Disability World Championships - Day 3

 

21st August 2007

Report & pics: Dave Mellor

Jody Cundy recovers after his gold medal winning ride in the Kilo

 

Day three of the Championships produced two more gold medal for the GB team. Jody Cundy absolutely blitzed the opposition to win the LC2 Kilo, whilst Darren Kenny took gold once again in the CP3 3000m Pursuit, an event he has made his own in recent seasons.

Cundy's effort was truly outstanding. The former swimmer, who made his international cycling debut last year, recorded a new world record of 1:08.719 to win by over 3 seconds. Team manager Dave Mellor was almost speechless when describing the performance: "He's amazing, absolutely amazing!" Though he then recovered to set Jody's talent into perspective: "I believe that he and the Australian Michael Gallagher are the two outstanding Paralympic cyclists in the world at the moment."

And it wasn't just Mellor who was impressed. UCI President Pat McQuaid was so excited by what he saw that he phoned British Cycling President Brian Cookson to tell him about the ride.

Remarkably, Jody is suffering from a heavy cold, though this only showed itself after his ride when he took a very long time to pull himself together. He said to support staff that "that was the most pain I've ever experienced inflicted by myself."

Dave Mellor is struck by Jody's calm: "He is self confident, but he doesn't say boo to a goose, just comes in and does his job. Nothing seems to bother him - his mum and dad are the ones who get nervous!"

Whichever way you look at it, it was one of the greatest rides by a GB rider and a truely world-class effort. All being well, Jody will be a household name by the end of the Beijing Paralympics. He rides again tomorrow, when with Rik Waddon and Mark Bristow he will attempt to set the record straight in the Team Sprint, after being controversially disqualified in last year's event after recording the fastest time. The GB trio will face tough opposition from the Aussies, who will be fielding three gold medal winners.

 

LC2 Kilo

1 CUNDY, Jody GBR 1:08.719 Gold
2 JEZEK, Jiri CZE 1:11.845 Silver
3 GRANADO, Amador ESP 1:11.856 Bronze

Darren Kenny warms up

Darren Kenny is also, of course, an outstanding athlete in his own right and his battles with Javier Ochoa the Tour de France stage winner, have become legendary. Ochoa qualified fastest in the CP3 3000metre Pursuit in the morning, with Darren doing just enough to get into the final in a controlled ride.

In the evening's final, however, he went for 3.42 and a world record. Dave Mellor picks up the story: "he was bang on schedule for the first two kilometres and I think if ochoa had been couple of seconds slower Darren would have got the record. The prospect of getting close to Ochoa would have helped tow him along. As it was he just slipped off the pace in the final few laps but won totally convincingly."

Darren's great rival, Javier Ochoa

Darren's bucket - a sure sign a rider has given his all!

 

As ever, Kenny had given everything and he was sick into a dustbin the team had ready for him straight after the race. The team are well drilled in looking after this star rider as Dave Mellor relates: "We have to keep him moving fatre the race, because his blood pressure drops, so we quickly get him off his bike and onto another one. This time the sheer effort and lactic acid build up got to him. He certainly turns himself inside out!"

CP3 Pursuit
1 KENNY, Darren GBR 3:43.941 Gold
2 OCHOA, Javier ESP 3:50.885 Silver
3 ECKHARD, Maurice ESP 4:04.165 Bronze

Gary Williams

Mark Bristow

Simon Richardson

Also in action were Mark Bristow and Gary Williams in the LC1 Kilo, which was won by Michael Gallagher of Australia. Bristow just missed out on a medal and was fourth, having been third last year. He's been training hard for tomorrow's Team Sprint and perhaps lacked the endurance he had last year. Simon Richardson was also competing, in the LC3 Kilo, where he recorded a PB and national record in the category in finishing eighth, a highly creditable performance in a very competitive event.

LC3 Kilo
1 LIANG, Gui Hua CHN 1:18.266 Gold
2 FUJITA, Masaki JPN 1:18.811 Silver
3 THIRIONNET, Laurent FRA 1:18.874 Bronze
other
8 RICHARDSON, Simon GBR 1:21.489

LC1 Kilo
1 GALLAGHER, Michael AUS 1:09.069 Gold
2 HAMMER, Mario GER 1:09.992 Silver
3 EIBECK, Wolfgang AUT 1:10.552 Bronze
other
4 BRISTOW, Mark GBR 1:11.239
12 ROSBOTHAM, Williams Gar GBR 1:12.947