DAME SARAH STOREY will lead the British squad at Saturday’s Para-Cycling International, which marks the start of the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Yorkshire.
While the para-cycling event does not form part of the World Championships programme, with a separate UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships having been staged in the Netherlands last week, event organisers wanted to provide a showcase for the world’s leading para-cyclists to compete in Yorkshire.
They have secured a top-class field for Saturday’s action, which will be staged on three different routes into Harrogate starting at Beverley, Tadcaster and Wetherby, with six newly-crowned World champions and a further seven medallists set to compete.
Storey, who won the time trial and road race events in the C5 class at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Emmen, will start at Tadcaster as she heads up the British female team.
Beverley-born Adam Duggleby will roll out of his hometown in the B class, piloting Stephen Bate. The pair claimed silver medals in the time trial event in Emmen and are strong contenders to claim gold on their home roads.
There will be a strong international contingent for the event, headed by Australian Carol Cooke, who claimed two rainbow jerseys in the WT2 time trial and road race events last week.
Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Eve McCrystal, the B-class world road race champions and time trial silver medallists will also be competing, and will start in Beverley.
The Para-Cycling International will be the first para-cycling event staged alongside the UCI Road World Championships, and will feature a total of 26 different races across all four para-cycling classifications. The results will count towards qualification for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
“We’re delighted to have attracted so many world-class riders for the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International and we can’t wait to see them in action,” said Yorkshire 2019 chief executive Andy Hindley.
“Many of them will be in peak condition after the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Emmen last week, and this Saturday they’ll receive a warm Yorkshire welcome in front of one of the largest crowds ever assembled for an elite para-cycling event.
“Hosting these races alongside the UCI Road World Championships was absolutely essential to us as we want them to be the most inclusive, innovative and inspiring Championships ever.”
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