Paralympic Cycling

Here we go, my first posting on my first blog.  Since the Beijing Paralympic Games are currently underway - the Games I had so eargerly anticipated to be my swan song performances  (I came up short at trials back in June, placing 9th overall, top seven got the nod to compete in China) - it seems only appropriate to toss out a little commentary on the cycling competition among the guys in my classification, LC2, the guys with lower leg amputations, primarily.

 It’s no great surprise who took the title of “world’s fastest one-legged cyclist.” Jiri Jezek of the Czech Republic has been The Man since 2000. This week on the velodrome he won the individual pursuit, silvered in the kilo and earned a bronze with his countrymen in the team sprint. In the wee hours EST this morning he won a very decisive road time trial, as he did Athens.

Eduard Novak of Romania has been a contender on the road for the last half dozen years and his dedication came to fruition with a silver in the time trial ahead of Spain’s favorite Paralympic cyclist, Roberto Alcaide.

USA’s Ron Williams didn’t enter any track races this year to focus on strong finishes on the road. He did well, certainly not to his standards, by placing 5th in the time trial. He’s a strong trialer, but he’s stronger still in the road race, which contends tomorrow.

Perhaps the most outstanding single performance in the LC2 class this week came from the magnificent Jody Cundy of Great Britain who annihilated the competition in the kilo. While Jezek was second with a time of 1:11:182 and Yuanchao Zheng of China third with a 1:11:198, Cundy posted a world record 1:05:466! USA’s Dory Sellinger set a WR in 1998 of 1:10:603 which wasn’t seriously challenged until Cundy debuted in 2006 with a time of 1:10:530 - on his walking leg! (All the serious riders these days compete with a dedicated cycling prosthesis.)

  The road race was contested on Sept 13 under a new format. The LC1s (arm guys), LC2s and CP4s (mild cases of cerebral palsy, primarily) all raced together to deepen the field and promote a more competitive event. In the end LC1s earned the gold, silver and bronze medals and a an LC2, Jan Boyen of Belgium took 4th. Jan jumped on the scene at 2006 World Championships with a couple medals and, quite surprisingly, came up short on both the track and the road this week.  Jiri Jezek ended up in the middle of the pack, Roberto Alcaide several spots ahead of him and my good friend Ron Williams, unfortunately, having the race he didn’t want to have, finishing near the back.  As I wasn’t there and have no into other than the results, I have no idea at this point what transpired out there on the roads. I will say this: sure wish I was out there with them…