Paralympian cyclist Simon Richardson lights cauldron in Cardiff

Paralympian cyclist Simon Richardson lights the cauldron in Cardiff

Paralympian cyclist Simon Richardson lights the cauldron in Cardiff (Ian Homer)

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Simon Richardson MBE lit the final paralympic cauldron outside City Hall in Cardiff on Monday. It was part of a series of flame
celebrations that have happened around the UK in the lead up to the 2012 Paralympic Games.

“I was so proud
to light the cauldron and get nominated to do it because there are so many more
people more worthy than me,” Simon told BikeRadar. “I got specified by John Morgan and the team at
Disability Sports Wales to do that. I’d just like to thank
friends such a Magnus Backstedt and his family and my family and the many
people who just turned up out of nowhere in the pouring rain for being part of
the special day.”

The multi-Paralympic medalist’s own
preparations for London 2012 were dashed when he was knocked off his bike and
left for dead during an early morning training session just over a year ago by drunk and partially sighted farmer Edward Howell Adams, driving a van on
the A48 near Bridgend.

Talking about the court case which comes to
a conclusion with sentencing for Adams this Thursday, he said: “It will be nice to get
full closure from the accident. Whatever happens, happens to him but the CPS has
pushed hard so a precedent will hopefully be set so that drunk driving with
adverse outcomes like this now automatically becomes dangerous driving.
Hopefully my misfortune has helped the roads be slightly safer and to make
procedure slightly easier for those involved in future incidents.”

“I would have loved to
have been there in London to compete but now I’m setting my goals on Rio,” said a determined Richardson. “I
have a really good team behind me and I’m looking forward to the (back)
operation in mid-to-late September.” Whether he will be on a two wheeled bike
or in a hand-cycle remains to be seen as the procedure he will undergo will
likely reduce his ability to bend his spine.

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Nottingham praised for work to cut traffic jams and pollution

NOTTINGHAM has been ranked the third least car dependent city in the UK, in a new survey.

The city was commended for its public transport, low rate of car usage and development of the tram system.

On track: Nottingham has invested heavily in public transport in recent years, including starting work on two new tram lines.

However, Nottingham’s placing – behind London and Brighton – is two places lower than in 2010, when the city topped the charts.

The report, by the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Nottingham was first in 2010 and again appears as one of the least car dependent cities.

“There are an impressively low number of work and school journeys by car in the local authority area, and car ownership is just 35 per cent.”

The report looked at public transport, as well as car and bike use across 26 cities in England, with Nottingham coming eight places higher than Derby and ten higher than Leicester.

The report added: “Nottingham has been pioneering some of the new ways of improving and investing in public transport, including a workplace parking levy, which is helping to fund the future development of the city’s tram system.

“However, there have been some problems with integrating trams and buses, and a recent reduction in joint ticketing, increasing costs for passengers.

“Unfortunately, the city council also supports a large dualling project on the A453 into the city, which will feed many more cars into the city, with the potential to somewhat undermine these good initiatives.”

Hugh McClintock, from cycling campaign group Pedals, said Nottingham was not top of the table any more because other cities had caught up with us in terms of facilities.

“We have a city council that is supportive of cycling and has supported cyclists, despite tough finances,” he said.

Sian Berry, from the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The cities that have topped our ranking show how good planning and investing in transport infrastructure can provide decent transport alternatives and reduce the number of people having to make every-day journeys by car.

“Local authorities need to realise the most cost-effective way to reduce dependence on cars is to invest in cheaper, more-efficient public transport rather than throw money at expensive road plans that in reality fail to cut congestion.”

Paralympics 2012: Jon-Allan Butterworth apologises to ParalympicsGB team …

An injured cyclist whose Paralympics dream was ended by a drink-driver ignited
the last cauldron to be lit before the Games opening tomorrow.

Simon Richardson, who won two golds and a silver medal in Beijing, got the
Paralympic Torch relay under way in South Wales as he lit the cauldron
outside Cardiff City Hall.

The 45 year-old’s hopes of representing Britain on home soil were ended last
summer when he was knocked off his bike while training. “I would have
preferred to have been competing, but this is the next best thing,” he said.

Actor set for charity bike ride

12:00pm Tuesday 28th August 2012 in News

BURY born actor and presenter Matt Litter, famous for his role in Hollyoaks, is to ride from London to Amsterdam in two days for charity.

The 30-year-old completed a similar feat last year from London to Paris.

He said: “It hurt, I almost cried at some points, there were hills I thought would never end.” Matt is looking for donations for his adventure this year.

He said: “It won’t be easy; I’ll probably be that guy at the back who everyone waits for. But I’m doing it.”

The proceeds from Matt’s fundraising will go to VICTA, which provides support for families with visually impaired children and young people, and Vision, which cares for blind, visually impaired and
dyslexic children.

To donate go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MattLittler.

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Hundreds tackle charity bike ride

HUNDREDS of cyclists rode more than 100 miles from Bristol to London to help fund lifesaving medical research.

More than 400 fundraisers set off from Millennium Square on Sunday, raising about £40,000 for charity Action Medical Research.

Cyclists Tim Curtis, Tom Gardiner and Sam Best
Riders Emily Cooke, Nikola Creasy and Elinor Cooke

The sun shone down on the event – now in its 31st year – as the cyclists headed on the 116-mile trip.

Most of the exhausted riders arrived at Kempton Racecourse in Sunbury on Thames in under eight hours.

Ride organiser Tracey Edwards said: “Our sincere thanks go to all the wonderful participants who took on the Action 100 Challenge and supporting Action Medical Research.

“A huge thanks must also go to the 60 strong team of fantastic volunteers who organise and help with the event along the route.

“They work tremendously hard and are totally committed to this very special bike ride.

“The charity is entirely dependent on public support and is currently funding £686,000 research in Bristol on five projects which will change and save the lives of thousands of babies and children.

“The brain mapping research is the latest and has received £98,120 – all possible thanks to fundraising events like the Action 100 bike ride.”

The Bristol to London Action Medical Research bike ride was one of a series of rides across the UK aimed at raising funds for the charity.

Action Medical Research is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2012 and since 1952 has spent more than £100 million on medical breakthroughs to help sick and disabled children.

The charity is currently supporting work around meningitis, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, premature birth, and some very rare conditions that severely affect children.

Registration is already open for next year’s ride.

For more information and to register, visit action.org.uk/action100.

Real heroes of the Velodrome

Manchester’s cycling gold medal factory at Sportcity has worked overtime this year, training two-wheeled wonders for Olympic and Paralympic action.

Double Olympic champions, Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Laura Trott led the gold rush at London 2012 as Britain topped the medal table.

Now, it’s the turn of Team GB’s Paralympians to grab a slice of the glory. And hopes are high at the National Cycling Centre they can achieve similar results.

A total of 18 riders will be in action in London, including four able-bodied cyclists – Craig Maclean, Barney Storey, Helen Scott and Fiona Duncan – tandem pilots for their visibly impaired ‘stoker’ team-mates.

For the likes of Mancunian Sarah Storey, Stockport’s Anthony Kappes, Jody Cundy, Aileen McGlynn and Darren Kenny, they’ve all experienced a Paralympic Games before.

But it’s a step into the unknown for Sale-based Jon-Allan Butterworth.

The 26-year-old RAF weapons technician lost his left arm during a rocket attack on Basra Air Station in Iraq five years ago. A couple of months after his operation, he met

British coaches during a Paralympics GB talent ID day at Loughborough University.

As a result, he signed up for track action through the Battle Back scheme, a joint scheme administered by Paralympics GB and the Ministry of Defence to help wounded service personnel return to an active life. Dad-of-one Butterworth has taken huge strides since winning his first National sprint titles at Manchester’s famous Velodrome in September 2010.

World kilo titles followed in 2011 and 2012 including a C5, IK time trial world record of 1:07.212 seconds in Los Angeles back in February.

Such has been his dedication and talent since embarking on his new sporting career, Butterworth was chosen ahead of golden boy Cundy, one of Britain’s best known Paralympians , to partner Kenny and Rik Waddon, for the team sprint.

Their battle for swimmer turned cyclist Cundy’s individual crown promises to be one of the highlights of the track programme.

“It was a very difficult decision,” agreed performance manager Gareth Sheppard. “There is literally nothing separating the two athletes but it’s a decision we had to make.”

Butterworth agreed: “The competition within the British squad is so great, and there were obviously people who lost out in the selection process.

“Hopefully, there will be some good battles on the track and on the road. I am going for all of them – five events – and it’s my first Games as well, so there is no pressure!

“I have been on an amazing journey and I have lots of people to thank,” said Butterworth, not known for suffering fools gladly.

“I’m pretty stubborn,” he admitted. “Even when I’m wrong, and I know I’m wrong, I will sometimes refuse to back down and admit it.”

Recently, he risked the wrath of his fellow Paralympians stating: “There are some sports which just have a laugh.

“Scrap all their funding, give it to the cyclists and we’ll win double the medals we already do.” Britain’s Olympic stars justified their huge £26m funding budget. In contrast, para cycling received £4.2m for a period covering 2009-2013.

The Beijing Paralympics yielded 20 medals, 17 of them gold, including a track and road double for Mancunian Storey.

The target over the next 12 days will be 15-23 medals.

“I get paid to do my job and my job is to go as fast as I can on the bike to win medals to fund my podium place on the programme,” said Butterworth.

However, there is a fun side to the snowboard-loving ex RAF technician. “ I do like to take my prosthetic hand off and clamp it to people or objects from time to time,” he admitted. “It never fails to freak them out!” Butterworth isn’t the only former soldier on the British Cycling Paralympic programme.

But, unfortunately, for Lancastrian Terry ‘Tel’ Byrne, he narrowly missed the cut for London selection despite competing at two Paralympic World Championships.

A corporal in the Second Battalion Parachute Regiment, he may now consider leaving ‘Civvy Street’ once more.

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Byrne, a former light heavyweight boxer, lost part of his right leg after stepping on a mine in Afghanistan.

“If I get kicked off the GB team for whatever reason, I will be straight back to Afghan,” he told MEN Sport in a previous interview.

“I joined the Army in 2003 to fight. And anyone who knows me, knows I’d go back out there in a heartbeat. I’ll go and fight 100 Taliban tomorrow, it wouldn’t bother me.”

Like Butterworth, MacLean makes a Paralympic debut, 12 years after winning a team sprint silver at the Sydney Olympics with Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Queally. The Wilmslow-based star partners Kappes in the tandem against Barney Storey and Altrincham-based Neil Fachie.

Storey, husband of Sarah, won two golds with Kappes in Beijing, but insisted: “It wouldn’t matter if Chris Hoy was sat on the tandem opposite, it wouldn’t change my approach to how Neil and I plan to attack the race.

“Myself and Anthony are good friends. But it makes no difference who the opposition is once you are on the track.

“They could be from any country in the world because your main goal is to beat them. As soon as you have finished, you shake hands and you are mates again.

“I can see how it could be a problem to some people but it’s easy, really.

“I’d be lying if I said we weren’t close to our best. The whole team is going really well and tuned in to the fact, this opportunity only comes round every four years.

“Everyone is relaxed and can’t wait to start.”

The action gets underway on the track on Thursday.

‘Don’t cry for me’, says defiant Armstrong

(Reuters) – Lance Armstrong was back on his bike on Saturday, urging his supporters not to ‘cry’ for him a day after the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) decision to strip his seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life.

In his first public appearance since announcing he would no longer fight doping charges brought by USADA, Armstrong finished second in a 36-mile mountain bike race in Aspen, Colorado, five minutes behind a 16-year-old rider, Keegan Swirbul.

Wearing sunglasses and black and gold riding gear adorned with sponsors’ logos, Armstrong appeared unfussed by the media throng that had travelled to the mountain resort amid concerns his legacy has been irrevocably tarnished.

“Nobody needs to cry for me. I’m going to be great,” Armstrong told reporters.

“I have five great kids and a wonderful lady in my life. My foundation is unaffected by all the noise out there.

“I think people understand that we’ve got a lot of stuff to do going forward. That’s what I’m focused on and I think people are supportive of that. It’s great to be out here,” he said.

Despite giving up the fight against the charges, Armstrong has maintained his innocence and railed against what he says is an unfair witch-hunt.

The Texas-born cyclist, who famously beat cancer and whose foundation Livestrong has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight against the disease, has retained major sponsors and enjoyed the backing of many key cycling figures.

Others, including WADA chief John Fahey, say his failure to contest his charges can only mean he is a drug cheat who has defrauded the cycling tour, his rivals and millions of sports fans for over a decade.

The Armstrong case has yet to rest, with cycling’s global governing body, the International Cycling Union, demanding USADA hand over its evidence. The Court of Arbitration for Sport could ultimately have a final say on his guilt or innocence.

The retired Armstrong said he was no longer concerned about racing.

“It’s more about staying fit and coming out here and enjoying one of the most beautiful parts of the world, on a beautiful day, on a very hard course,” said the 40-year-old.

“Some may say you’re a little sick to spend your free time doing stuff like this. I had a good time.”

Armstrong remained the ‘seven-time Tour champ’ to teenager Swirbul. “I’m so psyched right now,” he said. “I wanted to win this race so bad.”

Donations to his foundation on Friday were up more than 20 times their daily average, Livestrong staff said, and Armstrong received positive crowd support in Colorado.

“The people like the people who are standing around here or on the course, they voiced their opinion in the last 48 hours and are going to support us,” Armstrong said, adding that the future of cycling was in good shape.

“It’s cool to get your butt kicked by a 16-year-old when you know he has a bright future,” he said.

“There are a lot of good young guys. Cycling is going to be fine.”

(Reporting by Ben Everill; Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Jon-Allan Butterworth criticised for comments on Paralympic athletics

Paralympian track and field athletes have hit back at a British team-mate who claimed cycling took itself more seriously as a sport and had delivered more medals as a result.

Jon-Allan Butterworth, a para-cycling world champion, said too many Paralympic athletes “just have a laugh” and claimed that if athletics, which delivered just two gold medals in Beijing compared to 17 for cycling, had its funding scrapped then his sport would win twice as many.

“If you take yourself seriously as a professional athlete in Paralympic sport you need to act like a professional athlete. There are some sports which just have a laugh,” said Butterworth, whose comments, reported on the eve of the Paralympics, threatened to dent the team spirit of the 287 competing ParalympicsGB athletes.

“I’m definitely critical of it because I work hard. The para-cycling team won 17 gold medals and three silvers in Beijing from a squad that was only 13-strong. Athletics had 30-odd people there and they won two golds, so where’s that money gone? Scrap all their funding, give it to cyclists and we’ll win double the medals we do already.”

Butterworth later apologised, saying: “I was ill-informed and was not aware how hard the selection process is in athletics. The team ethos is important to me and I apologise if I have upset any of my fellow athletes.”

David Weir, who won both of the athletics golds in Beijing, said that the recent results at last year’s world championships in New Zealand – where Britain won 12 gold medals – provided evidence that the £6.73m invested in athletics since Beijing was bearing fruit. “The funding we’ve had since Beijing has helped us win medals and we’ve got a young team.

“At the world championships, it wasn’t just me who won gold medals it was seven or eight others. It showed we’ve jumped up another level and showed the world we’re still a force in athletics. He probably said it at the wrong time but at the end of the day that’s his view.”

Peter Eriksson, the head of coach of UK Athletics’ Paralympic programme, said of the comments from Butterworth. “It kind of disappointed us that someone said we were wasting money when we’re getting better and better. At the world championships, we went from 18th to third with 12 golds and 28 medals.”

Rik Waddon, a cyclist who won a silver medal in the time trial in Beijing, said: “We’re here as individuals to focus on our own peformances but we’re also here as one team. It’s a mere cloud in the sky that’s going to blow over. In two weeks time, when the medal count is 103 or more that will tell the story.”

In return for almost £50m in funding in the four years to 2012, ParalympicsGB promised to better its performance in Beijing and win at least 103 medals in total. Tim Hollingsworth, the chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, announced a series of festivals of Paralympic sport that will follow within three months of the closing ceremony. He hoped that they would inspire more grassroots sports provision and also identify a new generation of talent. T44 100m world record holder Jonnie Peacock and T34 sprinter Hannah Cockcroft were discovered at similar sessions.

“We hope these Games will inspire real change and momentum. That’s where our agenda lies. We are focused at the task in hand. But we also know we must capture and try and build on this inspiration,” he said.

Armstrong: Don’t cry for me