(Photo UCI)
Brazil’s Rio Olympic Velodrome delivered more fantastic racing, more world records, and no fewer than 12 World Champions titles as the 2025 UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships gathers momentum.
It was another exceptional day for Australia, whose athletes won four UCI world titles, three of them with world record performances. The other nations taking gold medals on Friday were Austria, Great Britain (three), Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
Fresh from winning the rainbow jersey in Thursday’s Scratch Race, Emily Petricola set about the Women’s C3 1km time trial. The Australian rode first and landed a world record time of 1:14.630 (48.237km/h), which no-one else could match. The 2024 UCI World Championships medalists Mel Pemble of Canada and Aniek Van Den Aarssen the Netherlands took 2025’s remaining medals.
Ricardo Ten Argiles – Thursday’s winner of the Men’s C1 1km time trial – came out with a similar ‘shock and awe’ mentality in Friday’s MC1 scratch race. He had only one goal in mind, to lap the field at the earliest opportunity.
The Spaniard soon passed one group of riders, and steadily inched towards reeling in the two chasers, Lennert Vanlathem of Belgium and Ivan Ermakov (AIN). Ten Argiles couldn’t make those final catches, but his victory was never in doubt.
A tense and tactical Women’s C5 elimination final saw the final three of Anna Harkowska of Poland, 2024 UCI World Champion Nicole Murray of New Zealand and last year’s runner-up Claudia Cretti of Italy. And it was the in-form Italian – world record setter in Thursday’s time trial – who out-powered the Kiwi to take her second title in two days.
Britain’s Paralympic Champions James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd put together an unbeatable time of 1:00.773 (59.236 km/h) in the MB 1km time trial. The Italians gained speed throughout their four laps (+1.784 seconds), until the Australian outfit went out hot to claim the silver medal (+1.225), pushing the Italians down to bronze.
Women’s C1 and C2 categories rode together in the 10km scratch race. Switzerland’s Flurina Rigling, who set a world record in Thursday’s time trial without winning the event, put things right, lapping the field to take the C2 scratch race rainbow bands. Australia’s Tahlia Clayton-Goodie won the C1 scratch race title, following her sprint victory 24 hours earlier.
The winners of the day’s three semi-finals came together in the Men’s C2 sprint final: France’s Alexandre Léauté, the Netherlands’ Hidde Buur and Australia’s Gordon Allan. The Dutchman claimed the rainbow jersey, winning with the day’s fastest time, 12.077.
Australia’s Korey Boddington set a world record in the Men’s C3 1km time trial, with 1:02.848 (57.281km/h). Would the last two riders – Finlay Graham of Great Britian and Devon Briggs of New Zealand – unseat the Aussie? Graham came in +5.528 before Briggs took another 2 second off the Briton’s time to confirm the silver medal. But Boddington was in a class of his own!
The Men’s C4 sprint final brought Jody Cundy of Great Britain head-to-head with Jarno Thierens of the Netherlands and Michael Shippley of Australia. It was Cundy who had the power and the positioning, taking the win, then celebrating with a Union Flag on his warm-down circuit.
The C4 Women 1km time trial was the final time trial of the day. Australia’s Tara Neyland went quickest, setting another world record: 1:10.806 (50.843km/h). With just two riders left to go – Erin Normoyle (AUS) and Kadeena Cox (GBR) – Neyland knew she had another medal, but which colour? Normoyle came into provisional third position, then Cox set off quickest but couldn’t hold the pace, and settled for silver.
In the thrilling Men’s C5 elimination, after France’s Mathis Tiphaigne was eliminated in bronze medal position, the spectators were treated to a head-to-head between Austria’s Franz-Josef Lässer and Brazil’s Lauro Cesar Mouro Chaman. The crowd cheered when the home rider attacked all-in… but it was Lässer who got the better in the final lap.
Friday’s final event, the WB 4km individual pursuit, pitted New Zealand’s Emma Foy and pilot Jesse Hodges against Britain’s Paralympic Champions Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl. The Kiwis broke their own world record in qualification, and set off in the gold final for another best ever time… but the British tandem fought back and took the lead with two of 16 laps to go, and held on to take the title.
