Cycling has been contested at every Summer Paralympic Games since the 1984 Summer Paralympics. From an original program of seven road races, the sport is now contested on both road and track, and since 2012 the cycling program at the Paralympics is typically the third largest of any sport in the Games, behind athletics and swimming, and running at approximately 50 separate events.
Cyclists with visual impairments are paired with a sighted pilot. Here Scott McPhee pilots to Kieran Modra's stocker.
Cyclists are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows cyclists to compete against others with a similar level of function.[1]
B: Cyclists with a vision impairment, using a tandem bicycle
T 1–2: Cyclists with cerebral palsy, MS or similar neuro-motor impairment, using a tricycle
C 1–5: Cyclists with amputations, neuromotor or musculoskeletal impairment, using a bicycle
H 1–4: Cyclists using a handcycle
As a rule, because of the nature of the machine, tricycle racing and handbike racing does not take place in the velodrome, although both tandem and standard bicycles can be used there. With that restriction, generally every class will have four possible individual events to compete in - a road race and extended road time trial, a track time trial of between 500 and 100 metres and a pursuit between 3000 and 4000 metres. In addition, there are a number of team events; a mixed handbike relays on the road, and a mixed team sprint on the track.
Factoring
In some cycling events, cyclists with different classifications compete against each other for one set of medals. Many (but not all) such events are factored, reducing the times of riders in lower classifications to take their greater impairment into account. Factoring percentages are based on average race times by riders in each classification to give a notional equivalent time for each effort compared to riders in other classifications. Real times, however, are still recorded for world and Paralympic records purposes within each classification.[2]
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