UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships 2025: Cambridge rider bags gold

Cambridge's Devon Briggs (centre) won gold at the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships. He came ahead of Finlay Graham (left) from Great Britain and Eduardo Santas Asensio (right) of Spain. Photo / Simon Wilkinson

Cambridge rider Devon Briggs, 21, has won gold on the final day of the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships.

It is the second successive world championship track title for Briggs after success at the same velodrome last year, and a boost in his return to the sport after injury thwarted his Paralympic hopes in Paris.

Briggs sat in the pack for much of the 10km race, helping to close down attacks and biding his time, until he unleashed his sprint on the final lap for an impressive victory.

He beat Finlay Graham, of the UK, who came in second, and Eduardo Santas Asensio, of Spain, who placed third.

“Overall, it has been an amazing week,” Briggs said.

“For me, it has been a week of highs and lows.”

He said the race the day prior had not gone the way he wanted, so for the final day he “took expectation out of the race” and instead went out to enjoy the race.

“I rode a good strong race and had a good sprint at the end. And I get to wear the rainbow jersey for another year.”

It was a successful event for the Cycling New Zealand team of four with Rotorua’s Siobhan Terry claiming bronze in the C5 category for her third medal this week and Emma Foy and Jessie Hodges finishing fifth in the sprint ride-off.

Waikato athlete Nicole Murray, of Ngāhinapōuri, also claimed a medal on Monday with a bronze in the C5 10,000m.

She rode down the attempted breaks and was strong in the spring to finish on the podium for her fourth medal of the week.

Cycling New Zealand Para-cycling head coach Brendon Cameron said it had been “a good four days” of competition.

“[We] altered our training, and raced at local able-bodied races at club and provincial level and worked more on our tactical and technical things.

“The best takeaway from the four days here has been all the individual efforts timewise. Every athlete here had PBs – and most of them have been in the programme for a few years, so the results are really encouraging.”