RehabMove 2018: THE NEED FOR PARA-CYCLING CLASSIFICATION RESEARCH

PURPOSE: The para-cycling classification system is mostly based on expert opinion rather than on scientific evidence. In a valid classification system, one would expect demonstrable differences in performance between different sport classes. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in race performance between para-cycling classes at the latest major international competitions. METHODS: We used results from the men’s C1-C5 (C1 most impaired) time trial races at the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2017 UCI World Championships in Pietermaritzburg (PMB) as performance measures. Distances in Rio were 20 KM for C1-C2 and 30 KM for C3-C5; in PMB 23.3 KM for C1-C3 and 31 KM for C4-C5. Average race speed was calculated from official race time results.The race speeds of the gold medallist of each class were compared and Kruskal-Wallis tests used to compare the race speeds of the fastest 10 athletes of all classes. RESULTS: Overall median race speed was 41.8 km/hr (interquartile range:40.2-43.6). The difference in race speed between gold medallists was smallest between C1-C2 with C2 only 0.3 km/hr faster in Rio and 0.06 km/hr slower in PMB; and largest between C2-C3, with C3 3.6 km/hr faster in Rio and 3.3 km/hr in PMB. Race speeds of the fastest 10 athletes were not significantly different (p>0.05) at both events between C1-C2, C3-C4, and C4-C5; with the smallest median difference between C3-C4 of 1.0 km/hr in Rio and 0.8 km/hr in PMB. Only differences between C2-C3 were significant with C3 median race speed 2.5 km/hr faster in Rio (p=0.02) and 1.8 km/hr (p=0.02) in PMB. CONCLUSIONS: Performance between athletes in the C2 and C3 classes were significantly different while differences between all other consecutive classes were only small. Moreover, there was almost no difference in average race speeds of gold medallists in C1 and C2. These results stress the need for para-cycling classification research and an evidence-based classification system