Cundy in world record breaking form

PARALYMPIAN Jody Cundy made a sensational start to the season when he smashed his own world record. Cundy was competing in a demonstration event last Thursday to promote Great Britain s paralympic cycling team. It was raced at the Manchester Velodrome al

PARALYMPIAN Jody Cundy made a sensational start to the season when he smashed his own world record.

Cundy was competing in a demonstration event last Thursday to promote Great Britain's paralympic cycling team.

It was raced at the Manchester Velodrome alongside the World Track Cycling Championships.

Cundy, from Walpole St Andrew, recorded 1:08:266 in the kilo, which is raced over four laps, beating the world record time of 1:08:719, which he set at the World Disability Cycling Championships in Bordeaux last August.

The time will not be recorded as an official world record because the race was an exhibition and no drug tests took place.

But the performance has filled Cundy with confidence as he prepares for the Paralympic World Cup, which takes place at the same venue and starts on May 7.

The 29-year-old, who is missing the lower part of his right leg, said: "I'm completely shocked at hitting that time. This was my first race meeting of the season and I was expecting to be a bit rusty.

"I haven't even started on my sprint training so I didn't expect to perform so well. I went there looking to put in a good performance and to see where I am in my preparations for the World Cup, but to beat my own World Record is incredible."

Cundy also performed well in the team sprint race.

He and two British team-mates recorded 51:477, the third fastest time ever recorded by disabled athletes in this event.

Cundy said: "I will now be getting off the road and concentrating on more intensive track training, so I'm going to be pushing myself really hard over the next few weeks to get myself in top shape for the World Cup.