UCI Para World Championships
The Olympic Velodrome in Rio was the venue for the UCI Para World Championships with Jenny Holl piloting Sophie Unwin on the tandem and Fin Graham in the C3 events.
Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl won back their women’s B individual pursuit world title – setting a new world record in morning qualifying before mounting a stunning comeback to win their gold ride-off in the final event of the evening. Having smashed their own record with a time of 4:32.697 in the morning session, Unwin and Holl looked set to ease into the jersey when the tandems returned to the track. However, a paced effort meant they entered the final kilometre of their ride-off nearly a second back on their New Zealand opponents.
Digging deep, the pairing turned that deficit into two-second lead by the time they crossed the finish, taking back a jersey, they’ve worn twice before.
Friday’s gold was added to on Sunday in the tandem sprint. Facing Italy for the bronze medal, Unwin and Holl pushed their opponent high before being forced down by Italy who got onto the front and opened a gap. Unwin and Holl chased hard and accelerated over the top on the final corner to make it neck and neck before taking the first win.
Italy took the lead again, but Great Britain used the banking to come over the top and distance themselves from their opponents, managing to bridge a gap and then to hold the pace and pip Italy to the bronze medal.
Not to be outdone, the week would also be successful for Fin Graham, taking home five medals in Brazil.
His first came on Thursday as he secured bronze in the first-ever men’s C3 match sprint event. Having qualified third-fastest in the morning session, the Scot found himself in a three-up semi-final with Devon Briggs (New Zealand) and Eduardo Santos Asensio (Spain). Although Graham finished second in that race and missed out on the chance to go for gold, he earned a bronze by virtue of having qualified third-fastest.
A strong effort in the Kilo on Friday would see the Scot take a second bronze, before the weekend’s bunch races.
Graham picked up his third medal out of three events in the new men’s C3 elimination race. With five riders on the field, there was no time for complacency and the Highlander was focused from the start.
Having managed to stay out of trouble and get down to the final three, Graham shot over the top to position himself at the front and in safety, seeing him through to the final sprint showdown against Korey Boddington (AUS). Graham gave it everything in the final lap, but was just pipped to the post by Boddington, to pick up a brilliant silver medal.
Sunday saw a tense men’s C3 scratch race that kicked off early an attack launching with 30 laps to go, staying away for a few laps. Deciding to pull it back, Fin Graham launched a counterattack with 25 to go shutting the original move down with Asensio of Spain and Kiwi Devon to create a leading front group in the five-man race.
Coming down to the final sprint, Graham pushed hard but having tactically saved his energy, Briggs had the power to go over the top and take the win, with Graham taking the silver medal overall. The week would be rounded off by an excellent bronze in the Mixed Team Sprint on Sunday evening.
Falkirk National Trophy
The rain poured yesterday, and sodden ground underfoot made Callendar Park the perfect venue for the second round of the British National Cyclocross Series.
Despite The Wall, an infamous feature of the course that was once part of Antonine’s Wall, resembling that of the World War I quagmire, it was Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) that was giggity after he secured his second victory in as many rounds in the open elite race on Sunday.
There was an excellent return to form from Reuben Oakley (Rotor RT), the Perth man has been plagued by breathing issues in recent seasons but returned to his best with a seventh place showing. Sam Chisholm (Team HUP) bounced back from a crash and rolled tyre – to finish in tenth.
The elite female race saw a dominant performance from Ffion Drake – leading from start to finish, with some strong skills in the muddy sections.
In the juniors, Luke Trafford and Zoe Roche won out with a great ride by Xander Graham (Grit Cartel) to take fifth place.
Saturday’s racing was held in much more agreeable conditions.
Olivia Poole (Specialized Youth) was nominated for the Youth Rider of the Year Award at the Scottish Cycling Awards – and she showed why with an excellent victory on home soil. The Invernessian winning by 40 seconds in the Under 16 category.
Isla Reekie, riding for host club Falkirk Junior BC, rode to an excellent second place in the Under 14 field – with Eilidh Scally (Johnstone Jets) in seventh place. Josh Stewart (SteppingStanes) rode to a great fifth place in the under 16 event with Sam Kingan (Pentland) in sixth place in he under 14 race.
The masters field saw some great Scottish performances, Helen Winton (Vanelli-Project GO) claimed the Vet 60 victory. Sixth-placed Sian Tovey and eighth-placed Lettie McDonald (Vanelli) were comfortably inside the top ten in the Vet 40’s race – with Megan Mowbray (Team HUP) in sixth in the Vet 50 event.
In the Men’s 40 race, Wheelbases’ Davie Lines scored an excellent fourth place, with Gary MacDonald (Nevis Cycles RT) in sixth and Richard McDonald and Rob Friel (both Vanelli Project GO) in seventh and ninth respectively.
All in all, a great weekend of racing at a Callendar Park – and the first of two National Trophies in Scotland this season – with Irvine hosting the next round in January.
Cameron Mason’s Belgian campaign is fully up and running with three races over the weekend.
The best of the bunch was at the Exact Cross in Essen; Mason came home in an excellent fifth place and was in the hunt for his first win on Belgian soil right until the final few metres.
Saturday’s fifth was backed up by Thursday’s Ardoiee – where again Mason finished in sixth place – just six seconds off the winner – Toon Aerts.
The Seven Racing rider has started 2025-26 in top form – and will look to build with Overijse and Koppencross to come in the next two weeks.