The ParalympicsGB cycling squad soared to 22 medals, including nine golds, on the track and road at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
In the second part of our four-part ParalympicsGB highlights series, our editor, Emma Purcell, cruises her way around ParalympicsGB’s cycling team’s triumphs, mishaps and unforgettable moments in the velodrome and on the road.
Read: Matthew Robertson: Para-Cyclist Pursuing Gold At First Paralympic Games
Daphne Schrager starstruck after winning her first medal in the velodrome
The first medal for Great Britain in track cycling went to Daphne Schrager, who took silver in the Women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit after finishing second to China’s Xiaomei Wang in the final.
Daphne’s medal was presented to her by film star Jackie Chan, a special ambassador for the International Paralympic Committee, and the 23-year-old was in tears on the podium.
“I wasn’t even allowed to ride a bike as a kid,” said Daphne, who has cerebral palsy.
“They thought I’d just fall off and plough into a tree.
“I’ve started from scratch, and it has been the right journey. The improvement I have made on the programme has been amazing, and I’m so lucky to be one of the people on National Lottery funding.
“It was just insane [getting a medal from Jackie Chan]. He’s been in so many movies, I was just like, ‘Oh my god, you’re real’.
“I promised my mum I wouldn’t cry on the podium, then I did – one of those things.”
Kadeena Cox on a rollercoaster ride in Paris
World record holder Kadeena Cox was poised to strike for a medal but slipped and fell on the first turn of the C4-5 500m time trial final.
It became clear that there had been no mechanical issue, which, under UCI rules, she was not allowed a restart, and Dutch rider Caroline Groot won gold.
“It was a weird one, I didn’t feel comfortable in the gate,” said the Leeds native. “With a condition like mine, riding can’t always be perfect, and it was all over the shop.”
Trailblazer Kadeena battled a barrage of injuries to make the Games a decade after an MS diagnosis changed her life. She only got back on the bike two weeks beforehand after a recent calf tear and relapse of the disorder.
“It has been a rollercoaster, I guess that’s MS,” said Cox. “The fact that I got here was amazing in itself; I’m just gutted that I was able to ride a ride that was pretty great in the first round and then not go out there and show what I’m capable of.”
Kadeena first pierced the public consciousness at Rio 2016, where she reached the podium in athletics and cycling to become the first British athlete in 32 years to win medals in multiple sports.
Thankfully, with the support of her teammates, coaches and fans, Kadeena got back on her bike three days later to compete in the Mixed 750m team sprint alongside Jody Cundy and Jaco van Gass, winning gold.
With redemption coming in the form of a gold medal, Kadeena revealed that it tasted all the sweeter after a difficult start to the Games.
“After the highs and lows of this week, it’s nice to come out and win a Paralympic title,” she said.
“I’d like to say it’s frustrating not to have two, but I’m happy to have done what I needed to do for the boys.
“It took a lot to get me back out here, and I had to climb over a big hurdle to get back onto the start line.
“I tried not to tear up as I got out for the qualifiers as I was scared and didn’t want to disappoint the team or let myself down.
“Being able to overcome that and go better in the final, I’ll give myself a pat on the back.”
There is no world in which Jody Cundy doesn’t medal at a Paralympic Games
Eight-time Paralympian Jody Cundy, combined with Kadeena Cox and Jaco van Gass, successfully defended their mixed team sprint title in the velodrome.
It meant that Jody had clinched the sixth gold of his track cycling career and 13th overall medal since he made his debut in the pool back at Atlanta 1996.
He did it in emphatic style in the French capital as the trio crossed the line in a time of 47.738s to beat Spain by almost two seconds.
Having proven his longevity in spades, the 45-year-old noted that there are definitely a few more years left in him on the track ahead of a possible ninth Games in LA.
He said: “It’s hard to believe that I’ve got nine gold medals,”
“I couldn’t have imagined where I’d be when I started this journey in 1996.
“Another gold medal around my neck, and it’s fabulous.
“I love the sport, and I’m still able to compete at the top end and do the training that I need to.
“In November, it will have been 30 years since I first represented Great Britain, and I’m still strong.
“I’m not sure I’ll be going another 30 years, but I can certainly get one or two more in there and then see where I am for LA.”
A dozen medals won across the tandem riders
All six Men’s and Women’s B classification cyclists and their pilots secured medals on both the track and road at Paris 2024.
The most decorated duo were Sophie Unwin and her pilot, Jenny Holl, claiming four medals in total. In the velodrome, the pair won a glorious gold in the Women’s Pursuit and a brilliant bronze in the Women’s 1000m time trial.
On the road, Sophie and Jenny clinched gold in the road race and a silver in the road time trial.
Reacting to the road race finish, Sophie said: “I’m always emotional, I was surprised it has taken me this long to cry like that. It just feels amazing. Jenny was incredible, she rode that race perfectly, and it just feels amazing to win it.”
Commenting on the bond between Jenny and herself, Sophie added: “It’s easy to say we win medals all the time, and therefore, it is easy, but Jenny has been there for me at some pretty bad times over the past few years. A couple of years ago, I was sleeping on her sofa for a week because I had nowhere else to go. She’s been there through a lot for me. Definitely haven’t always been the easiest person to train with, share a room with, race with.”
Lora Fachie and her pilot, Corrine Hall, came away with a trio of bronze medals, competing in the Women’s Pursuit, Road Time Trial and Road Race.
Speaking after her road race, Lora said: “We had to fight for that one. We have never won three medals at a Games. It’s taken three Games to get to three medals at one, so maybe at our fourth, we’ll get four! That was as good as we could have got today, we had nothing more to give, I’m immensely proud of that.”
Lora’s husband, Neil Fachie and his pilot Matt Rotherham, won silver in the Men’s 1000m time trial.
After the race, Neil said: “I think we’re both proud of ourselves. We came for the gold, but it was always going to be hard. I thought we rode really well all day today. We executed the plan the way we wanted it to. Our opening lap has been mega, but I felt like I didn’t have the legs at the end of the race today, and that’s where our teammates had the better of us. It’s the only time they’ve ever gone quicker than us, so fair play to them, I think we can be really proud of ourselves, we couldn’t have done more today.”
Sprint finishes for Sensational Storey and Golden Graham in the road cycling
History was made again in road cycling in sensational style when Dame Sarah Storey not only became the first athlete to compete in nine Paralympics but also won two more golds. She has now grown her gold medal tally to an outstanding 19 and 30 Paralympic medals overall, still making her the most decorated British Paralympian of all time.
In the road time trial, Sarah crossed the line 4.69 seconds ahead of French rider Heidi Gaugain to win a first Paralympic gold in front of children Louisa, 11, and Charlie, six, watching on having been given special dispensation to miss the first two days of school.
With the narrowest victory of her Paralympic road racing career, Sarah won her 19th gold medal, her 14th in cycling.
She was pushed all the way by Heidi Gaugain again, who was not even two the last time Sarah was beaten and was 12 years away from being born when her rival made her Paralympic debut nine Games ago in the pool.
“The key is not to be afraid to lose a bike race,” Sarah said. “I’m not afraid to lose a bike race, and I have to trust myself and not overthink things and just go on instinct sometimes, that’s about racing.
“I just wanted to see what I had to respond. You put yourself out there every time you get on the start line, and I keep doing that and keep finding ways to win a bike race, so long may that continue.
“I think back to when I was 19. I had just come back from the Games in Atlanta, I had my fifth gold medal as a swimmer, and I was in the form of my life
“When you’re up against a 19-year-old, you remember what that was like.
“Using that experience, the nippiness of a 19-year-old, I’m still nippy for a 46-year-old, but I have to use it wisely.”
Try as Heidi Gaugain might, she was unable to stop Sarah Storey from beating her for the second time in three days, this time by less than a second.
Sarah has insisted she will enjoy the wins in Paris before deciding on the future of her cycling career.
A similar road race sprint finish occurred by Fin Graham when he won gold in the Men’s C1-3 road race with a time of 1:43:19.
Fin spent the majority of the 71km course doing battle with French pair Thomas Peyroton-Dartet and Alexandre Leaute before powering ahead on the finish to pip Peyroton-Dartet to gold for a maiden Paralympic title.
It meant that the 24-year-old upgraded his Tokyo 2020 silver in the event while also adding to his two world titles.
“I didn’t really know what their plan was because they were talking in French the whole race,” Fin said.
“Even with the time gaps, the motorbikes were coming up and speaking in French, so I was having to ask them.
“Then Alex [Leaute] led up the final climb, and I thought that was his attempt to lead Thomas [Peyroton-Dartet] out.
“In the last couple of races, I’ve managed to beat him in a sprint, so I felt fairly confident.
“I wanted him to lead it out because it was quite far from the last corner, and I was confident enough that I was going to be able to come past him.”
The British plan was in action from the offset, with Matthew Robertson working as a dutiful domestique at the start of the first lap to keep the Brits in contention before the breakaway started.
Jaco van Gass and Ben Watson had plans to join the leaders, working as support for “Golden Graham”, but were unable to find the legs on the day.
Ben led home the rest of the British contingent in fifth, alongside Jaco in sixth before Matthew got the edge in a peloton sprint finish to take seventh.
The other ParalympicsGB cycling medal results are:
- Jaco van Gass – Men’s Pursuit C3 – Gold
- Fin Graham – Men’s Pursuit C3 – Silver
- Blaine Hunt – Men’s 1000m time trial C4-5 – Silver
- Matthew Robertson – Men’s Pursuit C2 – Bronze
- Archie Atkinson – Men’s Pursuit C4 – Silver
- Fran Brown – Women’s Road Time Trial C1-3 – Bronze
- Lizzi Jordan – Women’s 1000m rime trial B – Gold
- James Ball – Men’s 1000m time trial B – Gold
- Stephen Bate – Men’s Pursuit B – Silver
Be sure to catch up on the ParalympicsGB cycling squad at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Channel 4.
Check out our Paris 2024 ParalympicsGB debutants interview series.