As the world’s best para-cyclists battle it out at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, a group of hand-cyclists have just finished the Giro Suisse, a six-stage tour through Switzerland.
The last stage of the Giro Suisse started from the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle yesterday and finished 60km further down the valley, in Sion. In total, the Tour covered nearly 400km, with stages ranging from 47km to 80km through the cantons of the Grisons, Ticino, Valais and Vaud.
The event organisers, Swiss Paraplegics Association, deliberately chose the dates of this year’s Giro to coincide with the Paralympic Games. Thomas Hurni, Head of the Sport for All - Leisure - Health Division explains: “As for top-level athletes, people doing the Giro Suisse need to prepare. They set themselves a challenge, train accordingly, rise to the challenge brilliantly and have a good time together.”
The Association first organised the Giro in 2020 to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The feedback from the handcyclists was so positive it would have been unthinkable not to repeat the expedition.
After 2020, 2021 and 2022, they decided to organise the Giro Suisse every two years. For this fourth edition, an average of 47 people (34 hand-cyclists and 13 accompanying persons) participated each day. For the first time, the Giro Suisse went over a mountain pass, the col du Lukmanier.
Thomas Hurni points to the inclusive nature of the Giro, that welcomes sportsmen and women with big ambitions as well as leisure cyclists.
A view shared by Manuel Mascarenhas, Vice-President and Head of Sport at the Valais Romand Wheelchair Club: “The Giro Suisse gives you the opportunity to meet handbike enthusiasts from all over Switzerland.”
Gregor Sonderegger regularly rides between 50km and 60km a week and entered the Giro Suisse for the combination of a sporting challenge and collective experience.
Some joined the Giro for the first time, while others are returning participants, such as Walter Eberle, who helped plan one of this year’s routes and guided the first two stages: “It's just great to ride with other people and cross the finish line together,” he said.
For the final stage leaving from Aigle, the Giro Suisse peloton started with refreshments at the UCI WCC restaurant, the Velodrome, and was given a brief presentation of the UCI WCC and its work to develop the sport of cycling. The participants then set off in the company of Yves Schmied, a confirmed Swiss hand-cyclist who has competed in international UCI competitions and is currently preparing for the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland (21 to 29 September).
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) integrated para-cycling in 2007 and now organises UCI World Cups and UCI World Championships for para-cyclists. This year, the UCI Road World Championships and UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships will be held jointly for the first time. Meanwhile the UCI WCC welcomes athletes with impairments for training camps, where they have access to facilities including the velodrome and gym.