#Brisbane2019: Track cycling comes to World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

The 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October will break new ground in many ways.

Ringing the changes are the world’s best cyclists who will get the opportunity to compete on the track for the first time.

Whilst their performances at the velodrome are an unknown quantity, their record on the road is clear to see.

Women’s

The women’s road events – the time trial and road race – will see a number of medallists from the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Cycling World Championships in Paris, France, compete for honours.

Chief amongst them is Great Britain’s Kiera Byland. At the tender age of 21, Byland is already a quadruple world champion having secured back-to-back titles in both disciplines since debuting in 2017.

France’s Aurelie Minodier is currently her closest rival. The Frenchwoman was the world title holder in the road race and time trial until Byland came along, Minodier still has the ability to threaten for the top of the podium.

Minodier left Paris with silver and bronze respectively and is expected to figure amongst the top finishers once again.

Russia’s Irina Nikitina is in a similar position as another podium finisher from 2018.

Men’s

Ecuador’s Erik Javier Sarango Tufino is one of the front-runners in the men’s events as the reigning road race world champion. Tufino will also be eyeing gold in the time trial as Dutch world title holder Lars de Jong will sit this edition out.

France’s Jeremy Texeira Pereira is also a medallist from Paris in the time trial. He is the 2017 champion in that and the road race.

In addition Pereira partnered with Leo Collet to take gold in the team time trial last year.

Track

On the track, six medal events will be contested for the first time at the Anna Meares Velodrome on the Sleeman Sports Complex:

Women’s Individual Pursuit 3,000m

Men’s Individual Pursuit 4,000m

Women’s 500m Time Trial

Men’s 1000m Time Trial

Men’s Sprint

Women’s Sprint

The World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are the world’s biggest high performance sports event for athletes with intellectual impairments.

Nearly 1,000 competitors will go for gold in 10 sports in Brisbane from 12-19 October.

Results will be available at the official competition website.