Cycling Roundup: Brandon Lyons Gives Mom A Shoutout On 'Today'
by Patrick Donnelly
Brandon Lyons competes in a road cycling race. (Photo: Mark Reis)
Every other week we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para-cycling. Here’s what you missed!
Lyons Makes An Appearance On NBC’s ‘Today’
Feb. 24 marked six months from the start of the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, and to celebrate, NBC invited a handful of Team USA para athletes to appear on the network’s morning show, “Today.”
Due to pandemic restrictions, the appearance was virtual, with the athletes appearing on screen from their homes or training sites. Among the six athletes appearing was para cyclist Brandon Lyons, who made the national team for the first time in 2019 and has been training for Tokyo ever since.
Lyons didn’t get to speak during the brief appearance, but he stood out by holding up a sign that said, “Hi Mom!”
Today marks six months to go until the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. To celebrate, we have great group of hopeful athletes joining us for #MyTODAYPlaza! (Sponsored by Toyota) pic.twitter.com/NBAxnXnxQ5
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 24, 2021
Meanwhile, Lyons posted a photo of himself completing the second of “back to back century rides” on his Instagram page.
According to the image of his tracker that was posted, he covered 101 miles in just under five hours.
And speaking of NBC, the network announced that at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, it will air a record number of hours of programming on its various platforms, including the first primetime coverage on NBC and live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies on NBCSN.
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Host Of U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open Promotes Course
The first of four U.S. domestic cycling events in 2021 will take place on April 17-18 in Huntsville, Alabama. The U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open will see more than 100 athletes competing for a spot on the national team roster.
The City of Huntsville posted a video tour of the course, which will be located at Cummings Research Park just west of the city’s downtown district.