 Hunter and McGlynn have dominated the women's tandem events since 2004 |
Paralympic cycling champion Aileen McGlynn will have a new tandem partner when she competes in next month's BT Paralympic World Cup. McGlynn, who won two golds in Beijing with regular pilot Ellen Hunter, will instead link up in Manchester with fellow Scot Vicky Begg. "This year is a year for development and experimenting," she told BBC Sport. "I've never ridden with another female pilot before and this allows me try out others without too much pressure." McGlynn, 35, who is registered blind, began cycling aged seven but came to prominence when she won gold and silver with Hunter at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. Since then the pair have dominated their events but are using this year to try out new partnerships. McGlynn added: "Ellen is the best pilot out there and I've so much trust in her but it is a chance to bring new people into the sport as we get closer to 2012. "It also good for me to work with other people and I'm enjoying the challenge." Although both McGlynn and Begg, who is a talented triathlete, are members of the Johnstone Wheelers club in Glasgow, they didn't know each other before teaming up. "One of my clubmates suggested Vicky as a potential partner," McGlynn revealed. "We've been to the Manchester Velodrome a couple of times but because she hasn't done too much track racing before, it is a big challenge for her. "She is picking it up really well but I don't know how well we will do in May. It will be good experience for us to race competitively and it will help to see where we are and we will take it from there.  | 606: DEBATE |
"However, working with Vicky does not mean the end of Ellen and I as a partnership. It is just a chance to try different things." McGlynn is one of a host of British Paralympic gold medallists who will be competing in the cycling events which run from 20-22 May. Darren Kenny, who won four golds and a silver in Beijing will take on double Paralympic champion Simon Richardson and silver medallist Rik Waddon in the LC3/CP3 1km time trial and 3km pursuit events. Jody Cundy will compete in the LC1/LC2 1km time trial event against fellow double Paralympic champion Mark Bristow and the pair will team up with Kenny and Waddon in the team sprint as they try to defend their title. Anthony Kappes, who recently revealed that he won two tandem gold medals in Beijing with a broken right shoulder, will compete with pilot Barney Storey while Storey's wife Sarah, who has made a successful switch from swimming, will compete in the 500m time trial and individual pursuit events.
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