- Who has won the most gold medals in cycling at the Paralympic Games?
- 2008:
GBR 17 - 2004:
AUS 10 - 2000:AUS 10
- 1996:
FRA 5
The Athletes
He might have once downed beer using his prosthetic leg as a jug, but you won't catch record-breaking cyclist and paratrooper Tel Byrne getting close to an arachnid
He’s served in Iraq, won Para-Cycling Track World Championship gold and likes nothing better than freaking people out with prosthetics. Meet Jon-Allan Butterworth, the pedal-pumping star who's taking velodromes around the world by storm...
ParalympicsGB star Rik Waddon eats, sleeps, breathes road cycling. So much in fact that it makes him hate his “chimp”
Medal magnet Sarah Storey amassed five Paralympic golds in swimming before switching to cycling. And after success in the Beijing velodrome, she has her sights set on more
Ex-sprinter and current 1km time trial world record holder, cycling new boy Neil Fachie is showing the old guard how it's done
Three gold medals at the Paralympic Games wasn't enough for one-time swimmer Jody Cundy. In 2005 he switched sports and, as a cyclist, is now the fastest solo Paralympian on two wheels
How it works: (Track) cycling
Track cyclists compete in a variety of individual and team races called time trials, individual pursuits and sprints. They will either be racing against the clock for the fastest time or in a head-to-head contest
What you need to know
The sound of God Save The Queen echoed around the Laoshan Velodrome in Beijing at the 2008 Games after GB riders dominated proceedings and claimed a whopping 17 gold medals.
Cyclists with visual impairments ride tandems, using sighted pilots to steer their bike around the track. Former Olympic gold medallist Jason Queally is currently in training to be a pilot for ParalympicsGB in 2012.
Red, blue, green and white protective helmets are worn to distinguish each competitor's level of disability. Any athlete found wearing the wrong colour helmet can expect to be unceremoniously booted out of the competition.
Partially sighted GB track cyclist Anthony Kappes landed two gold medals and broke a world record in 2008 while secretly riding with a broken shoulder he sustained in training just 10 days before the event.
Around 150 athletes will race anticlockwise around the steeply banked VeloPark track at the Paralympic Games London 2012, over distances ranging from 500m to 4,000m, as individuals or in team events. A total of 20 gold medals will be up for grabs.
What to say: (Track) cycling
"Don't worry, there's always the repechage." It's a special round in which losers from previous heats race against each other to win a place back in the main competition.
Who's good: (Track) cycling
Great Britain is top dog and a deluge of gold medals is expected to rain down on home soil in 2012. The Aussies are the closest rivals, but they've got some work to do if they're to keep up with the Brits.
Inside stories
GB's blueprint for Paralympic cycling gold
Coach Chris Furber explains how GB aim to maximise their medal chances
Kenny exceeds expectations at Worlds
Four-time 2008 Paralympic champion delighted with three medals after injury lay-off
Video
Upcoming events
2012 Para-Cycling World Track Championships
9-12 February, Home Depot Center, Los Angeles
External links will open in a new window
