Albor Heads Strong Team for World Championships

on 07-19-2006 17:18

Alejandro Albor of Elk Grove, CA will lead a team of six handcyclists at the 2006 IPC World Cycling Championships September 7-17 in Switzerland, U.S. Paralympics announced today. Despite a brutally difficult course at the TT Championship / team trials in 7 Springs, PA (where no athletes met the elite standard), CTS Coaches and U.S. Paralympics staff elected to include all of the top U.S. handcyclists who’ve done well at events throughout the year. They include: Seth Arseneau (Albequerque, NM), Monica Bascio (Evergreen, CO), Greg Hockensmith (Tuscon, AZ), Oscar Sanchez (San Diego, CA), and Matt Updike (Denver, CO).

The team is very similar to the team that participated in the 2002 World Championships in Altenstadt, where U.S. Handcyclists brought home 10 medals. Not on the 2002 team was Oscar Sanchez, who is showing incredible form after switching to a kneeler in June and should help beef-up U.S. medal chances. Hockensmith (a.ka. Harry Lockensmith), and Bascio are defending World Champions in the time trial, but both have their work cut-out for them this year….Bascio, who will turn 37 while in Switzerland, faces stiff competition from [younger] kneeling racers Monique Van der Vorst of Holland and Andrea Eskau of Germany, in addition to [not-kneeling] Shauna Whyte of Canada. Hockensmith has not raced for 18 months after taking some time off following the 2004 Paralympic games and must contend with an ever-stronger HCB field that includes Updike and Paralympic Champion [tt] Marcel Pipek of the Czech Republic. Updike has focused on races in Europe this season and hopes to arrive well-prepared at Worlds. “I’ve already raced in Italy this season, and will race at the Tour of Britain in London on September 3 in preparation for Worlds.” said Updike.

Along with Sanchez, Albor and Arseneau will compete in the crazy-fast HCC races. Arseneau hopes to channel his frustration from a late start in the road race in Athens (2004) in to a medal in Switzerland. Together with Sanchez (who bested Arseneau at the trials), they will support Albor who is our favorite for gold in the time trial and for a podium spot in the road race.

Albor, Bascio, and Sanchez come off of impressive performances at the Sadler’s Ultra Challenge in Alaska, and the entire U.S. Team (including 14 additional athletes from different disability groups) is solid and filled with our best talent. The U.S. Paralympics press release can be found here. Stay tuned to USHF.org and HCNews for further information and details.