Para-cycling champions Dame Sarah Storey (GBR) and Jetze Plat (NED) are preparing for the 2023 UCI World Championships in para-cycling road and track that will be held in August and share with us what challenges await them at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and Scotland (Great Britain).
Dame Sarah Storey and Jetze Plat are para-cycling legends. Sarah Storey’s 28 Paralympic medals, including 17 gold, and 41 world titles (six in swimming and 35 in para-cycling) make her one of the most decorated athletes of all time. Jetze Plat is a star of the H4 category with 10 UCI World Champion titles in para-cycling, including two titles last year in Canada. He has also won Paralympic gold in the time trial and road race in MH4, as well as two Paralympic golds in paratriathlon. In August, they will both compete in the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships during the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships (3-13 August), the biggest event in cycling history. We recently caught up with the two athletes to talk about Scotland and see how their seasons have panned out so far…
Firstly, what are your thoughts on the para-cycling road races and time trials that will take place in Dumfries and Galloway at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships?
Sarah Storey (SS): I haven’t had the chance to test the courses but I know from the time I’ve spent in Dumfries that it’ll be rolling, with climbs that will require power, something that have always suited me in the past.
Jetze Platze (JP): It looks like a challenging course for both the time trial and the road race. But I’m looking forward to it.
When did you last race in Scotland?
SS: Last year the [non-disabled] National Championships for road races were held in Dumfries where I was competing for my team, Storey Racing. Although this was before we found out about the courses for the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, it was great to get a feel for the area and to see where we’ll be starting and finishing for the road race, which has a similar route to the road time trial from last year’s National Championships.
JP: I’ve only raced there once. It was in Strathclyde, near Glasgow. That was back in 2016 but it was in triathlon, not handcycling.
Will you have a chance to scout the Scottish roads before August?
SS: As it’s the school holidays and I can work remotely for my various jobs, including Active Mobility Commissioner for Manchester, I will head up to Scotland ahead of the event and prepare on the courses in the final 10 days.
JP: I won’t be travelling to Glasgow beforehand, so I’ll be checking out the course via VeloViewer and Google. I’ll be with there with the national team several days in advance which will give me time to discover the courses on site.
Who are your main competitors?
SS: I’ll have competition from all directions, including Kerstin Brachtendorf and Marie Patouillet, who won the WC5 categories in the time trial and the road race (at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships). It has been impressive to see how the women’s C5 category has developed, with a higher level and more talented athletes, and I’m very proud of my contribution to help make that happen.
JP: I haven’t raced the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup this year, so I’m not 100% sure about the level of my opponents. That said, Mathieu Bosredon (FRA) looks to be in good shape. As does Thomas Fruhwirth. Everyone will be aiming to raise their levels with the Paralympics in Paris next year.
What’s your race schedule for the remainder of 2023?
SS: The National Championships for road [non-disabled, held in Redcar and Cleveland 21-25 June] is a main focus of the summer and provides a good opportunity to assess the work that’s been done in the first part of the season. Between now and then I’ll be racing as many fast-paced circuit races in Great Britain as I can, as this fits perfectly with the type of racing the para-peloton tends to do. As always, my main focus is on time trials and I have been travelling to race the closed-circuit events at various car circuits.
JP: I am doing the European Triathlon Championships in Madrid at the start of June and then I’m racing the following month in Swansea at the World Triathlon Para Series. I’ll also compete in national handcycling events and will head to a training camp in Austria to prepare for Scotland. After that I have another World Triathlon plus wheelchair marathons in Chicago and New York. It’s a busy season.
Can you give us an idea of how a training week looks like?
SS: My training is broken down into cycles that improve my form and fitness throughout the season. I tend to spend two to three days doing long endurance rides and two to three days with specific effort-based sessions, either including an actual race or using the many hills around where I live to bring intensity into the session. I also use the Zwift online platform for additional intensity work and racing.
JP: At the moment, I’m focusing on handcycling and triathlon, so that means five times a week on the handbike – two of which are intervals – plus several sessions in the racing chair and two swim sessions a week. It’s around 15 to 25 hours each week.
Finally, anything else you’d like to add about what’s set to be a memorable edition of the UCI World Championships in Para-cycling Road and Track this August?
SS: Doing a world championship on homeground is always a fantastic opportunity and after the UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate in 2019, it’s amazing to be able to compete at home again. With competitions in all of cycling’s disciplines right next to each other, it’s going to be an event no one will ever forget. And when the races are over, I’ll be looking forward to 2024 and hopefully being selected for my ninth Paralympic Games!
JP: It’s great for para-cycling to be part of the UCI World Cycling Championships. Hopefully more people will get to see and enjoy our great sport.