Worlds: Silver rush to end para-cycling time trials in Dumfries

Dumfries has continued to deliver medals for the ARA Australian Cycling Team, with a further three silver won on the second and final day of para-cycling time trials.

Darren Hicks, Emily Petricola and Alana Forster all won their second medal of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships after competing on the track throughout the first week in Glasgow.

Darren Hicks kicked off proceedings in the morning session, narrowly missing a Men C2 Individual Time Trial world championship by 6.17 seconds to rival Alexandre Leaute from France.

The margin to victory left Hicks ruing a chain derailment down a fast descent.

“I controlled what I could, took the risks I know I needed to take to be in with a chance and rode to the plan,” Hicks said.

“Pulling back 15 seconds in the last four kilometres shows I'm back to some of my best form. Some days the result just doesn't go your way.

“For the roadie, I'll do what I always do, play to my strengths and make the race as tough as possible. But there's no anger, just a feeling of what could have been.”

The bittersweet feeling of falling short of a rainbow jersey was also felt by Petricola, who finished +59.58 behind USA’s Samantha Bosco in the hotly contested Women C4 category.

“I rode technically really well but just didn't have any legs,” Petricola said.

“Not sure why but I'm sure my team and I will spend some time going through it tonight. I'm sure we will learn a lot when we go through it all.

“Sam was stronger today and deserved the win.

“I lined up with confidence and I've done a lot of really good work these last twelve months with rainbows in mind, but it wasn't to be.”

In Women C5, Forster rode a faultless time trial to finish behind Great Britain’s Paralympics star Sarah Storey.

The 37-year-old world championships debutant maintained the number two position throughout the entirety of the 28.2km course and finished +1:14.41 to Storey.

Results – Day 8 para-cycling

• David Nicholas (Men C2 ITT) – 12th
• Darren Hicks (Men C2 ITT) - 2nd
• Paige Greco (Women C3 ITT) - 5th
• Kaitlyn Schurmann (Women C1 ITT) - 4th
• Kieran Murphy/Michael Freiberg (Men B ITT) - 10th
• Alana Forster (Women C5 ITT) - 2nd
• Emily Petricola (Women C4 ITT) - 2nd
• Meg Lemon (Women C4 ITT) - 5th

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Main picture: Richard Blaxall/SWpix.com