2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships: French hosts shine on first day

Eight UCI World titles were up for grabs on the first day of competition in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. In the omnium – 200m flying start, France celebrated two of five world records.

WC5 500m time trial: Groot’s hat trick

The Women’s C5 500m time trial saw the Netherlands’ Caroline Groot make the final as fastest qualifier in 36.596secs. It was an impressive effort from the 25-year-old, who was aiming to make it a hat-trick of 500m time trial victories after winning in Apeldoorn in 2019 and Milton in 2020. Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the 2021 event. Australia’s Erin Normoyle qualified second in 37.541secs with 17-time Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey (GBR) third in 37.551secs.

Come the final, Groot was again the only rider to go sub-37secs as she took gold in 36.841secs. Her feat was all the more impressive given that she crashed and received medical attention before restarting for her gold-medal ride. France’s Marie Patouillet won silver and Normoyle bronze.

MC1 15km Scratch Race – Ten Argiles still in top shape

In the Men’s C1 Scratch Race, Spain’s Ricardo Ten Argiles won gold ahead of America’s Aaron Keith in silver. Germany’s Pierre Senska rode to bronze. The 47-year-old swimmer-cum-cyclist shows no sign of letting up as he added further success to his multiple Paralympic gold medals.

WC4 500m time trial: Cox dominates

Great Britain’s Kadeena Cox headed the WC4 500m time trial qualifier in 35.464secs, nearly 2secs faster than the next-fastest Kate O’Brien (CAN) with Emily Petricola (AUS) third in 38.656secs. By early evening, Cox had recovered sufficiently to nearly match her morning time, winning in 35.660secs. Again, she was nearly 2secs faster than silver medallist O’Brien. Australia’s Anna Grace Taylor finished third.

WC3 500m time trial: Van den Aarssen saves her best for the final

The WC3 500m time trial qualifier saw Japan’s Keigo Sugiura head up the WC3 category in 39.004secs. The Netherlands’ Aniek van den Aarssen qualified second with Australia’s Paige Greco third. By the final, it was role reversal as Van den Aarssen stormed to gold in 39.093secs. Sugiura lost half-a-second on her morning time to take silver with Greco winning bronze.

MC3 15km Scratch Race: Graham adds title to road success

Great Britain enjoyed further success thanks to Finlay Graham’s gold in the C3 15km Scratch Race. Spain’s Eduardo Santas Assenio won silver with Matthijs Drenth (NED) winning bronze. Twenty-three-year-old Graham won gold in the C3 road race at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Baie-Comeau, Canada, in August and has carried that form over to the velodrome. The two-time Paralympic silver medallist had extra motivation to deliver, tweeting yesterday that, ‘This one is #forgeorge.’ Graham was alluding to his team-mate, British Paralympic medallist George Peasgood, who suffered a brain injury in a recent training crash.

MC5 4km individual pursuit: gold for Paralympic Champion Foulon

Dorian Foulon continued France’s strong showing on day one of the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, setting a fine 4:20.199 in the MC5 individual pursuit qualifiers. The 24-year-old won this category at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and also holds the prestige of being the first para-cyclist to compete in the able-bodied Tour de l’Avenir (UCI Nations Cup event). The Ukraine’s Yehor Dementyev qualified second with the Netherlands’ Daniel Abraham Gebru qualified third. The three fastest qualifiers finished in the same order in the final.

MC4 4km individual pursuit: Metelka confirms

Slovakia’s Jozef Metelka justified his pre-race favourite tag with the fastest-qualifying time of 4:32.837 in the MC4 individual pursuit qualifier. Ireland’s Ronan Grimes (4:42.111) followed in second with New Zealand’s Devon Briggs third (4:43.801). He’d battle Colombia’s Diego Duenas Gomez for bronze. The final went to form as Metelka proved dominant, winning ahead of Grimes and Gomez.

Tandem team sprint: No problem for Great Britian

The result of the 750m tandem team sprint final looked a formality after Great Britain qualified for the final in 49.215secs, over 3secs clear of second-placed Malaysia with Argentina third in 54.755secs. The final followed a similar pattern with Great Britain winning their third gold of the competition so far.

Omnium – flying 200m start: world records tumble

The competition started with the Omnium – Flying 200m Starts. Fittingly, France’s Marie Patouillet kicked things off for the host nation by recording the fastest time in the WC5 Omnium – Flying 200m Start.  The 34-year-old powered to a blistering 11.605secs, lowering the previous world record she’d set in February (11.684secs). Incredibly, teammate Alexandre Léaute also unleashed a record-breaking effort in the Men’s C2 Omnium – Flying 200m Start. His 11.212secs bettered Australian Gordon Allan’s 11.973secs record set in April.

Great Britain also celebrated two world records in the Omnium - Flying 200m thanks to Katie Toft (WC1) and Blaine Hunt (MC5). A fifth world record went to Canadian Mel Pemble (WC3).

Australia also enjoyed a strong start to the Omnium with Emily Petricola and Amanda Reid topping their respective races in the WC4 and WC2 200m Flying Start. Both Aussies are experienced campaigners having won Paralympic gold medals in Tokyo in 2021, and they showed it as they headed their competition.

Other leaders in the Omnium after the Flying Start were Finlay Graham (MC3), Devon Briggs (NZL, MC4), and Ricardo Ten Argiles (ESP, MC1).

Brief explanation of para-cycling sport classes on the track

C – Cyclist: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary (divided into different sport classes - 1 to 5 - with the lower the number indicating greater impairment).

B – Visually impaired: tandem bicycle ridden with sighted pilot

Full results and live timing