UCI Para-Road World Championships
Men’s C3
Thursday saw Fin Graham achieve a three-peat of road world titles – a classy ride in the Men’s C3 Road Race seeing him retain the rainbow bands – in sodden conditions.
The Brits managed the race well and stayed together, teammate Ben Watson initially attacking into the lead group, with Graham quickly bridging the gap. On a technical circuit, the duo showed their bike-handling abilities and by the third time check had pulled back a short-lived break and were working together to push the pace and make things tough for their rivals.
The Brits eventually dropped the competition heading into the final kilometres, and with the more powerful sprint of the two, Graham stormed over the finish line, with his compatriot hot on his heels to take the silver medal.
On being Paralympic and World Champion, Graham said:
“[It’s] special to now be Para and World Champion; it was classic British conditions and it showed with two British guys up front.
“There was over 1,000 metres of climbing in 70-odd kilometres – that’s a lot of climbing. But descending in the wet, we’re better than other nations, because we have experience.
“It’s class to be able to ride with Ben and for him to get on the podium.”
Women’s Tandem
Tandem duo Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl claimed their second world championship silver medal of the competition, coming runners up to Irish tandem Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly in Zurich.
Heading towards the end of the first lap, Holl and Unwin, alongside Irish pair Josephine Healion and Eve McCrystal broke off the front, with the British pair quick to jump on their wheels and conserve energy.
The pressure was on for Holl and Unwin to pull back the other Irish tandem of Dunlevy and Kelly who caught and passed the leaders.
The gap from Dunlevy to Unwin was initially 14 seconds, with another 14 seconds separating Unwin and the second Irish bike. With the chase group now over a minute behind, the podium was sealed but it was a question as to whether Unwin and Holl could give it one last push on the final six kilometre circuit and take the win.
Ultimately, the Irish tandem proved too much for the Paralympic road race champions, and Unwin and Holl settled for their second silver medal of the championships, crossing the finish line one minute and 23 seconds behind.
UCI Road World Championships
Oscar Onley, making his debut at the World Championships, once again impressed at the highest level, as he finished 16th in the Men’s Road Race in Switzerland.
A long-range attack by Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) with over 100km to go would throw the race into chaos, with the former Spokes RT rider countering in a group with Ben Healy (Ireland) and Tom Skuijns (Latvia) with the trio forming the second group on the road behind the indominable Slovenian.
Onley would later fall back to the main group of favourites, after a spell of working with defending champion Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands). The Scot would come home in the second group in 16th place – an exceptional ride on debut, in a World Championships that will be remembered for decades to come.
Onley said after the race:
“I think I’ve got to be happy with how I rode, realistically where I was wasn’t where my legs are so I put myself in position and then it came down to legs. First, I got dropped from that group (second chase) then on the last lap I really blew up from the group behind, but it was a really good experience to be racing at this level and it’s quite a big longer than anything I’ve ever done, so I’m quite happy.”
There was a great effort from Callum Thornley in the U23 Men’s Road Race on Friday, after being up the road in the early moves, the Scot came home in 34th place on a driech day in Switzerland.
Thursday saw Junior riders Arabella Blackburn and Elliot Rowe make their debits at the World Championships, with Blackburn attacking and marking early moves in support of teammate Cat Ferguson who claimed the World title.
Scottish Circuit Race Championships
Not content, with one Championships this week, Jenny Holl (Loughborough Lightning) claimed the Senior Female title at the Scottish National Circuit Championships at Fife Cycle Park on Saturday.
There was a hat-trick of Scottish titles for Lewis Martin (Studio Velo) in the Senior Open, adding to the MTB XC and Cyclocross titles he has won in the last 12 months.
Read the full report here.