29/08/2014

GOLD for Clifford in MC3 Time Trial at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Greenville, SC – USA



RESULTS EOGHAN CLIFFORD



RESULTS COLIN LYNCH



Ireland’s Eoghan Clifford sensationally opened the Irish campaign at the UCI Paracycling Road World Championships by winning gold in the Men’s C3 Time Trial in Greenville, SC, USA. This is a phenomenal result for the Galway man, who is racing in his first major championships. Silver went to Russia’s Sergey Ustinov, with Fabio Anobile (Italy) taking bronze. Clifford races again on Sunday in the Men’s C3 Road Race. Last year’s bronze medallist Colin Lynch had to settle for 5th place in a tightly fought competition in the Men’s C2 Time Trial. The Championships run from Friday 28th August until Monday the 1st September.





Clifford raced a conservative opening lap of the 16.6km Time Trial, with two laps of an 8.3km circuit to negotiate, on the second lap the Irish man pushed on to secure the coveted World Title and rainbow jersey.

Speaking after the race Clifford said “The conditions were hot, but not too breezy, and I knew early on that I was going well. I held back on the first lap, and on the second lap I emptied the tank. I knew I had done well, but I wasn’t sure about the podium. It seems that I pulled most of my time on the second lap, I could see the other guys suffering on the hills, and it gave me a boost. Today was a bit unexpected. I didn’t know where I’d rate, coming out I felt more confident about the road race, that’s where my experience lies. I have probably only ridden 4 time trials over the past few years. I just need to recover now and get ready for the road race on Sunday. I like hilly courses, at first I didn’t think this course would be too favourable, but after the TT course, I think it’s harder than I initially thought.”

This afternoon Ireland’s two tandems will be competing, both of which are new combinations for the 2014 season. Paralympic Bronze Medallist in the Time Trial, James Brown partners with Dundalk man Bryan McCrystal, with Eve McCrystal’s piloting the tandem for Paralympian Katie-George Dunlevy.

Irish Team for 2014 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships

Mark Rohan, MH2 Time Trial, MH2 Road Race, from Ballinahown, Co. Westmeath

Colin Lynch, MC2 Time Trial, MC2 Road Race, from Cheshire in England

James Brown & Bryan McCrystal, MB Time Trial, MB Road Race, Brown from Stonehouse in England, McCrystal from Dundalk, Co. Louth

Katie-George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal, WB Time Trial, WB Road Race, Dunlevy from Maidenhead in England, McCrystal from Dundalk, Co. Louth

Eoghan Clifford, MC3 Time Trial, MC3 Road Race, from Galway Bay CC, Co. Galway

Manager/Coach

Neill Delahaye

Mechanic

Gerry Beggs

Soigneur

Paula Kinsella

PROVISIONAL Competition Schedule - Irish team at UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships

(All times quoted are Irish time; schedule may be subject to change)

Day 1 – Friday 28th August 2014 Results 2.15pm Colin Lynch M C2 Time Trial 16.6km 5th Eoghan Clifford M C3 Time Trial 16.6km 1st GOLD (22.41.63) 5.15pm Brown & McCrystal M B Time Trial 24.9km 5.15pm Dunlevy & McCrystal W B Time Trial 24.9km Day 2 – Saturday 29th August 2014 3pm Mark Rohan M H2 Time Trial 8.3km Day 3 – Sunday 30th August 2014 1pm Eoghan Clifford M C3 Road Race 77km 1.02pm Colin Lynch M C2 Road Race 66km 7.30pm Brown & McCrystal M B Road Race 110km 7.32pm Dunlevy & McCrystal W B Road Race 88km Day 4 – Monday 1st September 2014 1.02pm Mark Rohan M H2 Road Race 33km

About Classification in Paralympic Sport: Classification is a unique and integral part of Paralympic sport. It provides the structure to separate athletes with similar levels of impairments into groups, or classes as they are commonly known, so they can compete in fair and equal competitions against one another, and ensure that winning is determined by skill, fitness, power, endurance, tactical ability and mental focus. This same principle exists in non-Paralympic sports where athletes are classified according to age, gender or weight divisions to allow for as fair competition as possible.

In para-cycling there are fourteen classifications based on functional disability type. B refers to the tandems, where the stoker is blind or visually impaired, and the pilot is sighted. H represents the handcycling events, and C refers to cyclists on regular, but adapted, solo bikes, who may have cerebral palsy, limb impairments and amputations. In these events the categories have numbers denoting the level of impairment, the lower numbers the more severe the impairments and the higher less so.

For more information on Para-cycling visit:

http://www.uci.ch/para-cycling/about/