Sam Davies is one of Britain’s rising stars in para-cycling, based in Denmead, Hampshire. Sam competes in the C5 classification, the category for riders with the lowest level of physical impairment on the C1–C5 scale. C5 athletes race on standard bicycles, though some make small adaptations to optimise comfort and performance.

Sam’s journey into para-cycling classification began in October 2023, when a fellow club rider encouraged him to attend a British Cycling classification day. The idea was simple: to see if his condition, talipes (commonly known as clubfoot), met the UCI World Para-Cycling Classification criteria. It did, and from that moment, a new chapter in his cycling career began.

For Sam, that difference comes from being born with talipes affecting his left foot. Treated early in life, it left a few lasting quirks: reduced ankle and foot mobility, some leg strength imbalance, and the ongoing challenge of buying two different-sized shoes. Growing up, friends jokingly called him “Glass Ankles”, a nickname he’s since embraced as part of his story.

Rather than a limitation, Sam sees it as a source of perspective and determination. It’s shaped his mindset, teaching him to adapt, focus, and push for progress on and off the bike, qualities that now define him as a committed and fast-developing British C5 para-cyclist.

Curious about how para-cycling classifications work? Watch this video by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) for a simple explanation of the system.