Cycling Roundup: Team USA Is Racing Again – And Taking In The Sights Too

Aaron Keith competes in the men's C1 road race in Ostend, Belgium. (Photo: Casey Gibson)

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!

Team USA Enjoys Being Back on the Road, But Not the Windy Condition

Oksana Masters was glad to be racing again, but she could’ve done without the cold weather.

The top American Para-cyclists were excited to travel overseas and finally compete last week at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup in Ostend, Belgium.

Team USA earned 21 medals, including seven golds, at the first international race since the coronavirus pandemic forced the 2020 world cup schedule to be cancelled. But the windy conditions in Ostend made things interesting for Masters and her teammates.

Masters, who has quickly switched her training over the past few weeks from Para Nordic skiing to Para-cycling, won the H5 time trial and took silver in the road race. A four-time Paralympian and eight-time medalist, Masters is aiming for her second Paralympics as a cyclist this summer and her first Paralympic medals in the sport. She’s also competed as a rower and Nordic skier.

Masters thanked Ostend on Twitter for serving as the host city for the world cup season opener, but she joked that she’d prefer less wind the next time. 

“There were unexpected results, nail-biting finishes, sun, wind, and rain. (Let’s agree to keep the wind out next time),” Masters wrote. 

Samantha Bosco has accepted that the windy conditions are a part of competing in Ostend. The two-time Paralympic medalist won the C4 time trial and race road, adding to the pair of golds she earned at the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open last month in Huntsville, Alabama.

Bosco shared a photo on Instagram of herself standing on the Belgian coast. When someone commented that the wind there was probably cold as usual, Bosco replied, “Cold, windy, and a little bit of rain in the forecast. But wouldn’t beOstend!”

Clara Brown Goes Sightseeing In Belgium Before Strong Finish

Clara Brown’s trip to Belgium included more than just earning her first world cup title in the C3 road race and a silver medal in the time trial.

The rising star also played the role of a tourist while in Ostend.

Brown posted several photos from her time sightseeing, eating pizza on the beach and riding into a “sheep traffic jam on the bike path.” 

The last photo that Brown shared from her time in Ostend was of herself with her head down as she competed in a race.

“More than a year of work paid off in a big way this weekend!” Brown wrote. “… I’m fired up by how fast and competitive the WC3 field is and thrilled to be right up there with the seasoned veterans.”

Masters Recognizes Mother’s Day With Emotional Post

Masters has been open about her difficult childhood. 

She has talked about being put up for adoption after being born with physical defects and then spending the first 7.5 years of her life in the Ukraine orphanage system.

Masters recognized Gay Masters, the woman who adopted her as a kid, with an emotional Instagram post on Mother’s Day. She shared a black-and-white photo of her adopted mother hugging her.

“No medal, record, or coffee will ever come close to making my heart full than seeing your smile!” Masters wrote. “It took 7.5 years and crossing the Atlantic Ocean, to finally see your smile, to feel your hugs, and not just feel love but finally a mother’s love. YOUR love is the reason I’m breathing (and sometimes giving you headaches sorry). Happy Mother’s Day mama! I love you.”