Cycling

The intellectually disabled cyclists did not participate in the summer Paralympic Games of 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney). As part of the international movement cycling started to develop somewhat later and had to always rely mainly on the European and World Championships. Cycling was not registered among the sports of the first year of Global Games in 2004 in Sweden either.

However, in 2009, the second year of the Global Games, there will be as many as 27 male and 9 female cyclists from 10 different countries competing in Český Dub. Cycling will thus have its opening in this year’s Games and will present attractive racing to the spectators in the Czech Republic. There will be short and long course races of individuals and teams, including the royal discipline – road race. The road race will consists of two different distances, where the over 60 km male course will test the readiness of all its participants.

The hottest male favourites are without any doubt the Portuguese dominating the road in virtually all international races. The proof is the last World Championship of 2008 where the Portuguese managed to make use of domestic environment and gained all three medals (1. Leandro Santos, 2. André Penedo, 3. Carlos Cavalho). This trio will also present itself in this year’s Global Games, again as the clear favourites.

However, also the Czech representatives can intervene in the fight for medals, who have been increasing their performance including in individual races since 2004 (ranking 3rd in the European Championship team time trial). This proves Dalibor Havelka and Miroslav Husár ranking among the first ten best disabled athletes of 2007. Both the representatives were very successful this year in the European Championship in Poland, where Dalibor Havelka won a silver medal in both 3km and 10km trials and ranked second in the whole championship. Miroslav Husár followed closely his representation colleague in the 66km road race and ended sixth in the overall ranking.

In the 2009 Global Games, the national team jersey will be worn by Havelka, Petr Novák and Jakub Novák.

We can expect Danuta Poznańská, the 2007 World and European Champion from Poland, to be dominating among women. The Polish representation was missing in the last World Championship, the benefit of which was enjoyed by the Czech team: Gabriela Nováková, as the first Czech female cyclist in history managed to win the Championship (10 km). Moreover, she triumphed in the 20 km road race and gained bronze in the 5 km time trial. The Czech representative thus became the overall world champion last year and gained by far the largest Czech success thanks to which she will be one of the main favourites in this year’s Global Games. Also Pavlína Bobáková, another Czech cyclist who gained bronze in the 10 km race at the last World Championship is ready to fight for medals