Paracylist Simon Price warms up for World Cup with Italian wins

The Thorpe Satchville rider topped both C2 category road race and time trial disciplines at the Verola Cup as he continued his preparations for the World Cup in Belgium next month.

Price, who is looking to fulfil his ultimate ambition and ride at the Paralympics later this year, opened with a satisfying victory in the time trial over am 11km course.

His time of 15min 16secs beat his nearest rivals Roger Bollinger, of Switzerland, and Venezuelan rider Hugo Garrido by more than a minute, but his biggest battle was against the clock.

He said: “I was very pleased with the TT. I wasn’t expecting either guy to challenge closely; it was all about me performing, and my time was 36 seconds quicker than 2015 in similar conditions.”

The following day Price received another confidence boost in the 40km road race as he launched a long sprint attack with just under a kilometre to the finish to win.

In doing so he saw off a good quality field, including 2010 and 2013 world champion Garrido, who finished second, and Bollinger, both of whom had beaten the Leicestershire rider at the World Cup in Maniago, Italy, last year.

The 46-year-old now heads into another training block as he builds up to the World Cup in Ostend (May 20 to 22) where places in the British Paralympic squad are likely to be decided.