Marcin Mizgajski and Damien Vereker cross the finish line in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa after claiming gold in the men’s ‘B’ road race at the UCI para-cycling road world cup at the weekend. The pair led home a 1-2 for the Irish, with Martin Gordon and Ian Inglis taking silver.
Ireland enjoyed a superb opening leg of the UCI Road World Cup Series in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, at the weekend; taking home gold, silver and bronze medals across a range of disciplines.
Toast of the 10-person squad were Marcin Mizgajski and Damien Vereker of Comeragh CC who claimed gold in the men’s ‘B’ road race.
Mizgajski was born in Poland but moved to Ireland in 2004 and has just recently gained citizenship here.
Their time of one hour and 50 minutes for the 73-kilometre course was almost two minutes faster than fellow Irishmen Martin Gordon and Ian Inglis who claimed second.
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And Ireland could have completed the podium but for a mechanical to halt the progress of Sean Hahessy and Peter Ryan. They were listed as non-finishers as Poland came in for bronze.
The winners set a very impressive average speed in excess of 40kph.
In the men’s ‘B’ 24.6-kilometre tandem time-trial, Ireland took home silver and bronze.
Silver, bronze (and 4th) for the Irish in the male tandem time-trial at the weekend. On the left are silver medallists Sean Hahessy and Peter Ryan while dressed in black on the right are Mizgajski and Vereker.
Here, Hahessy and Ryan made up for the mishap in the road race and were 44 seconds slower than gold medal winners Poland while Mizgajski and Vereker were third, a further 37 seconds back.
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There were four bikes competing in this event and Ireland had three. The other pairing was Martin Gordon and Ian Inglis.
Elsewhere, Jerry Towey took home bronze in the men’s C4 24.6-kilometre time-trial in a time of 37:25, some four and a half minutes slower than gold medal-winner Josef Metelka of Slovakia.
The average speed of the winner was a whopping 45.14 kilometres per hour. There were six competitors taking part in this event.
Jerry Towey enjoys his moment on the stage after taking a bronze medal in the men's c4 time-trial.
Also taking home bronze was Declan Slevin in the men’s H3 road race. He was one of eight bikes competing and though minus one lap on winner Stuart McCreadie of the host nation he hung on for a fine third place.
The other medal winners were Ireland’s team relay squad of Wall, Devlin and Staunton.
They were second to Austria over the 9-lap, 12-kilometre course.
In the men’s H4 road race, Ireland’s Seamus Wall was sixth of seven bikes. He was a lap behind winner Rafal Wilk of Poland, though five of the starting seven were in the same boat.
The winner came in almost five minutes clear of his nearest challenger.
In the women’s H2 road race, Ireland’s Ciara Staunton was second of the two who took to the line for the 24-kilometre contest.
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