Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Cycling at the XV Paralympic Games
Pictograms for road (left) and track (right) cycling
Venue	Rio Olympic Velodrome Copacabana Cluster
Dates	8-11 September (Track) 14-17 September (Road)
Competitors	230
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Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
List of cyclists
Road cycling
Road race	men	women
Time trial	men	women
Team relay	mixed
Track cycling
Time trial	men	women
Individual pursuit	men	women
Team sprint	mixed

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Road cycling
Road race
Men	Women
B	B
H2	H1–4
H3
H4
H5	H5
C1–3	C1–3
C4–5	C4–5
T1–2	T1–2

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Road cycling
Time trial
Men	Women
B	B
	H1–3
H2
H3
H4	H4–5
H5
C1	C1–3
C2
C3
C4	C4
C5	C5
T1–2	T1–2
Mixed H2–5

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Track cycling
Time trial - Kilo
Men	Women
B	B
C1–3
C4–5
Time trial - 500 m
	C1–3
	C4–5
Team sprint
Mixed team sprint

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Track cycling
Individual pursuit
Men	Women
B	B
C1	C1–3
C2
C3
C4	C4
C5	C5

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics consisted of 50 events in two main disciplines, track cycling and road cycling. The venues were the Rio Olympic Velodrome for track cycling in the Barra Cluster, and the Flamengo Park for the road cycling disciplines in the Copacapana Cluster. Seventeen events were contested on the track, and 33 on the road.

Cyclists are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability. This method is known as a functional system and was introduced in 2012. Athletes are classified according to their functional ability across four broad categories (blind or partially sighted tandem, handcycle, tricycle and standard bicycle). The class number indicates the severity of impairment with "1" being most impaired. The classification system allows cyclists to compete against others with a similar level of function.

Riders with recovering or deteriorating conditions such as MS are eligible but must have been reclassified within six months of a World Championships or Paralympic Games to ensure their classification is correct. Specialised equipment including prostheses is only allowed where it has been specifically approved.

This class is for athletes who have visual impairments and therefore ride tandem bicycles with a guide (known as a pilot). They may have any level of visual impairment from no light perception in either eye through to a visual acuity of 6/60 and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees.

This class is for athletes who are lower limb amputees, have paraplegia or tetraplegia and ride a handcycle using arms to turn pedals for propulsion. H1–4 cyclists compete in a lying position, whereas H5 cyclists compete in a kneeling position.

This class is for athletes who have a neurological condition or an impairment which has a comparable effect on their cycling so that they are not able to compete on a standard bicycle for reasons of balance.

This class is for athletes with moderate locomotion impairment who do not require a tricycle. In many cases a modification will be allowed to accommodate a leg or arm prosthesis.

Some cycling events, 16 in total across track and road, are factored. This can happen when cyclists from different classes compete against each other and means that the results take into account the severity of the impairments of each competitor. As a result, some riders within an event will have their times ‘factored’ while other riders will not, or will have their time factored in a different calculation. The gold medal goes to the athlete with the fastest time after all the required times have been calculated. It is therefore possible for an athlete to break a paralympic or world record in their event for their specific classification, but to finish behind a differently classified athlete in that event after factoring. In such a case, the record is still treated as an official World, or as the case may be, Paralympic Games record within their classification for that event.