After a day dedicated to time trials, the para-cycling road programme at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will finish with three days of road races and the mixed H1-5 team relay. The road race action takes place in Clichy-sous-Bois from Thursday.
First day dedicated to H class competitions
Athletes on handcycles take centre stage on the first day of road races.
The favourite in the Women’s H5 class is the USA’s Oksana Masters, reigning Paralympic and UCI World Champion. Among those aiming to unseat the American are the Netherlands’ Chantal Haenen and Germany’s Andrea Eskau.
The Women's H1-4 road race will feature H4 athlete and defending Paralympic Champion Jennette Jansen (NED), a logical favourite, as well as German H3 rider Annika Zeyen-Giles, who won silver in Tokyo.
The Men's H5 road race will feature Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Champion Mitch Valize and his fellow Dutchman Tim de Vries. Jonas Van de Steene (BEL) and France's Mathieu Bosredon are among the favourites in the H4 race. Eyes are on Italy’s Mirko Testa for the H3 title, but expect Johan Quaile (FRA) to be hot on his heels.
The Men's H1-2 race will see reigning Paralympic Champion Florian Jouanny try to defend his title in front of his home crowd, up against a strong field that includes his fellow podium athletes from Tokyo, Luca Mazzone (ITA) and Sergio Garrote Muñoz (ESP).
Many of these athletes will return to action in Saturday’s mixed H1-5 team relay.
Battle of the champions in the C classes
Across the 6 and 7 September, it will be the turn of athletes in the C sport classes to race for Paralympic glory.
In the Women’s C4-5 road race, can anyone stop Great Britain’s Sarah Storey from adding another title to her vast collection? Storey did not compete in the Paris 2024 para-cycling track events, but will be up against several riders who medaled in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines just a few days ago. Among them is Marie Patouillet, who finished third behind Storey in the Tokyo 2020 road race.
Big things will be expected of Japan’s defending Paralympic Champion Keiko Sugiura in the Women's C1-3 road race, but China’s Xiaomei Wang showed she was on form in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and will be looking to transfer that onto the road this week.
Reigning Paralympic and UCI World Champion Kévin Le Cunff (FRA) will be the man to beat in the Men’s C4-5 road race. But there will be plenty of athletes snapping at his heels, including Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Yehor Dementyev (UKR), bronze medalist Daniel Abraham Gebru (NED) as well as Brazilian Lauro Cesar Chaman, Australian Alistair Donohoe… the list is long!
British riders Benjamin Watson and Finlay Graham has a stronghold on the Men’s C1-3 road race in Tokyo, finishing first and second in a two-way sprint, more than six seconds ahead of France’s Alexandre Léauté who won the sprint for bronze. Others likely to be in the mix in Paris include another Team GB member Jaco van Gass.
British tandems out in force for the B road race
In the Women's B road race, expect stand-out performances from defending Paralympic Champion Katie-George Dunlevy (IRL) and Great Britain’s Sophie Unwin, who finished second in Tokyo. Great Britain is in Paris with a strong delegation of tandems, which also includes multiple Paralympic and UCI World Champion Lora Fachie as well as Elizabeth Jordan, who has several para-cycling track UCI World titles to her name. Sweden’s Louise Jannering took bronze in the road race at the last Paralympics, and will also be a serious medal contender.
The favourites for the Men's B Road Race are the Netherlands’ Vincent ter Schure, and his powerhouse compatriot Tristan Bangma. However, Great Britain’s Stephen Bate is not to be dismissed, nor is Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Alexandre Lloveras.
Reigning Paralympic Champions back to defend T class titles
In the Women's T1-2 road race, on Saturday 7 September, the focus will be on Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Champion Jana Majunke (GER), reigning T2 UCI World Champion Emma Lund (DEN) and Celine van Till, of Switzerland.
In the Men's T1-2 road race on the same day, look out for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Champion Chen Jianxin (CHN), his runner-up Tim Celen (BEL) and Colombian Juan José Betancourt Quiroga.
Mixed H1-5 team relay: signing out in style
In the evening of the final day of competition it’s the mixed H1-5 team relay: tough to call a winner but harder to take your eyes off as a spectacle. France were the winners at the 2023 UCI World Championships in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, and were followed on the podium by Germany and the USA. China and Spain were 4th and 5th, while Italy are the reigning Paralympic Champions. It’s all to play for, and the perfect way to sign out.
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.