A well-executed ride and a perfectly timed sprint finish has seen Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen crowned World Champions in the Women’s BV1 Road Race at the UCI Para Cycling Road World Championships in the Netherlands.
The duo controlled the 81.4-kilometre race through tight technical corners and the unfamiliar stretches of cobbles to cross the line in a photo finish with the pair from Ireland, in 2 hours, 07 minutes and 39 seconds. “With lots of corners and quite narrow roads we knew position was going to be quite important and then there was a long kind of out and back bit so we kind of knew there would be attacks in parts of that. And that’s exactly what happened, so we just needed to work to our advantages and try and predict what other bikes might do,“ said Foy.
Van Kampen agreed, “throughout the race we knew we couldn’t let certain bikes go up the road, so it was a case of being on to it and being at the front, being aware all day. But the most important part was when it came down to the sprint and making sure we were in the right position but also that we were able to deliver the power in that final straight to come around and take it.“
Paralympics New Zealand Cycling Head Performance Coach Stuart McDonald suggested the victory might be one of best he’s seen in a women’s tandem road race, “technically, tactically, they just executed the race plan really well.“
The finish straight, which was approximately 150 meters long, saw the Kiwi’s slip in just behind the Irish. “We talked through the last corner last night. We knew going into the last corner we needed to be second wheel, second bike, but if not second bike, then first bike and lead the sprint out, and they came into the corner, laid off to the Irish who were in front, rushed the gap and out dragged them to the finish line,“ McDonald said pleasingly.
“Our girls just had way too much power for the Irish!“
“It came down to the wire, we didn’t know who won, but the girls seemed pretty confident, but it took a while for the photo finish to come out, which was a bit nerve wracking.“
Fraser Sharp produced a brave ride in the Men’s C2 Road Race to finish in 5th place.
“To be in the bunch at the front at the start was quite scary and to try and work your way forward, so I had to be confident in myself,“ Sharp admitted post-race.
After a crash in the Time Trial Sharp found that he was unable to use the pedals he’d hoped to use so had to push past that obstacle both mentally and physically. “I made the best of the power tap pedals, which aren’t ideally suited, but I was confident in myself, just being in control and I felt I rode the race that I wanted to which had been set out by my coaches.“
Sarah Ellington put in a gutsy ride to finish in 5th in the Women’s C2 Road Race. “That would have done the world of good for Sarah,“ said McDonald.
“With the course being quite technical and her greenness of riding the road race at this level it will have done a great job giving her experience ahead of the next couple of years.“
King Country’s Nicole Murray, who’s been struggling with the flu all week, finished 7th in the Women’s C5 Road Race.
Read this article to know more about the New Zealand Para Cycling Team and the event detailed schedule.
Full wrap for DAY 1 available here on this link.
Full wrap for DAY 2 available here on this link.
