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Nigel BarleyAustralia’s best Para-cyclists battled it out through the rain and fog last weekend as they vied for gold at the 2014 Cycling Australia Para-cycling Road National Championships in Echuca.

The event, which was also the fourth and final round of the 2014 National Para-cycling Road Series, saw many of Australia’s top Para-cyclists compete across both the individual time trial on the Saturday and the road race on the Sunday.

London Paralympic gold medallist and reigning road and time trial world champion Carol Cooke (VIC) took out first place in the women’s time trial and road race finals (Tricycle 2). While fellow world champion and Paralympic champion David Nicholas (QLD) took home gold in the men’s time trial and road race finals (C3).

Cooke was pleased with her results and overall performance, particularly given the cold and wet conditions in the northern regional area of Victoria.

“I was extremely happy with my result, winning the time trial and (in Sunday’s road race) I was very pleased even though the fog was bad. I ended up doing the 21km in 39:55 with an average speed of 31.6km/hr, a kilometer an hour better than last year,” Cooke said on her blog.

2012 Paralympian Stuart Tripp (VIC) claimed gold in both his C5 Hand-cycle events, with fellow Nigel Barley (WA) taking out the C4 Hand-cycle.

Reigning Para-cycling track world champion Sue Powell (ACT) was a dual winner, with Michael Gallagher (VIC), Jayme Richardson (NSW), plus Matt Formston (NSW) and pilot Michael Curran (NSW) also collecting gold medals.

Cycling Australia would like to thank all the major event supporters – the Echuca-Moama Cycling Club, Disability Sport & Recreation Victoria, the Australian Paralympic Committee, and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) – and congratulate all the riders for their efforts on the weekend.

* For a complete list of winners, please click here.
* For the full event results, please click here.
* For photos for media use, please contact Con Chronis or visit his website.

The Championships were hosted by Echuca-Moama Cycling Club in conjunction with Cycling Australia.

By Cycling Australia
Posted: 14/5/2014