The roads of Athens could be a place for a ride …

After a dominant performance on the track at the Athens summer Paralympics, the Australian cycling team backed up with some more great rides in the road cycling. Unlike able-bodied competition, most of the riders on the road were not specialists but were backing up from the endurance events on the track. Kieran Modra, however, was in everything, from the sprint to the road race. Barely recovered from the horrific crash in the tandem sprint, Modra paired with Robert Crowe in the combined road race/time trial event. Crowe and Modra lost skin and time when they skidded and crashed on the third lap of the road race, leaving them in 8th place. However, they rode a brilliant time trial to overhaul all but two riders and come away with a bronze medal. Overall, Australia won 24 cycling medals (the next nearest was 9) and 10 gold medals (the next nearest was 3). After the Games, cycling head coach Kevin McIntosh was named Australian Paralympic Committee’s Coach of the Year.