GB's Paralympic cyclists miss the opening ceremony - but say 'Hello' via YouTube (+ video)

Yesterday evening, London's Olympic Stadium was once again the centre of the sporting world as it hosted a spectacular opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games. In a repeat of the scenes that greeted Team GB a month ago, the athletes of ParalympicsGB entered the arena to the David Bowie anthem Heroes and an explosion of ticker tape.

Missing though were the team's cyclists, who are still busy preparing for the Games - four years ago in Beijing, they topped the medal table with an astonishing 17 gold medals, and they're expected to be in the vanguard of Britain's medal chase again this time round.

While they didn't get to parade round the track in the Olympic Stadium, they did record a video, much of it shot at the Wales National Velodrome in Newport, to give them a chance to say 'Hello' to family, friends and fans.

The film, by the way, was the idea of multiple Paralympic champion Jody Cundy - that's him having a nasty looking chute towards the end - who also edited it as well as shooting some of the footage with other parts filmed by fellow team member Mark Colbourne and performance analyst Kevin Gill.

As for the cast, the featured riders are Craig Maclean, Anthony Kappes, Fiona Duncan, Lora Turnam, Barney Storey, Neil Fachie, Jody Cundy, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Darren Kenny, Mark Colbourne, Crystal Lane, Helen Scott, Aileen McGlynn, David Stone, Rachel Morris, Karen Darke, Sarah Storey and Rik Waddon, while staff members appearing are Chris Furber, Tom Stanton, Gareth Sheppard, Kirstin Henderson, Eamonn Deane, Len Parker Simpson and Kevin Gill.