Para-cyclist James Ball has a new pilot, Aaron Pope, as he begins a fresh partnership ahead of the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, which start on Thursday. Ball, who has now had six pilots, joked that it was not his fault, and said that working with Pope has been a proper reset. Three months ago the pair were rivals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where Pope piloted Neil Fachie to two golds while Ball and Matt Rotherham took silver in the men's tandem B 1,000m time trial and sprint.
Ball previously won world titles with Steffan Lloyd in 2025, and he hopes Pope can help him retain them. Ball said the Apeldoorn event will show where the pair stand against the rest of the world, with the Paris Paralympics next year seen as the chance to secure their place for the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. He said Pope was nervous at the start but that training has been good, and that he feels he is teaching Pope some things despite Pope being stronger on power.
Ball, 35, said changing pilots keeps things fresh, describing each new partner as fresh air and a reset. He is not putting heavy pressure on results in the Netherlands, saying the event will involve a lot of learning because of new, heavy-hitting bikes. He welcomed the growing number of tandems on the start list, including two Australian bikes, two German bikes and French entries.
Ball has medalled at all nine of his previous world championships, winning four bronzes, six silvers and eight golds. He believes this year will be the one when everyone sets down their best times, and that the results will guide the next two years of preparation.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing