Para cycling is an adaptive sport that allows athletes with physical and visual impairments to compete in cycling events. It has been a part of the Paralympic Games since the 1984 Summer Paralympics. The sport encompasses both road and track cycling, providing a wide range of competitive opportunities for athletes.
Para Cycling
Overview
Events & Disciplines
Track events – Time Trial, Individual Pursuit, Team Sprint, Tandem Sprint
Road events – Road Race, Time Trial
Rules & Equipment
Para cycling involves the use of specially designed bicycles, handcycles, tricycles, and tandems.
- C Category: Standard bicycles with adaptations for athletes with limb impairments or neurological conditions.
- H Category: Handcycles for athletes with lower limb impairments, allowing them to pedal with their hands.
- T Category: Tricycles for athletes with balance impairments.
- B Category: Tandem bicycles for visually impaired athletes, who ride with a sighted pilot.
Road cycling races are held on public roads, with courses varying in distance and difficulty. Track cycling events take place on velodromes, with a variety of race formats and distances.
In road races, athletes compete in mass-start events, while time trials involve individual starts against the clock. Track events include pursuits, time trials, and sprints, with specific rules for each format.
Classification
Paralympic cyclists adhere to the same regulations and standards as their Olympic counterparts. The sport encompasses individuals with cerebral palsy, amputations, visual impairments, and various other physical impairments.
In road cycling, athletes utilize handcycles, tricycles, tandem bicycles, or traditional bicycles based on their functional abilities. On the track, cyclists ride tandem bicycles or traditional bicycles.
The classification system is structured as follows:
• C1-C5: Encompassing athletes with cerebral palsy, amputations, and others capable of riding a bicycle.
• T1-T2 (tricycle): Designed for athletes with cerebral palsy, neurological conditions, or those unable to ride a standard bicycle.
• B (tandem bicycles): Reserved for visually impaired cyclists who compete alongside a sighted guide or pilot rider.
• H1-H5 (handcycle): Tailored for riders with impairments affecting both legs or a combination of upper and lower limbs, including amputees, paraplegics, and tetraplegics. H1-4 cyclists compete in a lying position, while H5 competitors race in a kneeling position.
Certain cycling events at the Paralympics are factored, taking into account the severity of each competitor’s impairments. This means cyclists from different classes may compete against each other, with results adjusted to accommodate differences in impairment severity. The gold medal is awarded to the athlete with the fastest time after all required times have been factored.