Paralympic Cycling

Sport Summary:

Cycling is a relatively new sport for Paralympians, with the visually impaired athletes the first group to take part.

Cerebral palsy and amputee athletes followed, joining the competition in 1984.

Cycling is divided into track and road events.

Athletes with cerebral palsy ride standard racing bikes – competing in track and road - and, in some classes, tricycles – competing only in road events.

Visually impaired athletes compete on tandem bicycles with a sighted team mate (pilot), and they participate in the track and road events.

Finally, amputees and cyclists with permanent locomotor deficiencies compete in track and road events using bicycles specially modified for their needs.

Paralympic Events being contested at Beijing 2008:

  • Track events – Time Trial, Individual Pursuit, Team Sprint, Tandem Sprint.
  • Road events – Road Race, Time Trial.

Click here to view the nomination criteria for the 2008 Paralympic Team in pdf.

Rules & Equipment:

Course:

Road cycling takes place on public roads, which are closed to traffic.

Track cycling takes place on a velodrome made up of two straight sides and two curved ends.  International regulations require that the length of a track shall be such that a whole number of laps or half laps shall give a distance of 1km with a width of 7-10m.

Bicycles, Tricycles, Tandems and Handcycles must conform to the technical regulations of the Union Cyclists International (UCI) and IPC Cycling Rules.

Helmet:

During competition, athletes must wear a hard shell protective helmet to a recognized international standard. The helmet colour is standardized depending on the class of the athlete (red, blue, green or white).

Classification:

Cycling classification is broken down into four groups:

Visually Impaired (B & VI):

Cyclists with a visual impairment compete on the rear of tandem bicycles, with a sighted pilot, in one of three classes: Men, Women and Mixed (male and female).

Locomotor Disabilities (LC):

Cyclists with a physical disability compete on bicycles in four functional classes: LC 1, LC 2, LC 3 and LC 4, with separate events for men and women.

Cerebral Palsy (CP):

Cyclists with cerebral palsy compete in four functional divisions, with separate events for men and women. During any IPC competition, the athlete is only allowed to start in one division and the changing of divisions is not permitted. 

Handcycling (HC):

Handcycling athletes compete in three functional divisions in IPC Cycling competitions, with separate events for men and women. Handcycling is for athletes who normally require a wheelchair for general mobility, or athletes not able to use a conventional bicycle or tricycle because of severe lower limb disability.

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