Guide: Great Britain Cycling Team at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup - Pietermaritzburg

Guide: Great Britain Cycling Team at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup - Pietermaritzburg

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Great Britain’s para-cyclists will travel to South Africa for the fourth and final round of the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup from 11-13 September.

After strong performances at the opening two rounds in Italy and Switzerland and at the recent world championships in Nottwil, the team hope to end their season in style and continue gaining valuable qualification points for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

The team

Great Britain Cycling Team training before the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby B
Karen Darke H3
Hannah Dines T2
Jaco Van Gass C4
Jon Gildea C5
Sally Hurst C2
Craig McCann T2
Simon Price C2
Liz Saul C4
David Smith C3
Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall B

Karen Darke will compete in the H3 handcycling events, currently lying in seventh in the standings on 80 points despite missing the third round in Germany.

Darke took fourth in the time trial before a bronze in the road race in Italy, while in Switzerland the 44-year-old took silver in the time trial and sixth in the road event.

Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall lie in fourth overall in the B tandem standings on 80 points, a win in the time trial at round two the highlight of their world cup season so far.

Turnham and Hall followed the result with fourth and fifth in the time trial and road race respectively at the world championships, in a season which saw the pairing reunited after Hall recovered from injury, set against a backdrop of increased competition in the class.

Pietermaritzburg will see the continuation of a strong season for Great Britain’s men’s tandem pairing Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby, who sit in fifth place overall despite missing the third round.

The British pair started their world cup campaign with a bang, bronze in the time trial and silver in the road race in Italy before top-five finishes in the same events at round two. Bate and Duggleby enjoyed fifth in the time trial and tenth in the road race at the subsequent road world championships.

Great Britain Cycling Team training - at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup - Pietermaritzburg

Hannah Dines has been equally impressive in her debut international season, riding in the T2 class, taking silver and bronze in the time trial and road races at round one before representing her country at the world championships.

Liz Saul, riding in C4 class, also debuted strongly in Italy with a fourth in the time trial and fifth in the road race leading to her world championships selection.

C2 competitor Simon Price took an excellent fifth place in the road race at the world championships, the ever-improving 45-year-old hoping to round off his season with a podium in South Africa.

They will be joined by David Smith, Jaco van Gass and Jon Gildea. Smith represented Great Britain in able-bodied karate and bobsleigh before a spinal cord tumour discovered in 2010 changed the course of the Aviemore man’s life.

Smith had to learn to walk again and switched sports to rowing, leading to a remarkable gold medal in the mixed coxed four at the London Paralympic Games. Smith moved from boat to bike following the Games and was accepted onto the Paralympic Academy Programme in 2014, riding in the C3 class.

Jaco Van Gass

Former Parachute Regiment solider Jaco van Gass lies 12th overall in the C4 class, as does C5 athlete and former mountain biker Gildea.

Sally Hurst and Craig McCann will make their debuts for the team at world cup level. Hurst, who rides in the C2 class, represented Great Britain at the 2015 Newport Para-cycling International early in the year and the pre-world cup road internationals in Italy in April and May.

T2 trike rider McCann, riding for Houghton Cycling Club, produced an impressive fifth place in the time trial at the third round of the world cup, leading to his chance to compete Great Britain colours for the final round.

The venue

The vibrant city of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal region is no stranger to hosting major international cycling events. The city is a regular stop on the mountain biking circuit having hosted the world championships in 2013 as well as the UCI BMX World Championships in 2010. The final round of the UCI Para-Cycling World Cup will see action split over two venues.

2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup - Pietermaritzburg - time trial map

The time trials will take place at the scenic Midmar Dam watersports and recreation complex, using a 7.75-kilometre course at the Midmar Nature Reserve.

2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup - Pietermaritzburg - road race map

The road races will take place in the city itself, the 6.07-kilometre circuit starting and finishing at Pietermaritzburg’s Alexander Park, with varying numbers of laps depending on classification.

The schedule

Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall

  • Friday 11 September – time trials for all classes
  • Saturday 12 September – road races for handcycle and trike classes
  • Sunday 13 September – road races for men’s and women’s C3 to C5, men’s and women’s B tandem and team relay

How to follow the racing

  • A report and results will appear on the British Cycling website.

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