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The Czech Jiri Jezek races the 4km Pursuit at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. © • Getty Images

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A number of other activities will also be implemented across social media in a concerted effort to boost the profiles of these athletes and make them household names for years to come.

With the 2013 Para-Cycling Road World Cup starting on Friday (7 June), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in conjunction with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has selected a list of the top athletes to watch out for this season in the sport.

The IPC’s Ones to Watch initiative showcases the top athletes around the world, all of whom were gold medallists at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and are looking to further their careers over the next four years in the lead-up to Rio 2016.

The Ones to Watch list for cycling includes names that made international headlines last year, including Great Britain’s Sarah Storey and Italy’s Alex Zanardi.

Although Storey is expecting a new baby this summer, the 22-time Paralympic medallist is still hoping to maintain a healthy competition schedule.

Zanardi, a former F1 driver and one of the top faces at London 2012, is now 47 years old but has affirmed he will attempt to repeat as champion in the H4 class at Rio 2016.

China’s Sini Zeng, Canada’s Robbi Weldon and the Czech Republic’s Jiri Jezek are no strangers to the podium, and are all expected to give strong performances again during this season’s UCI events.

Australian and American veterans Carol Cooke and Muffy Davis are also included on the list.

These athletes will begin their season at this weekend’s World Cup event in Merano and Marlengo, Italy.

The three-day affair will feature a total of 243 participating athletes representing 31 different countries, including 29 from host nation Italy.

A number of other activities will also be implemented across social media in a concerted effort to boost the profiles of these athletes and make them household names for years to come.

The IPC’s Ones to Watch campaign launched in the lead-up to London 2012, when a new section was included within Paralympic.org, entitled Ones to Watch. This series of pages was designed to raise the profiles of leading medal contenders in Paralympic sports and act as an essential media resource.