Fin Graham led the Scottish charge at the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in France as all four Scots in action returned home with world titles.
The Great Britain team enjoyed it’s most successful ever championships, winning 30 medals and a whopping 20 world titles, seven of those rainbow bands belonging to Scots, as they won a third of the team’s silverware.
Graham set the tone on day one, as after topping the charts in the Flying 200m, the opening event in the weekend-long Omnium competition, he would become Scratch Race World Champion, with a dominant performance. The very next day he doubled his tally, with an unstoppable Individual Pursuit victory, and after a silver medal in the 1km TT, he bagged a further gold in the Omnium on the final day of action, topping the scoreboard in all four of the events to amass a perfect Omnium score.
Of his efforts Graham, who took the road world title back in August as well, said:
“It feels amazing – this is such an amazing way to end the year. Having these world titles – I’m really happy to win the Pursuit world title too, as that’s been a big target for the last couple of years. I’ve made massive improvements in my performances and I really made the most of the COVID year to take a step forward. Off the back of Tokyo I really wanted to take the step up and start winning golds.”
Not far behind was para-sprinting legend Neil Fachie, who took a brace of world titles, defending his crown in the Tandem 1km Time Trial, before reclaiming his world title in the Tandem Sprint. Reunited with long-time pilot Matt Rotherham, Fachie showed why he is one of the greatest of all-time, as he took his lifetime world title count to 16!
After his first win of the weekend, Fachie said:
“World title number 15 and it’s just as sweet as the first – I’m quite happy to keep racking them up and hopefully number 16 will come in the sprint on Sunday!”
And after adding number 16 he noted:
“I’ve not won the sprint world title since 2019 so it’s nice to actually win it again, and prove I still can. I just love racing.”
Jenny Holl was once again on pilot duties, and alongside her stoker Sophie Unwin, enjoyed a memorable week as they added to their road world title won in August with victory in the Women’s Tandem Pursuit, before adding further medals in the Women’s 1km TT and the Women’s Tandem Sprint, the latter two sprint medals somewhat unexpected for the endurance duo.
Finally, at her maiden cycling World Championships, track and field star turned cyclist Libby Clegg built upon her Commonwealth Games experience this summer to take gold in the 750m Tandem Team Sprint, a new event that sees a male and female tandem combine. Piloted by Georgia Holt and riding alongside James Ball and Steffan Lloyd, it was a memorable moment for Clegg, who would go on to put in strong performances in the 1km TT and Sprint, where she would just miss out on a medal, finishing fourth behind Holl and Unwin in both events.
Full results from the four day’s of racing can be found here
