Sarah Storey is the most decorated British Paralympian ever (Photo IPC/Getty Images)
Like any sports, Para cycling has its own stories to tell. Find below some of the best moments of Para cycling at the Paralympic Games.
Poignant anniversary for Alex Zanardi
The former Formula 1 driver won Paralympic gold in the H5 road time trial at Rio 2016 on the eve of the 15-year anniversary of the motorsport crash that saw him lose both his legs.
Zanardi also won gold in the mixed road team relay and silver in the road race in Brazil.
The Italian had both legs amputated after crashing in the American Memorial 500 CART race at Lausitz, Germany, in 2001.
Introduction of mixed team relay
This mixed team relay was introduced to the Paralympic programme in 2012, creating an exciting finale to the road racing in London.
The US team of Marianna Davis, Matthew Updike and Oscar Sanchez won the spectacular event, which saw each team member ride three laps of a 3km circuit in turn. USA held off a strong Italian team – including crowd favourite Alex Zanardi – to take the first-ever Paralympic gold in the speciality.
Multi-sport success for Kadeena Cox
The Brit enjoyed an impeccable performance at Rio 2016, winning gold in both track cycling and athletics. Her 500m time trial C4-5 gold at the Rio Olympic Velodrome came four days before her Paralympic title in the 400m T38 in athletics.
At the age of 25, she became the first British Paralympian in 32 years to win golds in different sports at the same Games.
Home medals for Lauro César Chaman
The Brazilian made history and won the hearts of the Rio crowd by claiming two medals on the road at the 2016 Paralympics: silver in the C4-5 road race and bronze in the C5 time trial.
In doing so, he became the first Brazilian in history to win a cycling medal at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games.
Sarah Storey: Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian
With her two gold medals on the road (C5 time trial and C4-5 road race) and C5 individual pursuit title on the track at Rio 2016, Sarah Storey overtook Tanni Grey-Thompson as Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian.
A former swimmer, Storey has nine cycling Paralympic titles to her name as well as five Paralympic golds in swimming.
Para cycling has been part of the Paralympic Games sporting programme for 36 years.
When road Para cycling entered the Paralympic programme at New York/Stoke Mandeville 1984, the events were open to cyclists with cerebral palsy.
Norway’s Mortem Fromyr and France’s Dominique Molle were the most decorated cyclists at those Paralympics, claiming two golds each.
Over the following years, Para cycling started to include athletes with amputations and other physical impairments, who compete on bicycles, tricycles and hand cycles.
Track Para cycling made its Paralympic debut at Atlanta 1996, with men’s and women’s events, and has been contested at every Games since.
There are five sport classes for hand cycling, two for tricycle and five for bicycle, while the three sport classes for the tandem compete in one event.
Athletes participate in World Cups, World and regional Championships throughout the year.
Para cycling is governed by the International Cycling Union (UCI).
HOW DOES IT WORK?
In road cycling, all cyclists start at the same time and they have to complete a determined number of laps in a circuit of 7km to 10km long. In time trial events, Para athletes start individually in intervals of 60 seconds with the one who completes the course within the shortest time emerging as winner.
The track programme at the Paralympic Games is comprised of three events including time trials, individual pursuit (with two opposing athletes starting at opposite ends of the track) and the team sprint. They are all contested in a velodrome.
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