Australia, Germany top Road World Cup in Elzach

Australia earned four gold medals and one bronze, while Germany’s athletes gave quite a show for the home crowd, winning five medals – two golds – in the last road World Cup event before the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships, which begin on Wednesday (29 July).

On the final day (Saturday, 25 July) of the World Cup in Elzach, Germany, home favourite Hans-Peter Durst confirmed his domination of the T2 class with a win that saw him leading by 44 seconds after crossing the line of the 27.6km race

The Czech Republic’s David Vondracek came in for second, while Belgium’s Tim Celen took third.

At the top of international rankings, 57-year-old Durst has stepped onto the podium six times this season – four of which have seen him on the highest step.

Team Germany also hit hard in the C1 Class on Saturday, where they earned the top two podium spots, thanks to a double by Pierre Senska and Michael Teuber. Senska was first across the line in the 55.2km race and finished 11 seconds ahead of his teammate; the Netherlands’ Arnoud Nijhuis finished in third place.

Kerstin Brachtendrof also added to Germany’s medal haul with a silver medal win in C5. Current UCI World Rankings leader Jana Majunke took the bronze medal in the T2 Class, behind Australia’s Carol Cook and USA’s Jill Walsh.

Australia also achieved a podium double, thanks to Alistair Donohoe and Michael Gallagher – gold and bronze medallists, respectively, in the C5 category. Donohoe beat out Brazil’s Cesar Chaman in a sprint final, thereby earning his third win of the season. Gallagher followed a mere five seconds behind the sprinting duo.

Australia also dominated the women’s tricycle events. In addition to Carol Cook’s medal, Bianca Woolford earned top honours in the T1 class; in C4, Susan Powell also earned gold.

Metelka on the comeback trail

Absent from the C4 time trial podium for the first time since the beginning of the World Cup season, Slovakia’s Jozef Metelka redeemed his fourth place finish Friday (24 July) with a brilliant final sprint to the line after 69km of road racing.

Four athletes were in contention for the win – Metelka, who now adds a fifth win to his palmares in six races – in the end beat out Russia’s Sergey Pudov (Friday’s time trial winner) and Slovakia’s Patrik Kuril.

Team Russia’s Sergey Semochkin (T1), the Czech Republic’s Ivo Koblasa (C2), the Netherlands’ Vincent Ter Schure (B), as well as the Netherlands’ Anouk Van Bommel (B) and Poland’s Anna Harkowska (C5) all earned gold medals on Sunday.

In the absence of Team Italy, winners of the mixed handcycling relay in Maniago, Italy, and Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Team USA won gold ahead of Team Belgium and Team Germany.

Complete results of the Para-Cycling Road World Cup in Elzach can be found on the UCI’s website.

The world’s finest and fastest para-cyclists will once again meet on Wednesday in Nottwil, Switzerland for the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships.

Stage four of the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup will take place in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, from 11-13 September.