![\"ccs-62657-0-08690200-1462789140.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-08690200-1462789140.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The man to beat in the H4 race was Polish World Champion Rafal Wilk who displayed dominance from the get go, taking the lead and never looking back at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup at Alexandra Park, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday 8 May. Photo Credit: Darren Goddard<\/span><\/p>\nThe road races kicked off in the unrelenting rain with the Hi-H2 hand cycles and the trikes competing in between two to six laps of the 6.5-kilometre circuit. Poland\u2019s Rafal Mikolajczyk claimed the victory in the Men H1 race in 01:33:01, while Israeli Yaakov Kobi Lion won the H2 race in 01:25:06. World Champion Justine Asher continued her fine form to win the Women\u2019s H2 race in 01:07:19 with Poland claiming yet another victory when Renata Kaluza won the H3 race in 01:06:51. Gold Fuchs claimed his second gold medal of the event with a solid victory over compatriot Gerhard Viljoen in the T2 tricycle race, while Jay Lapointe (USA) and Toni Mould (RSA) claimed top UCI points in their respective T1 races.<\/p>\n
After the short break, the Men\u2019s H3, H4 and H5 classes took to the streets in their eight-lap races totalling 49.20 kilometres on the wet and technical course. The man to beat in the H4 race was Polish World Champion Rafal Wilk who displayed dominance from the get go, taking the lead and never looking back. His impressive performance saw him claim the gold medal by five minutes over second placed compatriot Arkadiusz Skrzypinski.<\/p>\n
Skrzypinski spoke highly of his African experience despite the poor racing weather conditions. \u201cI\u2019ve had a fantastic week here, training in the sun, eating the world’s best beef and tasting some very good wine. Unfortunately, the weekend weather was not the best, which is probably what deterred the fans. 2016 is the year of the Olympic Games so unfortunately, many teams decided to save money and did not participate here, but I loved the hard racing, and there were many fantastic athletes here. Rafal won both his races and I finished second twice \u2013 I\u2019m very happy and our preparations for Rio are going well.\u201d<\/p>\n
South African sporting icon, Ernst van Dyk, blitzed the 49.20-kilometre race and claimed the gold medal in the H5 race against Portugal\u2019s Luis Miguel Costa by three-and-a-half minutes. Van Dyk made a break as he powered up the hill on the third lap, dropping Costa and snapping the elastic band. By the fourth lap he had already created a cushion of 40 seconds. \u201cI started a bit slower to get into the groove of things so I rode with the other guys and warmed up a bit. I managed to get a gap on Luis Costa and pushed the pace as fast as I could and tried to lift my average speed. The conditions were rough with lots of gravel and it was wet and you couldn’t easily see the potholes, but that\u2019s racing and you have to make the most of it. After I got away, I basically rode a six-lap Time Trial, it was tough but I am happy with the win and my performance.\u201d<\/p>\n Fellow South African, Stuart McCreadie, added to the excitement in the H3 event when he launched his attack on the final lap and managed to break away from Austrian Walter Ablinger to seal the victory by over a minute. McCreadie made a break earlier in the race and put in a significant gap of 40-50 metres, but Ablinger reeled him in again. He then attacked on the last lap where it counted and made a significant break to take the victory. \u201cWe pulled ahead a little bit and worked together for six or seven laps and then it was everyone for himself on the last lap. I\u2019m happy with how it went,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Declan Slevin (IRL) and Edward Maalouf (LIB) were also locked in a battle throughout the H3 race. It was Slevin who won the battle and rounded out the podium.<\/p>\n The Men and Women\u2019s tandem races were won by the Irish pairing of Damien Vereker and Marcin Mizgajski, and Adamantia Chalkiadaki and Argyro Milaki from Greece respectively.<\/p>\n The C-class races ended off the day\u2019s racing in extremely wet conditions as the rain continues to fall throughout the late afternoon. American Matthew Bigos won the 61.5-kilometre C1 race in 01:43:03, while South African Craig Ridgard secured the win in the C2 race by nearly a minute and Juan Odendaal claimed top UCI points in the C3 race.<\/p>\n Competing in 11 laps (67.70 kilometres), Slovakian Jozef Metelka found success once again after dominating the Time Trial the previous day as well. \u201cYesterday\u2019s TT was successful for me and I really enjoyed the track. I thought it would be the same track as last year but it was the road race track. I enjoyed it \u2013 it was a little bit different but fortunately for me I didn\u2019t puncture so I could fight for the gold and was very happy to get it at the end. I had to pedal up the hill and push it more and then keep the speed on the flat, so it was perfect. The weather was really good for me, as I don\u2019t enjoy the heat. Today\u2019s race was awesome; it started really well and I tried to power it more and more and on the fourth or fifth lap I pushed it to see where it would take me and fortunately it took me to first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Frenchman Dorian Foulon won the 67.70km C5 race in 01:40:18, while South Africans Vicky Scheepers and Estelle van der Merwe scored maximum points in their C4 and C5 races respectively.<\/p>\n SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) Executive Committee Member, Merrill King, spoke about her experience of the Para-cycling Road World Cup. \u201cIt is such an emotional leveller \u2013 you see people who have come up against incredible odds and they are out there doing things with their bodies that some of us don\u2019t even embark on. To get themselves from all over the world, like Poland and Austria, to get to South Africa doesn’t come without its own set of challenges and they go out there with such courage. Everyone is so supportive of our three major sports in the country, yet they should be lining the streets to support these amazing athletes at this world-class event right here in Pietermaritzburg. I\u2019m incredibly humbled by all of these athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>South African sporting icon, Ernst van Dyk, blitzed the 49.20-kilometre H5 race and claimed the gold medal at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup at Alexandra Park, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday 8 May. Photo Credit: Darren Goddard<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Stuart McCreadie launched his attack on the final lap of the H3 raceand managed to break away from Austrian Walter Ablinger at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup at Alexandra Park, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday 8 May. Photo Credit: Darren Goddard<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Slovakian Jozef Metelka found success in the Men C4 road race once again after dominating the Time Trial the previous day at the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup at Alexandra Park, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday 8 May. Photo Credit: Darren Goddard<\/span><\/p>\n