A host of Paralympic and world champions will represent the Great Britain Cycling Team at this weekend’s Manchester Para-cycling International, British Cycling has announced today.
The event, which takes place at the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre between Friday and Sunday (schedule here), represents an opportunity for riders to gain Tokyo 2020 qualifying points.
Four-time Paralympic champion Jody Cundy will line up for the kilo and team sprint, as will his fellow world and Paralympic champion Louis Rolfe, who will also contest the individual pursuit. The third member of the Rio team sprint-winning trio, Jon-Allan Butterworth, will also take his place on the start line.
James Ball (piloted by Pete Mitchell), Steve Bate (Adam Duggleby) and Neil Fachie (Matt Rotherham) will all compete in the tandem events, while on the women’s side, Paralympic champions Lora Fachie (Corrine Hall) and Sophie Thornhill (Helen Scott) will again line up in national colours.
Paralympic champion Megan Giglia and world champion Crystal Lane-Wright will also compete, while Kadeena Cox will continue her return to competition following her impressive victory at last month’s TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup in London, which included para-cycling events for the first time.
Following on from their track debuts for Great Britain in London, Finlay Graham and Matthew Robertson will take to the boards again alongside fellow programme riders Jon Gildea and William Bjergfelt.
John Lenton, British Cycling’s Para-cycling Pathway Manager, says that the experience gained at the London event will stand the Great Britain riders in good stead as they continue their Tokyo preparations.
“To see para-cycling events taking place at the TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup was a fantastic moment for us all, and something that all the riders took a great deal from. I know all the riders appreciate the fantastic support that the British public always provides.
“With just over 18 months until Tokyo, we’re looking to build on that momentum, and this weekend’s Para-cycling International gives our riders the chance to test themselves against some of the best para-cyclists from around the world on home soil once again.”
The full Great Britain Cycling Team squad for this weekend’s Manchester Para-cycling International is:
Women
Lora Fachie MBE piloted by Corrine Hall MBE (WB)
Sophie Thornhill MBE piloted by Helen Scott MBE (WB)
Megan Giglia MBE (WC3)
Kadeena Cox MBE (WC4)
Crystal Lane-Wright (WC5)
Men
James Ball piloted by Pete Mitchell (MB)
Stephen Bate MBE piloted by Adam Duggleby MBE (MB)
Neil Fachie MBE piloted by Matthew Rotherham (MB)
Matthew Robertson (MC2)
Louis Rolfe MBE (MC2)
Finlay Graham (MC3)
Ben Watson (MC3)
Jody Cundy OBE (MC4)
William Bjergfelt (MC5
Jon-Allan Butterworth MBE (MC5)
Jon Gildea (MC5)
