The 2025 UCI Paracycling Road World Championships opened today in Ronse with the Handcycle and Tricycle Time Trial events. Team USA delivered several top-five finishes, highlighted by Emelia Perry (Philadelphia), who claimed silver to start the week on the podium.
The opening session of the day featured the MH5, MH4, and MH3 categories, with riders tackling two laps for a total of 23.2 kilometers. Josue Barron (Los Angeles) was the first to roll out for Team USA. He started strong, posting the fifth-fastest time at the opening split before settling into sixth after his first lap. Barron ultimately closed out his World Championship Time Trial debut in seventh place.
Next up was Alfredo de los Santos (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.), who delivered a steady ride from start to finish. He held fourth place at every split and crossed the line just 26 seconds shy of the podium, earning an impressive fourth-place finish.
1. Mitch Valize (NED) 33:34
2. Loic Vergnaud (FRA) +1:11
3. Tim de Vries (NED) +2:28
4. Freddie de los Santos (USA) +2:55
7. Josue Barron (USA) +4:21
Ryan Pinney (Phoenix) took to the course next in the MH3 category. Sitting fifth as he began his second lap, he dug deep in the closing kilometers to move up and finish in fourth.
1. Mathieu Bosredon (FRA) 33:36
2. Johan Quaile (FRA) +0:54
3. Marvin Odent (BEL) +1:02
4. Ryan Pinney (USA) +1:20
Later in the day, the third wave saw the remaining handcycle categories take on the 11.6-kilometer course. Cody Wills (Harrisburg, Pa.) was the first on course for Team USA in the MH2 category. The battle for the podium was tight, with less than a minute separating the medal positions. Riding a steady and consistent race, he clocked the fifth-fastest times at each split and ultimately secured fifth place.
1. Florian Jouanny (FRA) 18:41
2. Sergio Garrote Munox (ESP) +0:27
3. Luca Mazzone (ITA) +0:29
5. Cody Wills (USA) +2:10
Barry Wilcox (Port Angeles, Wash.) closed out the afternoon with one final lap on the course. He came through the split in sixth and crossed the line just one second shy of a top-five finish.
1. Fabrizio Cornegliani (ITA) 25:39
2. Nicolas Pieter Du Preez (RSA) +1:06
3. Patrik Jahoda (CZE) +2:05
6. Barry Wilcox (USA) +4:08
In one of the tightest races of the day, Emelia Perry (Philadelphia) powered to a silver medal in her debut at the UCI Paracycling Road World Championships. Sitting third at the first split, just over six seconds back, Perry dug deep on the second lap to edge out Austria’s Cornelia Wibmer by less than half a second for the podium spot.
Reflecting on the performance, Perry said, “I woke up this morning feeling strong and confident. I trusted myself from the beginning, especially through the technical turns, and that gave me the belief I could have a good race.”
The Belgian crowd added to the experience, cheering riders along the course. Looking ahead to the Road Race as her next event, Perry kept her focus on the moment: “I’m already so happy with today. This is my first World Championships, and to come away with a silver medal is a great result.”
1. Svetlana Moshkovich (AUT) 19:52
2. Emelia Perry (USA) +0:08
3. Cornelia Wibmer (AUT) +0:09
Dennis Connors (Beaverton, Ore.) put in a strong ride in the MT2 Time Trial, holding fifth place at every time check. At the first split, he was just 12 seconds outside of the medal positions and continued to push the pace on the technical Belgian course.
But in the closing kilometers, a setback struck. “Everything was going really well until the last major cobblestone corner,” Connors explained. “My chain came off the front and the back, and I couldn’t get it back on. I had to coast the last 300 meters with no chain, and I lost a lot of time.”
Despite the incident, Connors still secured a top-five finish, crossing the line less than 30 seconds off the podium. Looking ahead, he remains optimistic for the Road Race: “I was pretty prepared for this, so I feel ready. I’ll just go out there, have fun, and ride my bike.”
1. Tim Celen (BEL) 18:33
2. Maximilian Jager (GER) +0:11
3. Wolfgang Steinbichler (AUT) +0:20
5. Dennis Connors (USA) +0:53
68-year-old Ellie Kennedy (Boise, Idaho) made her World Championship debut today, riding a strong and consistent race to hold fifth place over the 11.6-kilometer course.
1. Celine Van Till (SUI) 21:26
2. Angelika Dreock-Kaser (GER) +1:17
3. Jana Majunke (GER) +1:57
5. Ellie Kennedy (USA) +3:00
USA Cycling’s participation in the World Championships is made possible through the support of dedicated donors and partners. To support the USA Cycling National Team, members can donate to the USA Cycling Foundation here. USA Cycling's supporting partner for this event includes HOVERAir, who shares our mission to elevate the sport and inspire the next generation of cyclists.
