Four road races and the mixed H1-5 team relay capped off the para-cycling road programme at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. The five last titles went to athletes from five different nations: Great Britain, Japan, China, Denmark and hosts France.
The women’s T1-2 road race was arguably the race of the para-cycling programme as four riders contested gold right up to the final 200 metres. But it was Emma Lund who triumphed, winning Denmark’s first gold in Clichy-sous-Bois. Lund outsprinted Switzerland’s Celine van Till, who won silver, and the Netherlands’ Marieke van Soest (bronze). The defending Paralympic Champion Jana Majunke of Germany was eight seconds back in fourth.
“It’s amazing, surreal, like a dream come true,” Lund said. “I have only beaten her [van Till] once before this, at the [2023 UCI] World Championships, so I pick the good competitions to beat her!”
China’s Jianxin Chen celebrated his 38th birthday in style as he stormed to victory in the men’s T1-2 road race. Chen broke free early in the second lap of three for a dominant victory, beating silver medallist Dennis Connors by two minutes. Colombia’s Juan Jose Betancourt Quiroga won bronze.
It was an exhibition of racing by Chen, who showed the form and power that won him gold in the time trial earlier in the Games. However, the T1 rider treasures the road race medal more as his opponents included T2 riders, who have a lesser degree of impairment: “This is my favourite gold medal. I prefer this one. It's a better one…. because during the road race, I also had to compete against others from the T2 class. So to win this is amazing."
Great Britain won their fourth and final para-cycling road gold on Saturday thanks to Finlay Graham, who held off a French onslaught in winning the men’s C1-C3 road race, beating the home nation’s Thomas Peyroton-Dartet in a masterful sprint. The 24-year-old British rider shadowed Peyroton-Dartet as they closed in on the finish line before unleashing his winning effort. Peyroton-Dartet settled for silver, adding to his time trial gold, while countryman Alexandre Léauté won bronze for his fourth medal of the Games.
The leading three had broken free from the pack, leaving Graham outnumbered by the French, but he showed why he has dominated the C3 road racing at the UCI Para-cycling Road Championships at the last two editions.
“I knew the French guys were going to be the strong ones,” Graham said. “But my team did a great job of making sure they didn’t get away. I’ve left it late to come away with a gold medal, but I’m delighted.”
Japan’s Keiko Sugiura continued to show that age is just a number as the 53-year-old retained her title in the women’s C1-3 road race. In a sprint to the line, Sugiura beat Switzerland’s Flurina Rigling, who won silver, and bronze-winning Clara Brown from the USA.
“Gold again,” Sugiura laughed. “Anna Beck, Clara Brown and I really worked well together on the last climbs and we wanted to win together. But then the athlete from Switzerland [silver medallist Flurina Rigling] changed our plans! She was extremely strong and magnificent.” On dealing with the pressure of being the defending Paralympic Champion, she said: “I’m blessed to have the support from my personal coach. It’s easy to follow his plans because he has a clear goal in mind. My mind was occupied by just trying to follow every step of our plan.”
Host nation France finished the para-cycling road programme in style, winning the final race of the Games, the mixed H1-5 team relay, with Italy second and the USA third. The French trio of Mathieu Bosredon, Joseph Fritsch and Florian Jouanny were unstoppable, winning by over a minute.
It completed a magnificent para-cycling road programme for the French, especially Bosredon who won his third gold medal after victory in the H3 time trial and road race. Jouanny (H2) finished the road programme with two gold and one bronze medal.
The victory ensured France finished second in the medal table with seven gold, 10 silver and four bronze medals. The Netherlands finished top of the para-cycling road medal table with eight gold, three silver and three bronze. Great Britain was third thanks to four gold, two silver and two bronze.
Para-cycling sport classes
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
T – Tricycle: three-wheeled bike
B – Tandem: for visually impaired athletes with sighted pilot
H – Handcycle
Groups C (1-5), T (1-2) and H (1-5) are divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating a higher level of impairment.