Silver medals for tandem cyclists at 2013 UCI Para-cycling World Cup

The NZ Para-cycling team have made a solid start to their busy race schedule in Canada this month.  The team have competed in the 2013 UCI Para-cyling Road World Cup from 23 – 25 August.  This has been a great warm up event for the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships next week.

Paralympic stars and tandem partners Phillipa Gray and Laura Fairweather (sighted pilot) lined up to compete and finished second to take the silver medal and defend their Paralympic silver in the 24.9km Women’s B Time Trial.  It was a closely fought race with the gold medallists Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall (Great Britian) taking the race by less than a minute.  However they did not complete the second race of the event (Women’s B Road Race) due to a puncture.

New Zealands newest tandem combination Emma Foy and Gabrielle Vermunt (sighted pilot) were placed 4th in the Women’s B Time Trial, less than 10 seconds behind the experienced combination of Gray and Fairweather.  On the final day of competition they rode to silver in Women’s B Road Race exceeding all expectations.  Foy and Vermunt were only 3 seconds behind gold medalists Josefa Benitez Guzman and Judit Masdeu Cort from Spain.

Brendon Cameron (Head Performance Coach) says, “Initially this was just going to be a great learning opportunity for the new pairing of Emma and Gabrielle to get some experience on the road prior to the World Championships, but to come away with a 4th place and a silver medal is outstanding for their first two starts on the International scene” he continues, “we are very excited about our new team members and what lies ahead.”

Paralympian Fiona Southorn placed 5th in the Women’s C5 Time Trial maintaining her placing in this event from London 2012 Paralympic Games and 5th in the Road Race. 

Of the nine strong team four development hand-cyclist’s competed in Road Time Trial and Road Race events with placings in the top 15.

The team will now compete at the 2013 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Baie Comeau, Canada from 29 August – 1 September 2013.

Results can be found at the event website - http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template3/layout.asp?MenuId=MTU3MTQ&LangId=1