The visually impaired 39-year-old from Port Lincoln retired from competition following the Beijing 2008 Paralympics where he picked up a gold and a bronze medal.

But Modra admitted that the lure of having a last hurrah at the London 2012 was enough to tempt out of retirement at the end of last year.

"After every event I think that I'll retire," said Modra, who has just 15 per cent sight.

"I've been trying to retire for a number of years but when I stay off the bike I miss it.

"Then I hop back on and I get revitalised and get that enjoyment back.

"London is the ultimate goal though and that is essentially what made me come back.

"It's the goal of every athlete and now it's about the process of getting there."

Modra returned to training last year with new 19-year-old pilot Scott McPhee and has quickly found form as he claimed a silver medal last month in the men's B-tandem road race at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Sydney.

But in order to make in to London, the Australian admits that he needs to continue his intense training.

"It all comes down to speed," he said.

"I have to start training with someone there now because when you start going above 40 kilometres per hour you have to see much further in front of you and I can't see that far so it's dangerous with reaction times.

"So I'm reliant on a team of friends and family who take turns in being pilot."

Modra, who was born with limited sight, first competed in javelin at the Seoul 1988 Paralympics before he made the switch to swimming for Barcelona 1992 where he won two bronze medals.

He then changed to Para-cycling in 1995 and later set a Paralympic record, which he has since broken twice in the individual pursuit, before he claimed a gold and a bronze in Beijing in 2008.

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