The final day's racing at the 2008 Paralympic Road Cycling competition will open with not one surefire gold medal certainty in any of the four events.
As with the Time Trial events held earlier in the week, the weather could be the final arbiter in deciding the eventual medal placings. If the day dawns hot and sunny, as it did for Friday's Time Trials, the more heat-resistant competitors will have a definite edge over the longer Road Race distances. If it's cloudy and cool like yesterday, the races are more likely to go with the form books.
In the opening event, the Men's Road Race (HCC), Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa heads the form list having won gold at the 2007 Paracycling World Championships at Bordeaux, France, beating Norbert Koch of Germany and Alejandro Albor of the United States into second and third places. All three were beaten by Oz Sanchez of the United States in the class Time Trial on Friday with the San Diego-based Sanchez admitting the heat of the day, which reportedly pushed road level temperatures above 50 degrees, suited him better than some of his opponents.
In the Men's Road Race (HCB), Max Weber of Germany took gold in Bordeaux but was unplaced behind Heinz Frei of Switzerland in Friday's class Time Trial. Edward Maalouf of Lebanon and Stefan Baumann of Germany could both feature having placed second and third behind Weber in 2007. Maalouf followed that up with a bronze in the class Time Trial on Friday.
Krzysztof Kosikowski of Poland looks a good bet for the Men's Road Race (B&VI 1-3) after taking gold in Bordeaux and Bronze in Friday's class Time Trial. His closest rival on paper is Vladislav Janovjak of Slovakia who took second in the 2007 class road race and placed fourth in the Time Trial.
The Women's Road Race (B&VI 1-3) is likely to feature the top two from Bordeaux, Iryna Fiadotava of Belarus and Lindy Hou of Australia, although Karissa Whitsell of the United States and Jayne Parsons of New Zealand will be keen to repeat their gold and bronze successes in the class Time Trial last Friday. Fiadotava, who took silver in that event, will be equally keen to go one better over the longer distance.
(BOCOG September 13, 2008)