. "

Earlier, Hunt finished behind Korey Boddington of Australia in the final of the men’s C4/5 1000m time trial, with Alfonso Cabello Llamas of Spain in third. Jody Cundy and Archie Atkinson finished just off the podium in third and fourth.

“It means a lot,” Hunt told Channel 4 post-ride. “There’s a lot of hard work into this, seven years. I’ve got all my family here, I feel that I can finally take a break and be a dad for a bit, it means so much. My wife sleeps with three bikes in the bedroom, at least one downstairs, and five in the shed. I miss out on family things… You miss out on stuff. I’m just glad I’ve been able to come out of this with a medal.”

In the men’s C2 3000m individual pursuit bronze final, Robertson powered to third place, beating Shota Kawamoto of Japan, with the British rider never looking like he would be beaten. The final was won by Alexandre Leaute of France, over Ewoud Vromant of Belgium.

“To be a medallist in this team is incredible,” Robertson explained. “The support behind us works.”

It was not the race that Kadeena Cox planned for. The 33-year-old came into the women's C4/C5 500m time trial final at the Paris Paralympics as second fastest in qualifying, and as the winner of the event at the two previous games. However, she wobbled out of the gate, clearly did not feel comfortable, and crashed on the first bend.

As Caroline Groot of the Netherlands stormed to victory on Thursday, Cox was in the track centre, trying to work out what had happened, and get her mind back on track. Despite the incident happening so early in her ride, she was not given a second attempt. That was it.

"[I'm] not great, if I’m honest, but I guess that’s sport," she told Channel 4 later in the day. "I went down on my knee, which is a little bit sore. And my MS (multiple sclerosis) was… My tone was bad, so it doesn’t really help when you’re trying to ride a bicycle. Emotionally, I’m a bit all over the place.

"It was a weird one, I didn’t feel comfortable in the gate, and when I started, my right side is my weaker side, and unfortunately, with a condition like mine, riding can’t always be perfect. I think I just overcompensated and just couldn’t balance on my weaker side. It was all over the shop. I thought I might have got a restart."

Sadly, it was not the only negative in a tough season for Cox, who has been injured, and dealing with MS difficulties in the past year, too.

"I got back on the bike two weeks ago, I was in a boot four weeks ago," she explained. "It’s just been a really rubbish year. This time last year I couldn't walk because I had a relapse which affected my right side. It has been a rollercoaster. I guess that’s MS.

"It’s not what you want a year out from the games, so the fact I got here was amazing in itself. I’m just gutted that I was able to ride in the first round, but then I wasn’t able to show what I’m made of."

Cox is a Paralympic champion in athletics too, but will only compete on the cycling track at this games; she is due to race again on Sunday in the mixed team sprint.

"I wasn’t able to qualify for the athletics because of the injuries," Cox said. "I want to get back on the start line, the boys will be relying on me to get out there and deliver a quick lap, so I’m hoping I can get my head back in the game, and go out there for them.

"It’s been a rough week, I’ve been struggling with my mental health, so I probably need to speak to my psych, and get my head back in the game. It’s alright letting yourself down but I really don’t want to let the boys down. Thanks for everyone’s support, I appreciate everyone who has supported and messaged."

The Tour de France, the Paris Olympics, the Tour de France Femmes and now the Paris Paralympics: the summer of sport just keeps on giving.

The opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Paralympics take place on Wednesday, August 28, from 2-5 p.m. ET, and the first cycling events of the Paralympics —track time trial and individual pursuit— get the cycling action going straightaway the following day, August 29.

Here's where and when to watch the cycling action.

The Broadcasters

For those in the U.S., NBC is the official broadcaster of the Olympics and the Paralympics, and all cycling can be viewed via NBC’s live streaming service, Peacock.

If you’re in the U.K., Channel 4 will show the Paralympics on television and BBC Radio Live 5 and the BBC Sport website will also feature coverage.

For those in Canada, Paralympics coverage can be found on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC’s Paris 2024 website and the CBC Paris 2024 app.

Our friends down under in Australia can watch the Paralympics on Channel 9 and 9Gem.

Time Trials - Road

September 4 - Men’s and Women’s Time Trials - All Categories

Time: The Entire Paralympic Day

Location: Clichy-sous-Bois

Road Races

September 5 

Categories: Men H1-2, Women H1-4, Men H5, Women H5, Men H4, Men H3

Times: 1:30 p.m. CEST / 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. EST

Location: Clichy-sous-Bois

September 6

Categories: Men C4-5, Women C4-5, Men B, Women B

Times: 1:30 p.m. CEST/ 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. EST

September 7

Categories: Women C1-3, Men C1-3, Men T1-2, Women T1-2, Mixed H1-5 relay

Times: 1:30 p.m. CEST/ 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. EST

Location: Clichy-sous-Bois

Track

August 29

Events: Women’s C4-5 500m time trial, Men’s C1 3000m individual pursuit, Women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit, Men’s B 4000m individual pursuit

Times: 4 p.m. - 9:13 p.m. CEST / 3 p.m. - 8:13 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. - 3:13 p.m. EST

Location: National Velodrome

August 30

Events: Men’s C4-5 1000m time trial, Women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit, Men’s C2 3000m individual pursuit, Men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit, Women’s B 1000m time trial

Times: 3:30 - 8:34 p.m. CEST / 2:30 - 7:34 p.m. BST / 9:30 a.m. - 2:34 p.m. EST

Location: National Velodrome

August 31

Events: Women’s C1-3 500m time trial, Men’s C1-3 1000m time trial, Men’s C4 4000m individual pursuit, Men’s C5 4000m individual pursuit

Times: 2:00 - 7:21 p.m. CEST / 1:00 - 6:21 p.m. BST / 8:00 a.m. - 1:21 p.m. EST

Location: National Velodrome

September 1

Events: Men’s B 1000m time trial, Women’s B 3000m individual pursuit, Women’s C5 3000m individual pursuit, Open C1-5 750m team sprint

Times: 3:00 - 7:37 p.m. CEST / 2:00 - 6:37 p.m. BST / 9:00 a.m. - 1:37 p.m. ET

Location: National Velodrome

Seventeen-time gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey will compete in her ninth Paralympic Games next month. 

The 46-year-old, who won three gold medals in Tokyo in 2021, has been officially announced as part of the 23-rider Team GB squad for the Paris Games, which was revealed today by British Cycling. 

Alongside Storey, track cyclist Jody Cundy will make his eighth appearance at the Paralympics, while tandem riders Neil and Lora Fachie have also been selected, together with their respective pilots. 

Storey will defend her time trial and road race titles in the C5 category in Paris. At the last Paralympics, she became Great Britain's most successful Paralympian of all time; she made her debut as a swimmer in 1992, before first competing as a cyclist in 2008. 

"I couldn't have imagined going to eight Games, let alone winning medals at every Games, and 17 of those medals being gold," she said in 2021.

In a recent interview with the International Paralympic Committee, Storey said she now feels "as fit as I have ever been" going into her ninth Games. "For me, it would be amazing to win again and say I have won medals at nine consecutive summer Games. I don't think anyone has ever done that," she said. 

Also a former swimmer, Cundy's eighth Paralympic appearance will see him compete in the C4-5 kilometre time trial, an event in which he has won 15 consecutive world titles, and the mixed team sprint. 

The 45-year-old was part of the trio that won gold in the team sprint in Tokyo, setting the world record in the final. 

"I think getting to Paris is an achievement in itself," the eight-time Paralympic gold medallist told Cycling Weekly earlier this year. "If I still love the sport, and I'm still capable of doing it, I will keep doing it. As long as GB still want me on the squad, I will keep doing it."

The track cycling events at the Paris Paralympics will take place between 29 August and 1 September. They will be followed by the road cycling events, held between 4 and 7 September. 

The full Team GB cycling squad is listed below.

Team GB Paralympics squad

Men’s B 

James Ball piloted by Steffan Lloyd – MB 1,000m time-trial, MB individual pursuit 

Steve Bate piloted by Chris Latham – MB individual pursuit, MB road race, MB time-trial  

Neil Fachie piloted by Matt Rotherham - MB 1,000m time-trial, MB individual pursuit 

Men’s C2 

Matt Robertson – C2 individual pursuit, C2 time-trail, C1-3 road race 

Men’s C3 

Fin Graham - C1-3 1,000m time-trial, C3 individual pursuit, mixed team sprint, C3 time-trial, C1-3 road race 

Jaco van Gass – C1-3 1,000m time-trial, C3 individual pursuit, C3 time-trial, C1-3 road race 

Ben Watson - C3 time-trial, C1-3 road race 

Men’s C4 

Archie Atkinson – C4 individual pursuit, C4-5 1,000m time-trial, C4 time-trial, C4-5 road race 

Jody Cundy – C4-5 1,000m time-trial, mixed team sprint 

Men’s C5 

Blaine Hunt - C5 individual pursuit, C4-5 1,000m time-trial, C4-5 road race 

Women’s B 

Lora Fachie piloted by Corrine Hall – WB 1,000m time-trial, WB individual pursuit, WB time-trial, WB road race 

Lizzi Jordan piloted by Danni Khan - WB 1,000m time-trial, WB individual pursuit, WB time-trial, WB road race 

Sophie Unwin piloted by Jenny Holl - WB 1,000m time-trial, WB individual pursuit, WB time-trial, WB road race 

Women’s C1 

Fran Brown – C1-3 time-trial, C1-3 road race, C1-3 time-trial 

Women’s C2 

Daphne Schrager – C1-3 individual pursuit, C1-3 road race, C1-3 time-trial 

Women’s C4 

Kadeena Cox – C4-5 time-trial, mixed team sprint 

Women’s C5 

Dame Sarah Storey – C5 time-trial, C4-5 road race 

The headlines have been inescapable over the past six months: the war between Israel and Palestine is one of the most globally divisive events in recent years.

Despite the political unrest between leaders of Israel and Palestine, the civilians of each country have found ways to remain hopeful for peace and a return to normalcy and security in their respective homelands. 

One group of Gaza residents is finding hope in a way nearly all of us can relate to: riding a bike. 

The Gaza Sunbirds is Palestine’s only paracycling team and against all odds, the team is persevering during this trying time with their sights set on getting at least one team member qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games this summer.  

 Founding the Gaza Sunbirds 

Alaa al-Dali never imagined he’d one day be a potential candidate for the Paralympic Games. Prior to 2018, al-Dali was a dedicated cyclist - riding from one end of Gaza’s West Bank to the other with the two legs he was born with. Al-Dali poured himself into cycling and was slated to head to the Asian Games in Jakarta later in the year.

“The year” had different plans for al-Dali.

In March 2018, al-Dali attended one of the frequent demonstrations in Gaza, this one near a separation fence between Rafah and Israel. While standing in his cycling gear with his bike, al-Dali suddenly felt intense pain. He had been shot in the leg by a sniper at the demonstration.

Unable to enter Israel to receive medical care, due to not receiving the standard - yet hard to get - permit to enter Israel, al-Dali's condition deteriorated to the point where he had to choose between amputating his leg or losing his life. His situation, sadly, was not unique - the non-profit Save The Children International estimates that currently, up to 10 children in Gaza are losing a limb each day.

Having chosen the former, al-Dali was re-learning how to ride a bike as Palestine’s first-ever paracyclist, within two months.

It wasn’t until a videographer, Flavia Cappellini, visited Gaza later in 2018 to chronicle al-Dali’s story that the idea for the Gaza Sunbirds was conceived. Cappellini captured al-Dali’s story and returned to London to have her work translated for global viewing.

Cappellini’s friend, London-based Palestinian and recent college graduate Karim Ali, offered to translate the video from Arabic to English.

“At the time, I didn’t care about cycling. I’m not a very sporty person, I’m into science and technology,” Ali says. “But I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s help this guy; his story is so straightforward and incredible.’”

Ali was so taken with al-Dali’s story that he became increasingly interested in helping the growing number of amputees in Gaza who needed an outlet for community and athletics. Eventually, the pair - alongside coach Hassan Abu Harb - hatched the plan for a paracycling team. Due to a lack of funding and resources, the Gaza Sunbirds didn’t become a reality until 2020, when several journalists and activists helping to make the program a reality.

“We were incredibly inexperienced [team leaders] when we first founded the team,” Ali says. “We needed to figure out how much equipment cost to get into Gaza and those showing up to learn more were coming, never having ridden a bike before, often wearing flip flops because they of course didn’t own any cycling equipment.”

In the first year, the Sunbirds were able to support 10 athletes, but not without facing some serious challenges.

 The Harsh Reality of Paracycling in Gaza 

Those with amputations in Gaza often do not receive the level of care needed to effectively heal their injuries, according to Ali.

“The state of medicine is so poor in Gaza that one person may need upwards of six amputations to completely fix infections or account for bone and muscle growth at the site of the amputation,” Ali says. “Additionally, there is no infrastructure in Gaza: no public transportation, no sidewalks, and some of the team don’t even have crutches to use. We had a lot of logistical challenges to contend with in year one; how do we even get guys to practice if they have no transportation there?”

Nearly all of the Sunbirds athletes ride their bikes without leg prosthetics. Prosthetics are expensive and often inaccessible to Gazans, so the Sunbirds learn to ride with one leg. 

After a round of significant fundraising in the early 2020s, Ali and the Gaza Sunbirds leadership team are able to slowly import bike helmets, cycling shoes and bikes into Gaza. Often, the equipment takes more than two months to arrive in Gaza  but once there, it has proved invaluable to the Sunbirds members, who would use the bikes not only for recreational riding, but as transportation around Gaza.

With the influx of equipment, the Sunbirds were able to hold regular practices and provide amputees in Gaza the opportunity to learn to ride and form a community with other paracyclists. By mid-2023, the team had about 20 sustained members and five training sessions a week: two for beginner and intermediate paracyclists, two for advanced paracyclists and one for kids from the ages of 12 to 18, led by Team Captain Ali Hasan. 

 A New Mission  

When the conflict with Israel began in late 2023, the mission of the Sunbirds shifted drastically. The team went from having regular practices to using their bikes to transport food and supplies to local neighborhoods. 

“I was able to send money to some of the team leaders in Gaza to help them buy bread to distribute at the start of the war,” Ali recounts. “The team eventually bought out the remaining essentials like tinned food and sanitary products from stores and the team would use their bikes to get these products to hard-to-reach and dangerous areas of Gaza to distribute them for free. The team essentially became a mutual aid operation.”

According to the team’s website, to date, the Gaza Sunbirds have thus far distributed approximately $140,000 worth of aid, 2,050 meal parcels, 4,900 hot meals and hygiene kits to 500 beneficiaries. 

In addition to using their bikes to share aid with fellow Gazans, the Sunbirds set up bike clinics in housing camps to keep children entertained and to provide some sense of normalcy. More than 80% of the team no longer have homes.

“The team members have tried to stay close to each other despite the volatility in Gaza,” Ali says. “Some still have their bikes and will use objects like phones or tins for cones and create clinics and drills for kids as psycho-social support during this time.”

 Looking Ahead to the 2024 Paris Paralympics 

The conflict between Palestine and Israel rages on, with civilians on both sides hoping for a return to normalcy sooner than later. 

In the past month, Ali and al-Dali have worked tirelessly to get three team members visas to depart Gaza for Belgium to compete in the second of three rounds of the Paracycling World Cup in Belgium on May 2-5. On April 27, the team announced via social media that al-Dali, Coach Hassan, and team member Mohammed Asfour  were granted Belgian visas to travel for the World Cup.

The journey to Belgium was a success, and al-Dali competed in the men’s C2 category in the road race and finished 25th. C2 classification is for those with unilateral amputation above the knee. Asfour competed in the C4 category for both the road race (35th) and the individual time trial (37th), which can involve those with unilateral below-the-knee amputations.

Al-Dali and Coach Hassan then travelled to Italy for the third round of the Paracycling World Cup on May 19. Al-Dali once again raced in the men’s C2 category in the road race, and finished in 22nd place. 

Both al-Dali and Asfour competed without leg prosthetics in their races - they rode with one leg, in a field of competitors using cycling prosthetics.

Al-Dali now waits to find out if he will be able to represent Palestine at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris this summer: challenges with funding, visas and UCI sanctioning remain. In the meantime, he and Ali are traveling throughout Europe to meet with Gaza Sunbirds supporters and to fundraise for the team in the hopes of keeping al-Dali’s Paralympic Games shining bright no matter the darkness that tries to surround both Palestine and Israel.

This article was originally published in 2013

Helen Scott is one of the able-bodied competitors at the Paralympic games, piloting Para-cycling legend Aileen McGlynn in the 3km pursuit and kilo.

>>> 2016 Paralympic cycling essential guide and schedule

Scott began her cycling career at the tender age of 10, after being inspired by Chris Hoy and Kelly Holms winning gold in Athens. With encouragement from her parents she joined local Cycling Club Halesowen A&CC, where she now holds lifetime membership. Things took off from there with her obvious potential being seen at National Track Omniums and Championships.

After not quite making it onto the Olympic Development Programme, Scott made a breakthrough at the 2008 National Senior Track Championships during her final year as a junior where she gained silver in the team sprint with Halesowen team mate Jessica Varnish. "I did a good man one in the team sprint and at the time that's what they were looking for, we were up against Vick and Anna Blyth, so it was a solid result. Soon after that I began my degree at Birmingham University, I ended up quitting after just two weeks though.

I received a letter saying I'd made it onto British Cycling's sprint academy, and it was a no brainer really. I thought it'd maybe take another year of getting some more solid results so it was a nice surprise and I went for it". After being selected Scott swiftly moved up to Manchester and began living and training by the national cycling centre with the other academy riders.

Transfer to Tandem

However Scott explains it was not all plain sailing and after representing GB at world cups and winning the team sprint at the nationals with Varnish in 2009 she was told she had not made the grade. "I had a meeting with my coaches and they explained I had not progressed as well as they'd hoped".

>>> Meet the Paralympic cyclists: Neil Fachie and Pete Mitchell

However her talent on a bike was still very apparent and she was approached by the para-cycling coach Chris Fuber and asked to consider being piloting a tandem. "He gave me his number and said to call him if I was interested."

Initially Scott admits she was adamantly against this, "I wanted to be a match sprinter and ride on my own, but finally I called Chris and decided to give it a go. The first time I got on a tandem was with Neil Fachie as stoker, it felt so natural and normal. I loved it!"

Despite being a natural on the tandem Scott still had to check she made the grade physically "I had to do ramp test to see if she could produce the numbers needed to be a pilot.

After all my sprint training on the academy my endurance for the 3km wasn't there. The Para coaches understood why and gave me a winter training plan, to get my endurance up, lots of longer rides. I was re tested in the New Year and thankfully produced the numbers required. It was a such a switch around from only wanting to ride alone to all my efforts going into getting fit enough to pilot a tandem".

Piloting a Legend

"I still had to get used to riding a tandem so it was natural, so initially I did a lot of my road rides on the tandem. Now Aileen and I are used to each other we can go away and train individually and then come back together when we get on the track. It's just easier for us both as there's so much more effort involved riding a tandem, because the bikes are a lot heavier.

There's two of you and it really puts a strain on your back as a pilot, it can take a lot out of you. I have to get a lot of back massages now. It's funny when people ask me if I find it weird or different on a tandem as I just fell like I'm riding my own bike. It's become so normal to ride with someone behind, I mean I haven't ridden on the track on my own for a good few years now!

"Leading up to the games all the training on the track was together, doing start after start from the gate each time to ensure it became natural. It's just like any event starting from the gate, you need to practise, but it's even more important on the tandem.

You feel every little wobble or movement from the person behind, so you really need to make it becomes natural and you're in sync, but when you do a good start it's awesome and you know you're on for a quick ride."

Knowing McGlynn was reining Paralympic champion for both events Scott says how, surprisingly, she didn't feel much pressure. She went to her first games ever in front of a home crowd and decided to enjoy every moment and believes this attitude helped her on the way to the podium "I think maybe Aileen was more nervous than I was, I just got there and thought I'm only going to get to ride a home games once so I'm going to enjoy this, all my family and friends were there watching it was amazing".

Onwards and Upwards

After coming away from her first Paralympics with a bronze and silver medal, in the 3km pursuit and kilo TT respectively, Scott is determined to reach that top spot.

With her sights firmly set on Rio, she knows there is likely to be many changes to the squad in the coming years but with the new up and coming talent set to drive her on.

Scott says how even within tandem riding stiffer competition is meaning more specialisation in either the 3km or kilo events will be needed "you wouldn't see Vicky getting up and winning the kilo and the 3km, so why is expected for tandem riders?

It's unrealistic, they're such different events. Plus there's talk of tandem match sprinting coming back, which I'd love to give a go!" But for now Scott is back in training mode ready for the next goal and with Aileen being Scottish the Commonwealth games may see a new all England pairing for Scott "there's some new girls coming through and it'd be great to ride with them in the future".

Tandem Riding

The tandem events in Para cycling events have an able bodied Pilot and a stoker that has some degree of visual impairment. The stoker, who sits on the back, provides the power and speed whilst the pilot sits at the front and their main job is to steer.

However pilots must be able to match their stoker in speed and power to ensure they do not slow them down. Tandem pilots were the only able bodied competitors before the 2012 games that could win medals as well.

Tandem trust

"What I haven't done yet is get on the back of a tandem and try that out, it's rather bad as I've got someone putting complete trust in me but I'm not sure if I could do it. One time we were on a training camp and we were out on a road ride on the tandem and coming down the mountain with all these hairpins, I was nailing it.

I felt in complete control, but Aileen had to ask me to slow it down a bit as she wasn't so comfortable. So that's one of this winters tasks to give riding on the back of a tandem a go, so I can really understand what the other person is feeling, hopefully it'll help me progress as a pilot."

This article was first published in the December 20 issue of Cycling Weekly. You can also read our magazines on Zinio and download from the Apple store.

Kadeena Cox has retained her title at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, taking gold and breaking the world record in the C4-5 500 metre time trial.

Cox, who is the first black cyclist to win a medal for Team GB at either Paralympics or Olympics, took gold by over a second on Canadian rider Kate O’Brien.

This year the 30-year-old set up the KC Academy, in the hopes of improving diversity in elite cycling, as Cox hopes her ride may inspire others to follow in her footsteps. 

Speaking to Channel 4 after her race she said: "Just do everything you want to do. I set up the KC Academy to get more people from a black background into cycling because if you don’t see someone you don’t think you could be it. 

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"I fell into cycling by accident and now I want other people to see me, and they can maybe go on and do better than me like I totally expect there to be some young girl or boy sat at home thinking ‘I want to be like Kadeena Cox’ and then going on to better everything I’ve done.

"That’s my hope and my dreams just to empower people to go and do better than me because there should be no reason that the colour of your skin should stop you from doing everything you want to do."

Cox's next race is the mixed team sprint in the velodrome, but she will also be racing on another track not on the bike, as she looks to retain her gold medal in the T38 400 metres on the running track as she was the first person ever to medal in two separate sports in the same Games. 

She added: "I was not paying attention to what anyone else was doing, I was just listening to my gospel music and just reading messages from my family and focussing on that. I got up and did my own thing.

"I think today I executed a race that was near-perfect and maybe I will go quicker tomorrow [in the mixed team sprint] with the boys either side of me.”

Dame Sarah Storey said its “hard to put into words,” as she took her 15th Paralympic gold medal, putting her just one gold away from the all-time British record at the Games. 

The 43-year-old former swimmer turned cyclist put in a storming performance during the C5 3,000 metre individual pursuit in Tokyo on Wednesday (August 25), beating fellow Brit Crystal Lane-Wright in the gold medal final. 

Storey’s time qualifying time 3-27.057 was a new world record and helped her to the final, where she caught Lane-Wright to win her 15th career gold Paralympic medal, just one gold off the British record held by swimmer Mike Kenny.

Speaking after her victory, Storey said: “It’s quite overwhelming, 

“It’s hard to put into words. I’ve won a medal at every single Games I’ve been to and this is my fourth time in a row winning the individual pursuit. 

“I knew it was in me but I just needed to get the right day and right preparation. It has been an incredibly difficult preparation because it is so different to what I am used to. I just had to call upon all of my experience and know that I was capable of staying calm under that pressure.”

Storey, who was born without a fully functioning left hand, started her Paralympic career at  the 1992 Barcelona Games as 14-year-old swimmer. 

She now has two opportunities to break the British record - the women’s C5 road time trial on Tuesday (August 31), followed by the road race on Thursday, September 2. 

There was more medal success on the track for Team GB, as defending men’s B 4,000 individual pursuit champion Stephen Bate and pilot Adam Duggleby took silver, beaten by the dutch pair Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos for gold. 

>>> Ultra-distance rider Ana Orenz suffers devastating injuries after crash on descent during 3,500km race

On Thursday (August 25), Jaco Van Gass smashed the world record and won gold for GB in the C3 3,000m individual pursuit, just ahead of compatriot Finlay Graham. 

Jody Cundy became the first ever British athlete to win a medal at seven Paralympic Games with silver in the men’s C4-5 1,000m time trial, while Aileen McGlynn and Helen Scott took silver in the women’s B 1,000m time trial.   

The men's C4-5 road race at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games descended into mayhem as the two race leaders crashed within metres of the line, seeing the third place rider cross first to take gold.

Australian Alistair Donohoe and Ukrainian Yehor Dementyev were jostling for the win 75m ahead of Daniel Abraham Gebru (Netherlands) when Donohoe fell.

The Australian's crash took Dementyev with him, leaving both riders sprawled on the ground with the finish line in touching distance.

Donohoe took off on foot to try and cross the line ahead of Gebru, but a 15 minute deliberation by the race jury resulted in him being disqualified on a technicality.

Despite not crossing the finish line and leaving the race on a stretcher, Dementyev was also disqualified for riding aggressively to cause the crash.

Brazilian Lauro Cesar Chaman took the silver medal and Andrea Tarlao (Italy) crossed the line for bronze.

However the dramatic finish was overshadowed by the tragic death of Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad, who suffered a cardiac arrest after crashing on one of the course's descents. He died shortly after arriving at Unimed Rio Hospital.

An Iranian para-cyclist has died after sustaining injuries in a crash in the C4-5 road race at the Rio Paralympics.

According to statement from the International Paralympic Committe, Bahman Golbarnezhad, 48, died after receiving treatment by the roadside and being rushed into hospital.

He was involved in a crash on the first section of the mountainous Grumari loop. He was en route to the athlete hospital when he suffered a cardiac arrest, after which the ambulance diverted to the nearby Unimed Rio Hospital in Barra. He passed away soon after arrival.

Golbarnezhad was 14th in the time-trial on Wednesday and also competed at the London 2012 Games. He was Iran's sole cyclist at the Rio Games.

Although the road race used many of the same roads as the Olympic race held earlier in the year, it did not include the controversial descent that was criticised for being dangerous after numerous crashes in July.

A statement by the Iranian Paralympic Committee read: "It is difficult for us to announce this sad news but, with immense regret, we have to say Sarafraz Bahman Golbarnezhad, Iranian cycling champion, has died after an accident while racing in competition in the 2016 Paralympics.

"He was an exemplary Paralympic sportsman who, with love and energy, tried his best to promote the name of Iran and to make all of us proud and at the end he gave his life for this.

"All members of the Iranian cultural and sports camp here express condolences to his family and the Iranian nation.

"The name of Bahman Golbarnezhad will be inscribed in the proud history of Iranian Paralympics."

Sir Philip Carven, IPC President, said: “This is truly heart-breaking news and the thoughts and condolences of the whole Paralympic Movement are with Bahman’s family, friends, and teammates as well as the whole of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Iran.

“The Paralympic Family is united in grief at this horrendous tragedy which casts a shadow over what have been great Paralympic Games here in Rio.”

A moment of silence will be held at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony on Sunday.

An investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy has been launched.

Dame Sarah Storey took the victory in the C5 time trial at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games to take her personal career medal haul to 24, including 13 golds.

The former swimmer, who competed in four Paralympic Games in the pool before switching to cycling in 2005, had already become Britain's most decorated Paralympian when she won the 3km pursuit on Monday September 12.

Storey completed the 20km course in a winning time of 27-22.42, which  gave her the win by 1-30 to Poland's Anna Harkowska. Samantha Bosco (USA) took the third step on the podium.

The win took Paralympics GB to 35 golds, which is already better than the medal haul at London 2012.

Meet our Paralympians

"I wasn't 100% sure I had won it," Dame Sarah told official broadcaster Channel 4. "Your time checks are brilliant but until the announcer says it you're not sure.

"You focus on one race at a time and for me it was about getting a second gold at these Games and I got reminded I had 11 before these Games."

At 38-years-old, the champion cyclists show no signs of slowing down so an eighth consecutive Games isn't out of the question.

Great Britain topped the medal table for the track cycling events at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The British squad claimed a total of eight gold medals as part of a 12-medal haul in Brazil.

Sunday saw the final events in the Rio velodrome, and it proved to be a golden day for GB as they surpassed the London 2012 tally of five track gold.

Track sprint trio Jody Cundy, Jon-Allan Butterworth and Louis Rolfe set a new world record with their gold medal winning ride. It added another gold medal to Cundy's win in the C4-5 1km time trial on Friday, putting to bed his bitter experience in the 2012 London Games when he was disqualified due to an issue with the start gate.

"After four years ago, that was probably the lowest I've ever been; this is probably the highest I've ever been," Cundy said to British Cycling after the event.

>>> Rio 2016 Paralympic Games cycling events: Latest news and info

"For the kilo, I was properly nervous and I didn't really enjoy it that much but for this one, with these guys and the way they've been riding for the last few months, it's just a pleasure to get up there.

"The fact that we broke the world record in the heats, we knew there were a few little things we could tweak and we just got it all right in that last ride."

Also on Sunday, Lora Turnham and tandem pilot Corrine Hall took the victory in the women's B individual pursuit, getting the better of New Zealand.

Sophie Thornhill and pilot Helen Scott gave GB another podium spot in the discipline, winning the ride-off for bronze. Thornhill and Scott had already claimed gold in the B women's individual time trial.

In the men's B 1km time trial, Neil Fachie and tandem pilot Pete Mitchell took silver, beaten by Dutch pair Tristan Bangma and pilot Teun Mulder.

Kadeena Cox also set a new world record in the C4-5 women's time trial over 500m, becoming the first British athlete since 1988 to claim medals in two different sports in the same Games after she took bronze in the T38 100m athletics on Friday. It was her cycling debut. Dame Sarah Storey finished in fourth, but had taken gold in the C5 women's individual pursuit last week to become Britain's most decorated Paralympian.

Megan Giglia (C1-3 women's individual pursuit) and Steve Bate with pilot Adam Duggleby (B men's individual pursuit) had secured gold medals on the opening day of the Games on Thursday.

Storey goes into the road disciplines as defending champion in the women's C5 time trial and C4-5 road race events. The road events take place over September 14-17.

Great Britain's Rio 2016 Paralympic Games track cycling medals

Gold

Jody Cundy, C4-5 men's 1km time trial

Steve Bate (pilot Adam Duggleby), B men's individual pursuit

Kadeena Cox, C4-5 women's 500m time trial

Sophie Thornhill (pilot Helen Scott), B women's 1km time trial

Lora Turnham (pilot Corrine Hall), B women's individual pursuit

Megan Giglia, C1-3 women's individual pursuit

Sarah Storey, C5 women's individual pursuit

Great Britain (Louis Rolfe, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Jody Cundy), C1-5 men's team sprint

Silver

Neil Fachie (pilot Pete Mitchell), B men's 1km time trial

Crystal Lane, C5 women's individual pursuit

Bronze

Louis Rolfe, C2 men's individual pursuit

Sophie Thornhill (pilot Helen Scott), B women's individual pursuit

https://www.facebook.com/Channel4/videos/10153668306072330/

Dame Sarah Storey became Great Britain's most successful female Paralympian on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, winning the C5 3km individual pursuit to claim her record-breaking 12th Paralympic Games gold medal.

Storey broke her own world record in qualifying for the event, setting a time of 3-31.394. Her GB team-mate Crystal Lane – who had got a very late call-up to the Games – qualified second fastest to set up an all-GB ride-off for the gold and silver medals.

Storey caught Lane at the half-way mark in the final to take gold, with Lane settling for silver. The victory meant that Storey moved ahead of previous GB Paralympic medal record holder Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

>>> Rio 2016 Paralympic Games cycling: Latest news and info

"It's a bit surreal," said Storey to Channel 4 TV after the victory and setting a new record. "The first person I was speaking to after the race was Tanni and it’s so nice to see her here. She’ll always be on a pedestal for me, a lady who has really supported me for all my career.

"I didn’t expect to break the world record this morning, this coming week is really really hard. I just keep improving and I can’t really believe it."

Earlier in the day, Megan Giglia had won GB's first gold medal of the Games, winning the C1-3 3km individual pursuit. Giglia caught Jamie Whitmore of the USA in the final to take the victory.

It's Giglia's frist appearance at a Paralympic Games after she suffered a stroke three years ago.

Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby also made their first Paralympic Games appearance and took gold in the men's B 4km individual pursuit, overhauling the Dutch duo of Vincent ter Schure and Timo Fransen.

Despite the Netherlands team starting quicker, Bate and Duggleby paced themselves perfectly to better their rivals.

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games cycling events continue on Friday with the men's individual pursuit disciplines, and the women's and men's 1km time trials.

Australian Paralympic Games individual pursuit champion Michael Gallagher has admitted to using EPO in a candid admission and apology on Facebook, posted on Monday. The Scottish-born 37-year-old said a mixture of depression, low motivation and expectation of results led him to take the drug.

Gallagher was provisionally suspended by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) after failing a test for the banned blood booster from a sample take in an out-of-competition test at a training camp in Italy in July.

"I have done the wrong thing. People deserve an explanation and I want to give it," wrote Gallagher.

"Worsening mental health issues (depression) and other personal issues in life lead to inability to train and hurt myself like I used to. With the expectations of living up to past performances in a Paralympic year and the need to do so to pay my bills the pressure mounted.

"Rather than seek help l self-medicated to motivate, crossed the dark line, took short-cuts and cheated."

>>> Paralympic Games cycling champion fails test for EPO

Gallagher says that he started taking the drug prior to the Australian road national championships and the Paracycling Track World Champions in early 2016. He writes that he acted alone, and that no-one – including his wife and his coach – knew he was taking EPO.

"I sincerely apologise to my wife, family and close friends. People who are standing by me and would have no matter what. It seems so stupid now to have not let them in sooner before things got this far. I feel I have let them down. Also my coach Dan, who had no idea and I’m sure is devastated."

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The provisional suspension means that Gallagher will not ride in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where he won a gold medal in the 2008 and 2012 Games individual pursuit, in addition to bronze in the 2008 road race and bronze in 2012 time trial.

"I want to thank everyone who has sent messages over the last few days to find out how I’m going and to offer their support. Honestly, I am not ok but will be working with good people to hopefully find the person I used to be," Gallagher's Facebook post concluded.

Australian Paralympic Games individual pursuit champion Michael Gallagher has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for EPO.

The 37-year-old Scottish-born rider returned a positive result for the banned blood booster after an out-of-competition test at a training camp in Italy in July.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) confirmed that the reigning individual pursuit C5 champion had tested positive, and would not be travelling to Rio.

>>> Rio 2016 Paralympic Games cycling: Latest news and event info

"Mr Gallagher was tested out-of-competition at a training camp held in Italy in July. His ‘A’ sample tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO)," said a statement from ASADA issued on Friday.

"The test was coordinated by ASADA as part of a comprehensive pre-Rio anti-doping program to ensure the integrity of the Australian Paralympic team.

"The provisional suspension is effective immediately and means Mr Gallagher will not compete at the Paralympics in Rio."

In addition to Gallagher's London gold for the C5 individual pursuit, he won the LC1 individual pursuit in Beijing 2008 and a bronze in the 2008 road race and bronze in 2012 time trial.

Gallagher moved to Australia from Scotland when he was five years old.

Double world champion Colin Lynch has launched an Indiegogo appeal for a vital piece of equipment as he prepares for the Paralympics at Rio 2016 - a new leg.

Lynch, who was born in Singapore but has represented Ireland since 2010 and lived much of his life in Canada, had his leg amputated below the knee after suffering a foot injury in his teens, complicated by a tumour on his spinal cord.

He has been investing his limited funding in training and bikes, and believes that an upgrade on his current prosthetic leg - which is poorly-fitting and causing him significant pain - will allow him to take his career to the next level.

"I went to the London 2012 Paralympic Games and I missed out on a medal by 1/10th of a second," he says on his fundraising page.

"By the time the Games started, the equipment I used was already out of date and since then it has continued to decline."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4msGT26Jovw

The 44-year-old, who won the C2 time trial at the 2011 UCI Paracycling Road World Championships and still trains with the Macclesfield Wheelers, is trying to raise £8,000 for a new custom-made limb.

"I would love the help and support of anyone that wants to help me win," he says.

"You get me the new leg - I will do the rest!"

To donate, visit his page here.

Nine-time ParaCycling world champion Jody Cundy believes the sport’s governing body, the UCI, can still do more to help the sport if more people are to get involved in it.

Cundy, who counts six kilometre time trial gold medals to his name, is set to compete for Great Britain at the ParaCycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn this week.

>>> Cookson: UCI committed in support of para-cycling

While the 36-year-old is happy with the sport’s situation in this country, its standing on a world stage – with it almost missing out on a place in the 2020 Olympics – needs strengthening.

“From a GB perspective we are in a good position, but the sport as a whole still needs a shake-up,” he told the BBC.

“There are some encouraging signs from the UCI that they are doing more work on the sport, but it will still take six to 12 months to bear fruit. They recently set up a Para-cycling Twitter account, which doesn't sound like much, but it means someone will actually be tweeting about the sport.

“At the moment it still feels like it is at the bottom of the UCI's list of things to do and it still needs to move up a few rungs to become the sport we want it to be and get more people involved.”

UCI president Brian Cookson admits the governing body has ‘dropped the ball’ with para-cycling and insists he will make good on the promises in his 2013 manifesto.

Cookson, who replaced Pat McQuaid as the head of the UCI, said in his manifesto that he would help the sport grow as one but instead the sport almost missed out on a berth at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

The UCI submitted missed the original deadline for applying to be included in the 2020 Games, but was handed a reprieve by the International Paralympic Committee last week.

Having been told by IPC president, Sir Philip Craven, that there are ‘serious reservations about the future of track cycling’, Cookson told Insidethegames.biz that the UCI is committed to the success of para-cycling in 2020 and beyond.

"Para-cycling's success at London 2012 shows the reach and popularity of our sport at the Paralympic Games, and we look forward to working with the IPC to continue the growth of Para-cycling in the years ahead," Cookson said.

"The UCI will continue to work to increase the number of high performance Para-cycling athletes and top tier events where they can compete.

"For example, we will keep on raising the profile of Para-cycling through our leading events, such as the UCI Para-cycling World Championships and UCI Para-cycling World Cup.

"The UCI is committed to make a major contribution to the success of the 2020 Paralympic Games and beyond - this is an exciting time for Para-cycling."

Para-cycling events may not be included at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo after the UCI failed to submit the correct paperwork in time, the International Paralympic Committee confirmed today.

The IPC this morning announced the first 16 sports that will feature in the 2020 Games, with para-cycling one of eight sports fighting for a maximum of seven places left on the programme. A decision on which of the remaining sports get added to the Games schedule is expected to be announced at the end of January during an IPC meeting in Abu Dhabi.

A statement from the IPC this morning read: "The UCI only submitted its application late last week. As a result there was insufficient time for it to be assessed in time. The IPC management team will now assess the application, identifying any issues they may have with it, before the Governing Board discuss it at January’s meeting."

Great Britain have led the way at the top of the medal table at the last two Paralympics in Beijing and London,  winning 25 gold medals across those Games.

UCI president Brian Cookson listed the growth of para-cycling among his "six pillars" of focus in his pre-election manifesto last year.

He wrote: "It is also important that we support more international events for Para-cyclists. Athletes thrive on high quality competition but the Para-cycling calendar is presently bare.

"We need to increase the number of races and raise standards by providing better support and working closer with event organisers."

Responding to Cycling Weekly's enquiries, the UCI said: "The Union Cycliste Internationale  will work closely with the International Paralympic Committee and its Governing Board ahead of its next meeting in early 2015 where it will decide the full list of sports that will feature in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

"The UCI remains fully committed to the promotion of para-cycling and look forward to a positive dialogue with the IPC over the next few months to ensure that cycling continues to play its part in helping the Paralympic Games go from strength to strength."

Almost one year to the day since winning Great Britain's second cycling gold medal of the 2012 Paralympics, Mark Colbourne returned to the London Velodrome yesterday as he was unveiled as one of the Lee Valley VeloPark ambassadors.

The 43-year-old Welshman, who last week announced his retirement from competitive racing, will help coach riders at the multi-discipline Olympic and Paralympic legacy venue in East London once it opens to the public next March.

It was Colbourne's first visit to the Velodrome since last summer's Games, and fell two days before the anniversary of his greatest triumph: winning the C1 3km Pursuit.

"It was unreal - two-and-a-half years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears had all come down to that one moment," recalled Colbourne.

"Being part of ParalympicsGB in a home Olympiad, it doesn't get any better."

Colbourne was the favourite to take the victory, particularly after breaking a world record and finishing seven seconds ahead of his nearest rival in the morning qualifying session.

"Sitting on that start line, knowing what I had done in qualifying, I knew I just had to repeat that process. I remember thinking that it was my time to shine, and that I had put the money where my mouth was.

"Physically, I almost felt as if I hadn't have ridden that morning. I felt so fresh, so full of energy, which was probably helped by the adrenalin. I had really prepared myself for that for 12 months.

"But, having lost my dad through stomach cancer in February, mentally I had some mixed emotions."

He came within 30 metres of catching runner-up Li Zhang Yu, and went even faster than his short-lived world record from qualifying.

"'How the hell did I do that?' was initial my reaction," he admitted.

Laura Trott and Mark Colbourne unveiled as Lee Valley VeloPark ambassadors

In addition to setting up his own cycling coaching company that will offer European training camps, Colbourne said he plans to be "hands on" in his role of Lee Valley VeloPark ambassador.

"I may have to get my own train pass as I've agreed that I will be here at least once a week to help and hopefully inspire as many people as I can.

"This area has transformed itself over the past few years, so to live in the testimony of all the work that has been done, and to be involved with a venue that has probably the best Velodrome in the world and will have four different disciplines in one area offering everything from grass roots up to top-level sport is a very proud moment for me."

Related links

Laura Trott and Mark Colbourne unveiled as ambassadors for Lee Valley VeloPark

A King's Lynn soldier who lost both his legs above the knee when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan is hoping to boost his Paralympic chances by winning the inaugural Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix.

Staff Sgt Steve Arnold is one of 15 hand cyclists from across the globe contesting the event on August 3, just one of a host of cycling festivities across the capital in the largest fiesta of biking to hit the UK for more than a generation.

The 34-year-old is already on British Cycling's radar, and a top three finish could help establish him as a Paralympic star of the future at Rio 2016 and beyond.

And Steve, who took up hand cycling at the Headley Court rehabilitation centre in May 2011, can't wait to take to the streets in front of a live and televised crowd of millions.

"I've been training at the Help for Heroes centre at Tedworth House in Wiltshire with the British Cycling squad and some of the handcyclists like Brian Aldiss," said Steve, a member of 23 Engineer Regiment.

"Hopefully we'll soon find out if I make the team or get onto one of the programmes and even if I don't make Rio there's still 2020 to aim for.

"Competing at the Paralympics would be an amazing feeling - you just want to be the best that you can be.

"I loved representing my country as a member of the armed forces and I'd love to represent my country in cycling.

"The Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix is going to be a tough field, the hardest I've ever raced against with guys coming from all over the world.

"But it will be good to see how far away I am from winning the toughest races, as I hope to be competing in Europe next year."

It was in April 2011 that Steve suffered his injury, leading a search team in Afghanistan. Still a regular at Headley Court, he hopes to be discharged in January 2014 by which time he should have been fitted with new prosthetic legs and sockets.

But the double above-the-knee amputee hasn't let his injuries slow him down, training six times a week with a mix of long rides, interval training, and strength and conditioning sessions keeping him in world-class form.

A flat, 1.3-mile loop around St James Park, the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix route will see riders start on The Mall before racing towards Buckingham Palace and into Horse Guards before a spectacular finish.

"Brian Aldiss is the only one beating me in my category at the moment in the UK, but it's good for him as well to have me around to push him and I enjoy trying to catch him," said Steve.

"Racing in front of a couple of hundred people is amazing so I can't imagine what it will be like to race on the streets of London with all those thousands of people cheering you on.

"The atmosphere is going to be incredible - how often do you get to race on the streets of London? It will be the best feeling ever."

Prudential RideLondon takes place on August 3-4. If you're inspired to ride, visit www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk

Jody Cundy remains insistent that he should have been given a second shot at riding for the time trial gold medal he believes would have been his.

The British cyclist admits he still feels the pain of his false start in the London Velodrome, one that prompted an angry outburst that thrust him into the national spotlight.

Cundy refused to accept the decision of the officials not to grant him a restart, prompting an outburst in front of 6,000 fans.

He went on to win a bronze medal in his less favoured event of the individual pursuit, but Cundy remains full of regrets at his missed opportunity.

"An emotional rollercoaster is about the best way I can describe the experience of London 2012 for me," said the 33-year-old.

"I come away with a bronze medal, probably not the medal I wanted, but still a bronze taken in an event that isn't really my number one event.

"With the time trial false start I didn't really know how to cope with it, especially the fact I didn't get that restart and they said it was rider error and I never got that second chance.

"However they judged it the fact I didn't get a second start is how they interpreted the results, but if I look back I should have had a second start anyway even if the gate didn't open.

"I knew in training how fast I had been going and the fact that my world record was quicker than the time the Spaniard (Alfonso Cabello) had rode.

"Unfortunately I never got to show it and I'll probably never be in that shape, form or prime ever again. But I shall try the next time I go to a major championships to make sure I'm back in this kind of shape and we will see what happens then."

Lloyds TSB, proud supporter of ParalympicsGB and proud partner of the
London 2012 Paralympic Games. Get closer to the Games at
lloydstsb.com/london2012

Related links

London 2012 Paralympic Games coverage index

Sarah Storey stole the show as she took Great Britain's first cycling gold medal on day one of the London Paralympics.

Storey successfully

defended her C5 Pursuit title she won in Beijing in 2008, and there was also a silver medal for Games newcomer Mark Colbourne in the C1-2-3 Kilo.

The gold looked guaranteed for Storey when she eclipsed her world record during the morning's qualifying round, which saw her beat nearest rival Anna Harkowska (Poland) by 16 seconds.

Thankfully there were no surprises in the final, as the former champion swimmer caught her rival within the space of 1625m to take her third Paralympic cycling gold, and her eighth in total.

"I'm proud to able to reduce my world record in the event," said Storey afterwards. "The Paralmypic Games is the only thing I've ever know and to be here at Games number six is a dream come true."

Crystal Lane, who was only called up to the team at the start of August, narrowly missed out on bronze as she was beaten by Kiwi Fiona Southorn.

42-year-old Colbourne was the penultimate starter in the men's C1-2-3 kilo, and set a new personal best en route. However, he couldn't quite beat Chinese rider Zhang Yu Hi, who took the gold medal in a factored time of 1-05.021, which was also a new world record. Because this event combined three categories, those with a greater physical impairment saw their times modified to take their disability into account.

That meant that Britain's Darren Kenny, who took the gold medal in this discipline in the now defunct CP3 category in Beijing, had to settle for fourth,

despite setting the fastest time of the day. Fellow Brit Rik Waddon finished ninth.

Results

Paralympics Games 2012, track day one

Men's C1-2-3 1km Time Trial

1. Zhang Yu Li (Chn)1-05.021*

2. Mark Colbourne (Gbr) 1-08.471*

3. Tobias Graf (Ger) 1-09.979*

Brits

4. Darren Kenny (Gbr) 1-10.203

9. Rik Waddon (Gbr) 1-11.394

* Riders in the C1 category takes 89.06 of their actual time.

Women's C1-2 Pursuit

1. Sini Zeng (Chn) 4-20.820

2. Simone Kennedy (Aus)4-24.893

3. Allison Jones (USA) 4-27.793

Women's C4 Pursuit

1. Susan Powell (Aus) 4-05.200

2. Megan Fisher (USA) 4-07.147

3. Alexandra Green (Aus) 4-07.921

Women's C5 Pursuit

1. Sarah Storey (Gbr) caught

2. Anna Harkowska (Pol)

3. Fiona Southorn (Nzl) 3-55.867

Brits

4. Crystal Lane (Gbr) 4-02.773

Men's B/Vi Tandem Pursuit

1. Keiran Modra/Scott McPhee (Aus) 4-17.756

2. Bryce Lindores/Sean Finning (Aus) 4-22.269

3. Miguel Angel Celement Solano/Diego Javier Munoz (Spa) 4-24.015

Sarah Storey wins individual pursuit

Storey tops individual pursuit podium

Mark Colbourne takes silver in 1km time trial

Related links

London 2012 Paralympics: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

Latest news

Cundy goes for patriotic look on new racing leg for London

London 2012 Paralympics cycling event schedule

GB team named for London Paralympics

Schedule of events

London 2012 Paralympics cycling event schedule

Related links 

London 2012 Olympic Games coverage index

London 2012 Paralympic Games cycling events, August 29-September 9

Thursday August 30

09:30-12:30

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual pursuit, B: qualifying

Women's individual pursuit, C1-3: qualifying

Women's individual pursuit, C4: qualifying

Women's individual pursuit, C5: qualifying

ThursdayAugust 30

14:00-17:50

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual 1km time trial, C1-3: final

Men's individual pursuit, B: finals

Women's individual pursuit, C1-3: finals

Women's individual pursuit, C4: finals

Women's individual pursuit, C5: finals

Friday August 31

09:30-12:30

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual pursuit, C1: qualifying

Men's individual pursuit, C2: qualifying

Men's individual pursuit, C3: qualifying

Women's individual 1km time trial, B: final

Friday August 31

14:00-17:10

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual 1km time trial, C4-5: final

Men's individual pursuit, C1: finals

Men's individual pursuit, C2: finals

Men's individual pursuit, C3: finals

Saturday September 1

09:30-12:35

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual 1km time trial, B: final

Men's individual pursuit, C4: qualifying

Men's individual pursuit, C5: qualifying

Saturday September 1

14:00-16:15

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual pursuit, C4: finals

Men's individual pursuit, C5: finals

Women's individual 500m time trial, C1-3: final

Women's individual 500m time trial, C4-5: final

Sunday September 2

09:30-12:15

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual sprint, B: qualifying, quarter-finals

Women's individual pursuit, B: qualifying

Men/women team sprint, C1-5: qualifying

Sunday September 2

14:00-16:00

Track

Venue: Velodrome, Olympic Park

Men's individual sprint, B: classifications, semi-finals

Men's individual sprint, B: finals

Women's individual pursuit, B: finals

Men/women team sprint, C1-5: finals

Wednesday September 5

10:30-14:00

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual time trial, C1

Men's individual time trial, C2

Men's individual time trial, C3

Men's individual time trial, C4

Men's individual time trial, C5

Women's individual time trial, C1-3

Women's individual time trial, C4

Women's individual time trial, C5

Wednesday September 5

14:30-18:50

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual time trial, B

Men's individual time trial, H1

Men's individual time trial, H2

Men's individual time trial, H3

Men's individual time trial, H4

Women's individual time trial, B

Women's individual time trial, H1-2

Women's individual time trial, H3

Women's individual time trial, H4

Men/women team time trial, T1-2

Thursday September 6

10:30-13:20

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual road race, C4-5

Women's individual road race, C1-3

Thursday September 6

14:30-16:50

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual road race, C1-3

Women's individual road race, C4-5

Friday September 7

10:30-12:50

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual road race, H1

Women's individual road race, H1-3

Friday September 7

14:00-19:10

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual road race, H2

Men's individual road race, H3

Men's individual road race, H4

Women's individual road race, H4

Saturday September 8

10:30-13:20

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Women's individual road race, B

Men/women team road race, T1-2

Saturday September 8

14:30-19:00

Road

Venue: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent

Men's individual road race, B

Men/women team relay, H1-4

The final day of the track programme in Beijing saw Britain?s cyclists win another three gold medals to leave the velodrome with 12 golds and one silver.

Team GB dominated the Laoshan track, winning all but one event entered, to keep British cycling firmly in the headlines in the post-Olympic media honeymoon period.

Attention now turns to the road events, with the time trials on Friday and road races on Saturday and Sunday. Darren Kenny has three golds in his kitbag and two more in his sights. Don?t bet against him.

MEN?S TANDEM SPRINT (B & VI)

Anthony Kappes and tandem pilot Barney Storey beat the Australian pairing in two straight rides in the final having disposed of Argentina and Japan in the qualifying heats.

The British duo powered their custom-built ?Secret Squirrel? tandem to a new Paralympic record of 10.536 for the flying 200m in qualifying and remained untroubled throughout the event, with two-nil victories in every round.

1 Anthony Kappes & Barney Storey GBR

2 Ben Demery & Shaun Hopkins AUS

3 Gavin Kilpatrick & Michael Thomson PLT

WOMEN?S PURSUIT (LC1/2 & CP4)

Having seen husband Barney take his second gold of the Games, Sarah Storey set a new world record in the pursuit final against US rider Jennifer Schuble.

Storey finished out of the medals in Monday?s 500m time trial despite recording the fastest time. A factoring system based on level of disability left her fifth behind Schuble, but setting a new world record in qualifying for the pursuit, then smashing it by four seconds in the final, proved enough for Storey to take gold by two tenths of a second.

Beijing is the fifth Paralympics for former swimmer Storey. She has been winning gold since competing at the ?92 Games in Barcelona aged 14. Friday?s road time trial gives the 29-year-old from Manchester another great chance to add to a remarkable medal tally.

1 Sarah Storey GBR 3:36.637 (WR)

2 Jennifer Schuble USA

3 Jingping Dong CHN

MEN?S TEAM SPRINT (LC1-4 & CP3/4)

The team sprint trio of Mark Bristow, Jody Cundy and Darren Kenny closed the day?s racing with yet another British gold. They qualified fastest then upped the pace in the final with a sub-50 second ride to beat hosts China.

1 Great Britain

Mark Bristow, Jody Cundy, Darren Kenny 49.323

2 China

Kuidong Zhang, Lu Zhang, Yuanchao Zheng 50.480

3 Czech Republic

Jiri Bouska, Jiri Jezek, Tomas Kvasnicka 52.379

ROAD EVENTS

FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER

Men's individual time trial (all categories)

Women's individual time trial (all categories)

SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

Men's road race (various categories)

Women's road race (various categories)

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

Men's road race (various categories)

Women's road race (various categories)

BBC TELEVISION COVERAGE

The BBC is giving comprehensive coverage to the Games, with weekday live coverage on the red button and broadband, and a one hour highlights show on BBC2. Weekends switch between the red button and BBC's 1 and 2.

FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER

1000-1600 BBC Red Button

1900-2000 BBC Two

SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

1000-1230 BBC Red Button

1300-1630 BBC One (shared with World Athletics Final)

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

1000-1230 BBC Red Button

1300-1630 BBC Two

RELATED LINKS

Five golds and a silver on third day

Paralympics update (Monday, September 8)

Paralympic cyclists go for gold

Britain?s Paralympic cyclists can do no wrong on the track as Team GB riders took gold in every event entered at the Laoshan velodrome.

Five golds, one silver and four world records completed a remarkable day?s work for the squad as the programme of pursuits and kilos unfolded and the Union Jack repeatedly hoisted.

Team GB currently sit in a healthy second position in the medal table behind China with fourteen gold medals in the bag ? nine of them courtesy of our cyclists!

Expect more medals ? and some fireworks ? tomorrow as the tandems get back on the track for the men?s sprint.

MEN?S PURSUIT (LC3)

Simon Richardson took his second gold of the Games and set a new world record in qualifying. The top three riders all finished inside the previous record during the heats, but the final saw Richardson beat Masaki Fujita by a comfortable six seconds.

1 Simon Richardson GBR 3:49.214

2 Masaki Fujita JPN 3:55.535

3 Tobias Graf GER 3:57.510

TANDEM PURSUIT (B & VI)

Aileen McGlynn and pilot Ellen Hunter also landed their second gold having won the opening day?s kilo. The Australian pairing of Hou and Gallagher were fastest in qualifying but the Brits were ahead from the gun in the final and held on to take gold.

1 Aileen McGlynn & Ellen Hunter GBR 3:39.809

2 Lindy Hou & Toireasa Gallagher AUS 3:41.494

3 Karissa Whitsell & Mackenzie Woodring USA 3:41.521

MEN?S KILO (CP3)

It was a one-two for Team GB in the men?s kilo as gold and silver went to Darren Kenny and Rik Waddon respectively. Waddon broke the world record ? set by Kenny in 2007 ? but training partner Kenny hit back by taking a massive four seconds off his own previous best. The 38-year-old from Dorset is still on target for five gold medals over the next 10 days.

1 KENNY Darren Kenny GBR 1:08.668 (WR)

2 WADDON Rik Waddon GBR 1:11.161

3 KVASNICKA Tomas Kvasnicka CZE 1:17.670

MEN?S KILO (LC1)

Another gold and another world record as Mark Bristow powered ahead of China?s Kuidong Zhang in the opening laps and kept up the pressure to win comfortably.

1 Mark Bristow GBR 1:08.873 (WR)

2 Kuidong Zhang CHN 1:10.475

3 Wolfgang Sacher GER 1:10.812

MEN?S KILO (LC2)

Jody Cundy is no stranger to standing on the top step of the podium ? three gold medals in his previous three Paralympics ? but this was the first time the former swimmer had done it as a cyclist.

Cundy smashed his own world record by three seconds on the way to beating silver medallist Jiri Jezek from the Czech Republic.

1 Jody Cundy GBR 1:05.466 (WR)

2 Jiri Jezek CZE 1:11.182

3 Yuanchao Zheng CHN 1:11.198

WEDNESDAY IN THE VELODROME

Women's individual pursuit final (LC3/LC4/CP3)

Women's individual pursuit final (LC1/LC2/CP4)

Men's sprint final (VI)

Men's team sprint final (LC1-4/CP3-4)

BBC TV COVERAGE

1000-1600 BBC Red Button

1900-2000 BBC Two

RELATED LINKS

Paralympics update (Monday, September 8)

Paralympic cyclists go for gold