Greenville to host worlds in paracycling

The United States landed another world-class cycling event Monday when Greenville was chosen as the host city for the 2014 paracycling world championships.

The five-day competition will bring more than 450 athletes and 200 coaches from more than 45 countries to the Palmetto State. It will be the first time the U.S. has hosted the event since 1998, when it was held in Colorado Springs.

The UCI, cycling’s world governing body, has already announced that the 2015 world road championships will be held in Richmond, Va., giving the U.S. championships in consecutive years.

“We are honored, as a contributor to worldwide Olympic and Paralympic sport, to continue to host world events on U.S. soil, and especially in Greenville, which has a rich history of hosting successful national cycling races,” said Mike Plant, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee board.

The bid was chosen over bids from cities in Colombia, South Africa and the Czech Republic.

Oz Sanchez, a five-time world champion and Paralympic gold medalist, said hosting the world championships will put a spotlight on athletes with disabilities.