UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships to get underway on Friday

MANCHESTER, England - The 2009 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships will begin this Friday, Nov. 4 and continue through Nov. 8 at the Manchester Velodrome.  The U.S. has nine athletes competing in the pursuit and time trial events.

The women's squad will be led by 2008 Paralympic gold medalists Jennifer Schuble (Homewood, Ala.) and Barbara Buchan (Bend, Ore.).  Joining Schuble and Buchan are Paralympians Greta Neimanas (Chicago, Ill./Colorado Springs, Colo.), Karissa Whitsell (Eugene, Ore.) and pilot Mackenzie Woodring (Grand Rapids, Mich.). 

While the women's team is stacked with veteran competitors, the men's team features a slew of athletes new to the international cycling scene.  Taking to the track for the U.S. will be Aaron Trent (Columbia, S.C.), Clark Rachfal (Annapolis, Md.) and pilot Dave Swanson (Tucson, Ariz.), Craig Vogtsberger (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and Sam Kavanagh (Bozeman, Mont.).

The men's 4k pursuit and 1000m time trial events open the competition on Friday, while the women get underway on Saturday with the 3k pursuit and 1000m time trial. 

A complete schedule of events, results and photos can be found on the official event Web site at http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/paracycling-2009.