2 December 2019

Storey shines as Brits claim huge medal haul in Manchester

Dame Sarah Storey was among the winners as Great Britain enjoyed a remarkable weekend of competition at the Manchester Para-cycling International.

Picture credit: British Cycling

Storey showed why she is Paralympic champion in the WC5 pursuit event by catching British teammate and 2018 world champion Crystal Lane-Wright just over halfway through the 3km in the gold final to take the national title.

“I was really pleased with today. I’ve had a horrible week – I’ve hit training really hard and I didn’t think I was coming out the other side,” she said.

“I dragged myself here not expecting a great deal, so to have a really even-paced 3:40 was brilliant, and this race was just about putting more pressure through the pedals ready to put some more endurance in before worlds in a couple of months.”

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I dragged myself here not expecting a great deal, so to have a really even-paced 3:40 was brilliant

Sunday was a successful day for Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott, the world champions beating the Belgians in straight heats to win the WB Tandem Sprint. 

It was individual pursuit world champion Katie Toft who took the first medal of day three, stopping the clock at 4:38.175 in the WC1 3km pursuit to take the win. 

Jaco van Gass also enjoyed success in Manchester, claiming gold in the team sprint and MC1-3 scratch race having already stormed to victory in the MC3 pursuit and MC1-3 kilo winner earlier in the weekend. 

In Sunday’s scratch race the Brits enjoyed a 1-2-3, as Ben Watson and Fin Graham finished in second and third respectively. 

In the team race, he competed alongside Jody Cundy and Kadeena Cox as the trio edged the battle in a time of 49.641. 

Meanwhile, fresh from competing at the World Para Athletics Championships, Cox had mixed emotions despite clocking 36.903 on her way to victory in the C4-5 Women’s 500m TT. 

The Paralympic time-trial champion said: “I wasn’t too pleased with any of that. I was a little bit disorientated starting on the back straight, so technically it was a bit of a scrappy ride, but my opening lap wasn’t horrendous, and I was in the same place this time last year. 

“I’ll take it, as it’s the first time I’ve rode in a while and I’m just off the back of an Athletics World Championships.”

Cox clocked 36.903 to win the C4-5 Women's 500M TT title

Elsewhere, Rio Paralympic champions Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby won silver in the MB 4km pursuit, clocking their fastest time since the 2016 Games on their way to second place.

They weren’t the only pair to clock their fastest time since Rio either, with Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall winning gold in the WB 3km pursuit in 3:29.178.

Will Bjergfelt won gold in the 4km pursuit on Saturday before finishing third in the MC5 Scratch race in the final event of the weekend on Sunday, behind teammate Jon Gildea in second.

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