South African cycling legends are gearing up to take the stage at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this month.
Forming part of the 45-strong SA Paralympic team are six para-cycling competitors, who are fired up for the events ahead.
Dane Wilson will compete in the men’s C5 1km time-trial on Friday and the men’s C5 4000m pursuit on Saturday, while Roxy Burns races in the women’s C3 3000m pursuit on Thursday and the C3 500m time-trial on Saturday at the Rio Paralympics. Photo: Martin Potgieter & Will Punt
The cycling programme kicks off with the track events, which will see Roxy Burns (C3) and Dane Wilson (C5) taking part from September 8 to 11. The road events follow from September 14 to 17.
Burns’ career highlights include a silver medal at the 2009 Track World Championships, being a finalist for SA’s Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability in 2014, and being selected to compete in the Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016) Paralympics.
Wilson says his career highlight will be competing in the Rio Games.
The road cyclists will then begin with their races, headed by multiple Paralympian Ernst van Dyk.
Van Dyk has represented his country in the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016 Paralympics, winning medals for handcycling and wheelchair racing.
Also competing in the handcycling discipline is double world para-cycling champion Justine Asher.
South Africa’s tricycling representative Goldy Fuchs has longed for the opportunity to represent his country. He achieved his goal this year by claiming the number one position in the UCI T2 world rankings in the para-cycling road discipline.
Craig Ridgard will compete in the men’s C2 time-trial and road race on September 14 and 16.
