14 December 2018

Cundy bags double gold on historic day at Track World Cup

Jody Cundy revelled in his own slice of history by bagging double gold on para-cycling’s debut at a Track World Cup in London.

The seven-time Paralympic champion scooped titles in the mixed para C1-5 team sprint finals as well as the C4-5 1km time trial.

Never before had a Track World Cup incorporated para events and the British team didn’t waste time in making their mark, with Kadeena Cox also picking up gold on the Lee Valley VeloPark boards.

There was also a title for Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham while Jon-Allan Butterworth and Louis Rolfe joined Cundy en route to gold, with Dame Sarah Storey among those taking her place on the London podium.

Now with the taste of the occasion certainly a sweet one, Cundy can’t wait for this Track World Cup experience to be the first of many.

Quote

I've never had a good history with these boards after what happened in London 2012 but I seem to go alright on them these days.

Jody Cundy

“Para events being included is one of the reasons my training has been so keyed to this event,” he said.

“It’s not often we get big crowds, the fact that we’re here at a World Cup, you’ve got the world’s best cyclists here.

“To have that and be part of this event and for it to be the first time it has been integrated, it’s one of those where you have to put out your store because if it’s a success - as it seems to be at the moment - then fingers crossed we might get more World Cups in the future.

“Fingers crossed it might become a more integral part as opposed to a demonstration event.

“To ride here alongside these able-bodied counterparts that we train with day in, day out, it’s great to see them racing but also be part of the same programme and racing at the same time is pretty cool.”

Kadeena Cox and Dame Sarah Storey celebrated gold and silver in London

Cundy’s opening effort saw him join Butterworth and Rolfe in the team sprint final, their time of 49.925s nearly two seconds clear of the second-placed Americans.

His teammates then had a rest until the evening session – with Butterworth even making a trip to the cinema – but Cundy wasn’t done there with the kilo in his sights.

Stopping the clock in 1:03.414 proved more than two seconds clear of American Christopher Murphy, with British teammate Jon Gildea riding to bronze.

Then came his second golden moment in a Lee Valley VeloPark that had provided disappointment at his home Paralympic Games six years ago, casting that to one side as the British trio beat the Americans in the team sprint.

The first evening session of the Track World Cup also saw Fachie and Rotherham step atop the podium, needing just two races to win the para tandem sprint final.

Fist pumps all round for Fachie and Rotherham

The two comfortably qualified fastest and made their class show, with Ireland’s Martin Gordon and Eamonn Byrne settling for silver ahead of Matthew Ellis and Barney Storey.

For Ellis and Storey, this medal was the result of just four weeks’ training – with the latter making his first capital appearance since the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

And the Storey household had more to celebrate with Dame Sarah achieving silver in the C4-5 500m TT, her time of 38.309 seconds earning a spot on the podium.

But there was no stopping Cox – a Rio 2016 Paralympic champion in athletics and cycling – from earning gold in 36.671s, making history as Great Britain’s first World Cup winner in a para discipline.

The first medal was the honour of Megan Giglia, securing silver in the C1-3 TT ahead of compatriot and bronze medallist Katie Toft.

While the men’s time trial saw Rolfe bag a solo medal, this time bronze, though Finlay Graham was the leading Brit with silver in 1:10.011.

Images: SWpix.com

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