Perfect weather greeted hand-cyclists and tri-cyclists in Sydney's west at the weekend for the opening round of the 2013 Australian National Hand-cycling Series (NHS).

On Saturday, Sutherland's Waratah Park hosted the criterium with twelve riders taking part.

In the H1 class, Glenn Bennett (NSW) won ahead of Emilie Miller (NSW) who was participating in her first NHS race.

Alex Welsh (VIC) claimed the H2 classification, with Ron Gibson (NSW) in second place and Harley Quinlan (QLD) in third, while the honours in the H3 event went to Grant Allen (SA) over Albert Lee (NSW).

In the tri-cycling criterium, Paralympic road time trial champion Carol Cooke (VIC) was victorious in the T2 race.

In Sunday's road races at Lansdowne Park in Bankstown, the temperatures continued to rise throughout the day as competitors contested the road races along the two kilometre circuit.

Glenn Bennett (NSW) continued his great form to win H1, with the H2 race results identical to the previous day with Welsh claiming the win.

Grant Allen (SA) won the H3 event, with Jarrad Langmead (NSW) taking the T2 win over Carol Cooke (VIC).

Special thanks  to Wheelchair Sports NSW, especially for helping out with transport on both days and to Sutherland Shire Cycling Club and Waratah Masters Cycling Club.

The NHS features four rounds of racing action in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria and will feature cyclists from Australia and New Zealand. Round 2 of the NHS takes place in QLD on 23-24 February.

The NHS is coordinated by Cycling Australia and is supported by Scody and the Australian Paralympic Committee.

Image courtesy of Cycling Australia

London Paralympic champion Carol Cooke is set to line up in the opening round of the 2013 Australian National Hand-cycling Series (NHS) in Sydney.

To be held on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 February in Sydney's west, the Series' opener will feature a criterum and road race for hand-cyclists and tri-cyclists.

The NHS features four rounds of racing action in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria and will feature cyclists from Australia and New Zealand.

Melbourne's Carol Cooke, who claimed a memorable gold medal in the individual road time trial at London last August, is looking forward to the Series following a successful 2012 season.

"I think as with any cyclist after such a big year that 2012 was, it is important for me to continue enjoying the training and the racing, said Cooke.

"But as I am so new to riding, I still have a lot to learn especially when it comes to tactics in the road race," said Cooke. "So goals such as becoming more proficient in knowing how to race better and smarter are pretty close to the top of the list.

"That's why races such as the NHS are extremely important for Para-cyclists especially hand-cyclists and trike riders, it gives us more opportunity to race.

"There is no doubt that competing against other athletes in my class certainly helped me get ready for London," said Cooke,

Racing commences at 10am on Saturday at Waratah Park Reserve, Sutherland (Criterium) with Lansdowne Park in Bankstown hosting Sunday's Road Race from 10.30am.

The NHS is coordinated by Cycling Australia and is supported by Scody and the Australian Paralympic Committee.

Handbike action across NSW continues to take place with Lidcombe Oval hosting racing last weekend.

To have a look over the results from racing, click on the below link.

If you'd like to get involved or find out more information about hand cycling, give Gary Foley an email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

It's great to see everyone enjoying all disciplines of cycling!

Australia's hand-cyclists were in action today at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in Kent where Nigel Barley placed fourth and Stuart Tripp eighth in their respective road races.

On Wednesday Barley, 37, won Australia's first ever Paralympic medal in hand cycling when he finished second fastest in the time trial. Today he had a strong start in the 64km H3 event but his European rivals set a cracking pace.

At the end the gold medal was won by Poland's Rafal Will who clocked 1:50:05 to finish 1:29 ahead of Germany's Vico Merklein with Frenchman Joel Jeannot third at 3:32. Barley completed the race almost eight minutes after the winner.

"That was tough," said the West Australian after a hot, humid, hilly race. "The boys that came first they're machines hey? They're just so fast on the climbs and they pulled away from us (on the) first couple of laps.

"l stayed there for a while but then they got the better of me," said Barley who dropped off the pace midway through the eight laps. "It was their day I suppose."

Barley also had to contend with some mechanical woes during the race that saw him stop in the pits twice for rolling repairs.

"It was changing in the top end by itself all the time, changing, changing, changing (with) no rhythm," he explained. "We tried to fix it and we fixed the top end and then it was changing down the bottom.

"It was just one of those days."

"It was very hot, very hot (and) I prefer it to be medium warm," he said of the conditions. "Hot makes you really thirsty and dry but that's bike racing you can't pick the weather you've just got to race in it."

Whilst Barley had hoped to make the podium in the road racing he is pleased with his debut Games campaign.

"I'm stoked," he said of his time trial silver medal performance. "That's what I came here for, the road race was a bonus. I got what I came here for.

"Better luck next time so we'll see how I go in Rio."

Meantime where Barley's race blew to pieces early Tripp's H4 class event came down to an eight man bunch sprint won by former Italian formula one motor racing ace Alessandro Zanardi. The Italian sprinted clear in the finishing straight to claim gold in a time of 2:00:32 ahead of Ernst van Dyk of South Africa with Wim Decleir of Belgium third. Tripp was in the lead group and placed eighth.

Tomorrow time trial gold medal winner Carol Cooke will line up in the Combined T1-2 event while Kieran Modra and pilot Scott McPhee and Bryce Lindores and pilot Sean Finning, will wrap up Australia's Paralympic cycling campaign in the tandem road race.