Para-cycling in 2021: the numbers say it all

25

world records were established for para-cycling track at the Izu Velodrome during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Never before had so many world marks been lowered at a para-cycling track event! And that is just the official figure. In total, 48 world records were broken, as some were lowered several times.

17

is the number of Paralympic titles for Sarah Storey, who became Great Britain’s most decorated Paralympian of all time: her three victories in Tokyo - in the C5 3000m individual pursuit and the C5 time trial on the track followed by the C4-5 road race – increased her already impressive tally of Olympic golds across swimming and para-cycling since 1992.

14

medals - six gold, six silver, and two bronze - earned Great Britain top spot in the track cycling medal tables at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, ahead of Australia and France.

12

medals, including seven gold, meant the Netherlands pipped the British to top spot on the Paralympic road cycling medals table. The Dutch athletes dominated proceedings at the Fuji International Speedway in Tokyo, adding two silver and three bronze to their gold medal haul, while Great Britain racked up 10 medals (four gold, five silver and a bronze) to finish second, ahead of Germany.

50

years old and double Paralympic Champion: Keiko Sugiura made history for host nation Japan with her victories in the women’s C1-3 time trial and the women’s C1-3 road race, becoming the oldest Japanese Paralympian gold medalist ever.

33

years after her maiden Paralympic Games appearance, the timeless Jeanette Jansen (53) won gold in the women’s H1-4 road race (after bronze in the time trial the previous day). It was the Dutch legend’s 10th Paralympic medal across athletics, wheelchair basketball and para-cycling since Seoul 1988.

270

athletes from 39 nations competed in the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, from June 9 to 13.

21

nations featured on the medals table of the 2021 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships. Italy was the dominant nation, ahead of the Netherlands and Great Britain.

6th

UCI World title for Italy in the team relay in Cascais. Since the mixed H class relay was first introduced in 2011, the Italians have only ceded the rainbow jersey twice: in 2011 and 2018, both times to the USA (the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships were not held in 2020, 2016 or 2012).

5

riders recorded the same time (1:48.9) in a nail-biting H3 67.2km road race, the last event of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championship. Victory and the rainbow jersey were awarded to Riadh Tasmim, of France.

1

round only of the 2021 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup could be maintained due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but what an important round it was. After a year without major international competition, Ostend (Belgium) provided the stage for the world’s best para-cyclists 110 days out from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.