Bahrain Victorious 13 scored a medal haul of three golds and a silver this weekend in Europe. Lauren Parker came back from injury to dominate the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup in Ostend, Belgium, while Hayden Wilde overcame a flat tire to run into second place at the Lindahls Pro+ Triathlon Series race at Frejus, France.
After a training accident in March where her handcycle’s footpods came loose causing her legs to drag on the road at high speed, Parker is persevering through pain on the road to Paris 2024. The multiple world champion in paratriathlon and paracycling made her return to racing in the WH3 category 19.7-kilometre individual time trial on the 2nd of May, pushing her handcycle to a win with a 25-second gap to the rest of the field. Two days later she made it a double gold, winning the 49.25-kilometre road race. She also figured in the winning team relay, with the Netherlands’ Jetze Plat joining forces with her and fellow Australian Alexander Welsh.
She said, “So happy to get a win at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup in Belgium after a tough couple of months and with a broken body. This has definitely renewed my confidence!”
Meanwhile, Wilde has emerged from training camp in Antibes with a hit-out in Frejus, racing the rebranded French Grand Prix series with the Lievin Triathlon club. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist took on the sprint distance, coming out of the 750-metre swim in good shape and riding most of the 20-kilometre cycle course at the pointy end before a puncture in the final few hundred metres before transition saw him drop to last place starting the 5-kilometre run.
But fresh off a 5,000-metre track new PB of 13:23.91 at the Meeting Iberoamericano Huelva in Spain, Wilde knew he had it in him to chase down the pack. He finished second individual male with the day’s fastest run, helping Lievin Triathlon win the team standings.
He said, “My legs are probably a bit fatigued from racing on the running track three days ago, but my aim was to be safe on the bike and so I really pushed it and we broke up the group really nicely. I think I was pushing some very big power, and then on the last kilometre I got a puncture. I lost a lot of time after that, so I thought that I’d just take my time, take the first lap nicely and catch the group up and then start chasing the podium. It is what it is and the form is good, so happy.”
