The 2023 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup drew to a close this weekend in Huntsville, Alabama. It was the first time that a round of the series has taken place in the USA and nine years since the country had hosted the 2014 UCI Para-cycling World Championships in Greenville, South Carolina.
Second only to the Netherlands, the host nation racked up 22 medals, including six gold in Huntsville.
Bosco continues run of success
Samantha Bosco certainly enjoyed riding at home: the 36-year-old won gold in both the WC4 time trial and road race. In Saturday’s time trial, Bosco recorded a dominant victory, her time of 20:12.04 over the 14.6km course more than a minute clear of second-placed Keely Shaw of Canada. The USA’s Shawn Morelli finished third.
It was a closer affair in Monday’s road race as Bosco just edged out countrywoman Morelli with both riders clocking 2:19:43. Shaw won bronze.
For two-time Paralympian Bosco, it was her fourth gold medal of the season, after winning both the time trial and road race in Maniago, Italy, in late April. She remains undefeated this season and continues a winning streak that stretches back to 2021, including both the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cups and UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.
“I say this word a lot but it feels surreal,” she said after the time trial. “For me, starting last year with the very first race of the year, I went into it with the idea of ‘Each race is a new race’. I’ve been carrying that mentality and going into each race having some sort of goal to focus on for that individual race. Today, I had so many strategies going through my mind. It took me a minute to settle down and focus.”
Bosco will now look ahead to the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, which will be part of the first ever UCI Cycling World Championships, uniting 13 individual UCI World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland from 3 to 13 August.
The other four USA gold medals came courtesy of Alicia Dana in the WH3 time trial, Clara Brown (WH3 road race), Dennis Connors (MT2 time trial) and Aaron Keith (MC1 time trial). Ten-time UCI World Championships medallist Keith was particularly pleased to have his family witness his victory. “I settled in pretty well after a bit of a frantic start and kept fighting to the finish line,” Keith said. “My brother actually came up and told me that I possibly won, and I thought he was messing with me. It feels really good.”
The Netherlands top the leaderboard
It was a stunning collective effort from the USA. But one that still wasn’t quite strong enough to top the nations’ medals table. Like the second round of the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Ostend, Belgium, that honour once again went to the Netherlands.
And once again, the orange charge to the top of the medal table was led by Tristan Bangma and pilot Patrick Bos, who won gold in both the MB time trial and road race… but they had to work for it, as the British pairing of Stephen Bate and pilot Christopher Latham won silver in both.
The Dutch duo looked in fine fettle despite spending two-and-a-half hours on the dusty roads of Texas (USA) last weekend after enduring a mechanical at the Gravel Locos event in Hico. They now look ahead to next weekend’s Garmin Inbound Gravel event in Kansas.
There was also double Dutch delight for Marieke Van Soest, who won gold in the WT1 time trial and road race, and Mitch Valize, who won gold in both MH5 races. Daniel Abraham Gebru also won gold in the MC5 time trial.
Further highlights of a memorable four days of racing in Huntsville, Alabama, include Celine Van Till’s double victory for Switzerland in the WT2 category. That made it six UCI Para-cycling World Cup wins out of six this season. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Linda Kelly, won gold in both the time trial and road races in the WB classification.
Brief explanation of para-cycling sport classes
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
T – Tricycle: three-wheeled bike
B – Tandem: for blind or visually impaired athlete with sighted pilot
H – Handcycle
Groups C (1-5), T (1-2) and H (1-5) are divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating greater impairment.