Purpose: The para-cycling classification system, consisting of five classes (C1-C5) for bicycling (C5 athletes having least impairments), is mostly based on expert-opinion rather than scientific evidence. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in race performance between para-cycling classes. Methods: From official results of the men's 1 km time trials for classes C1-C5 of seven Union Cycliste Internationale World Championships and Paralympics, median race speed of the five fastest athletes in each class was calculated (n ¼ 175). Para-cycling results were expressed as a percentage of able-bodied performance using race results from the same years (n ¼ 35). To assess differences between consecutive classes, Kruskal-Wallis tests with Mann-Whitney U post hoc tests were performed, correcting for multiple testing (p < 0.013). Results: Para-cyclists in C1 reached 75% (median ± interquartile range ¼ 44.8 ± 4.2 km/h) and in C5 90%

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This study described bicycling (C classes) and tricycling (T classes) performance in the International Cycling Federation road race events between 2011 and 2019. A total of 3243 race results from 33 events were analyzed. Race velocity was calculated for each result. Bicycling and tricycling data were separately modeled using a linear mixed-effects model. Bicycling velocity was statistically different between all adjacent men's classes (Cohen d = 0.14-0.73) and between the women's C1 and C2 (d = 1.15) and C3 and C4 (d = 0.48) classes. The absence of statistical differences between some women's bicycling classes may be due to a limited number of observations in these classifications. As expected, velocity was statistically different between men's (d = 1.64) and women's (d = 1.38) T1 and T2 classes. Road race performance was hierarchical within the disciplines of bicycling and tricycling, although not all adjacent women's bicycling classes were statistically different. The existence of a performance hierarchy does not necessarily validate the classification system. The integration of information regarding athlete impairment type and severity, with performance data, would provide greater insight into the validity of the classification system and should be prioritized as an area of future research.

Purpose: This study described bicycling (C-classes, 1–5) and tricycling (T-classes, 1–2) performance in International Cycling Federation (Union Cycliste Internationale; UCI) road race events between 2011 and 2019. Methods: A total of 3,243 race results (bicycling = 2,571; tricycling = 672) from 33 UCI events held between May 2011 and August 2019 were included in the analysis. Mean race velocity was calculated for each race result. Bicycling and tricycling data were separately modelled using hierarchical regression. Cohen’s d was calculated for the standardised difference between adjacent classes. Results: Road race performance was statistically different between men’s classes C1/C2 (p &lt;.001; d = 0.42), C2/C3 (p &lt;.001; d = 0.47) and C3/C4 (p &lt;.001; d = 0.73). In contrast, performance was not statistically different between men’s C4/C5 (p = .506; d = 0.14), or between all adjacent women’s bicycling classes (p = .050 to .121; d = 0.46 to 1.15). The absence of statistical differences between adjacent women’s bicycling classes may be due to the relatively small number of observations in these classifications. As expected, race performance was statistically different between T1 and T2 for men (p &lt;.001; d = 1.64) and women (p &lt;.001; d = 1.38). Conclusion: Road race performance was hierarchical within the disciplines of bicycling and tricycling, with higher classes characterised by faster mean velocities. However, not all adjacent classes were statistically different. Future research should examine the influence of prosthetic technologies and the impact of different impairments on bicycling and tricycling performance.

Isometric, dynamic, and manual muscle strength measures and their association with cycling performance in elite para-cyclists.