US claim four time trial gold medals at Para-cycling Road World Cup in Elzach

The United States won four time trial gold medals on the opening day of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Para-cycling Road World Cup in Elzach, Germany as the final build-up to next week's World Championships begun.

Alicia Brelsford Dana was one of the US's three female winners as she comfortably won the H3 class ahead of Poland’s Renata Kaluza and Russia’s Natalia Yanuto with a time 21 min 32sec.

Compatriot Shawn Morelli held off Australia’s Alexandra Green and fellow American Megan Fisher to take the women’s C4 crown with a time of 44:02.

Jamie Whitmore Cardenas clocked 47:09 to claim the women’s C3 title with Germany’s Denise Schindler and Australia’s Simone Kennedy second and third.

William Groulx also brought home gold for the US in the men’s H2, crossing the line in 22:07 with Israel’s Yaakov Kobi Lion coming second and Belgium’s Christophe Hindricq completing the top three.

Host country Germany picked up their first win of the day after Christiane Reppe dominated the women’s H4 category, beating out Russia’s Svetlana Moshkovich and teammate Silke Pan with a time of 21:26.

Hans-Peter Durst also earned gold for Germany in the men’s T2 with a time of 17:34, while South Africa’s Goldy Fuchs and Belgium’s Raphaël Blaise finished second and third respectively.

The hat-trick was reserved for Dorothee Vieth in the women’s H5, just ahead of The Netherlands’ Laura De Vaan, whose team-mate Jennette Jansen came third.

Dorothee Vieth was one of three German gold medallists on the opening day of action in Elzach ©Getty Images

Elsewhere, The Netherlands earned a one-two finish in the men’s H5 as Jetze Plat finished ahead of Tim De Vries, with South Africa’s Ernst Van Dyk in third.

There was further Dutch success in the men’s tandem racing as Vincent Ter Schure and pilot Timo Fransen continued their good form with a fourth World Cup win of the season.

Poland’s Marcin Polak and pilot Michal Ladosz finished runners-up, while Spain’s Christian Venge Balboa and pilot David Llaurado Caldero rounded off the podium.

Iwona Podkoscielna and pilot Aleksandra Wnuczek went one better for Poland in the women’s tandem racing, crossing the line first ahead of New Zealand’s Emma Foy and pilot Laura Thompson, and The Netherlands’ Odette Van Deudekom and pilot Kim Van Dijk.

There were also gold medals for Poland in the men’s H4 and women’s C5 thanks to Rafal Wilk and Anna Harkowska respectively.

Spain’s Marice Eckhard Tio and Juan José Mendez won the respective men’s C2 and C1 events.

Australia’s Grant Nickel came out on top in the men’s H1 and compatriot Carol Cooke took top honours in the women’s T2.

Czech Republic’s Tereza Diepoldova, Switzerland’s Heinz Frei and Ireland’s Eoghan Clifford were the winners of the women’s C2, men’s H3 and men’s C3 titles respectively and there was success for Russia’s Sergey Pudov in the men’s C4 and Austria’s Wolfgang Eibeck in the men’s C5.

Wins also went to South Africa’s Justine Asher in the women’s H2 and Australia’s Emilie Miller in the women’s H1 as the only competitors in their categories.

The action in Elzach is due to continue tomorrow with the road races taking centre stage.