With just two sessions down – and seven medals awarded – in the World Para-Cycling Track World Championships, two World records have already been broken. The Manchester Velodrome, which recently played host to the first round of the UCI Track World Cup, has once again lived up to its reputation as one of the fastest tracks in the World.
Jiri Jezek of the Czech Republic took almost 3 seconds off Roberto Alcaide of Spain’s World LC2 category individual pursuit record setting a new mark of 4:40.899 in qualification. Unsurprisingly after such a fast qualification ride, he went almost a second slower – but still nearly 2 seconds faster than the old record – in the final as he beat Carol Eduard Novak of Romania. Former record holder Alcaide took the bronze medal as he overhauled Diego Dueñas of Colombia just after half way through their race.
The first event of the evening session saw the second record fall as Great Britain’s Neil Fachie and his pilot Richard Storey knocked almost six tenths of a second off the kilometre time trial World record of 1:02.217 in the B&VI category. Fachie and Storey beat the time set by compatriot Anthony Kappes – also with Storey as pilot – at the Paralympic Games in Beijing last year.
Today’s second day will see more pursuit and kilometre action from further categories, and also sees the first of the women’s races.