ATHENS, 19 September 2004 — Three world records fell at the cycling track on the opening day of competition at the Paralympics yesterday. Britain’s Aileen McGlynn and pilot Helen Hunter won the first gold of the Games, in the women’s B1-3 tandem one-km time trial, with a world record of one minute 11.160 seconds.
Britain also won the second cycling gold when Darren Kenny took the CP 3/4-km time trial in a world record time of 1:08:196.
The third world record on the track went to Australian Kieran Modra and pilot Robert Crowe who took first place in the men’s qualification round of the tandem four-km individual pursuit in 4:21:451.
Lone Attack Pays Off for Perez in Tour of Spain
A lone attack 30 kms from the finish earned Spaniard Santiago Perez victory in stage 14 of the Tour of Spain from Malaga to Granada yesterday.
Perez raced clear on the last climb of the Alto de Monachil and came home 46 seconds ahead of compatriots Alejandro Valverde and Luis Perez.
Spaniard Roberto Heras, who finished seventh, remained overall leader.
The winner dedicated his victory to his girlfriend who was killed in a car accident in 2002. Second on the mountain stage to Calar Alto two days ago, Perez said: “I didn’t ride as well after she died, but I hope this victory is the start of a new period in my career.”
Currently negotiating with his Phonak team for a new contract for 2005, Perez’s most important previous win was a stage of the Tour of Italy in 2002.
“I attacked where I did because I am not an overall favorite and that gave me some margin to play with,” said Perez The Spaniard has moved from eighth to sixth overall after US Postal’s two leaders, American Floyd Landis and Spaniard Manuel Beltran, were dropped on the final climb of the 167-km stage. Heras remained in the overall lead after successfully controlling top rival Valverde close to the summit of Alto de Monachil.
