Three medals in the morning, eight in the afternoon! The French Para-Cycling team’s performance is truly exceptional on the inaugural day of road competitions in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Élie de Carvalho and his pilot Mickaël Guichard commenced the proceedings. The pair displayed extraordinary consistency in the B category (for the visually impaired). Spanning a distance of 28 kilometers, they completed the race in an impressive 34 minutes and 23 seconds, riding at a rapid pace. Although they couldn’t surpass Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos, their speed was sufficient to secure a well-deserved silver medal.
The French team had the potential to secure another medal in this race, but unfortunately, Alexandre Lloveras/Yoan Paillot encountered misfortune: “There was an accident on the course. Emergency services were present, and their vehicle occupied a significant portion of the road. It occurred in a turn that we would usually navigate swiftly, but this time we almost had to come to a halt. Undoubtedly, we lost the medal here,” expressed the tandem, who missed the bronze medal by a mere second and a half.
Having already secured a gold medal on the track just a few days ago, Dorian Foulon found another reason to celebrate with a bronze win in the C5 category. A wide grin adorned his face as he crossed the finish line, expressing his contentment with his performance. The second lap proved to be particularly impressive, signaling promising prospects.
Foulon harbored no regrets and acknowledged the challenges of transitioning from the velodrome to the road, accompanied by a whirlwind of emotions. Sleep eluded him on Saturday night, but after two days of recovery, he began to feel more rejuvenated. Looking ahead to future races, Foulon acknowledged the need to remain vigilant against formidable foreign competitors.
Amidst the commotion in Clichy-sous-Bois, two individuals stood out in the afternoon. Kévin Le Cunff and Gatien Le Rousseau, both competing in the C4 category, caught everyone’s attention. Le Rousseau began earlier and set an impressive time at the finish line.
However, the former professional road racer, Kévin Le Cunff, proved his strength and skill (having previously ridden for the Saint Michel-Aubervilliers team in the département). Finishing with a time of 36 minutes and 46 seconds, the Frenchman left no chance for his competitors. The embrace between Le Cunff and his partner upon crossing the finish line became one of the memorable moments of the day.
At the age of 39, Thomas Peyroton-Dartet (C3 category) quietly made his debut appearance at these Paralympic Games. In the initial time check, the Muret native found himself in sixth position. It appeared that today might not be his fortunate day. However, that assumption was proven wrong! By the 14th kilometer (out of 28), the French athlete rectified the situation by seizing the lead and refusing to relinquish it. With an average speed of 44.1 km/h, he exhibited complete dominance in this time trial, ultimately finishing 43 seconds ahead of his closest rival.
The downpour of French accolades persisted until 5 PM! The final contenders from Team France who took part in today’s competition, Mathieu Bosredon and Johan Quaile, bestowed one last present upon the spectators. Bosredon secured his inaugural Paralympic prize, a gold medal, whilst Quaile claimed the silver in the H3 category. Mathieu Bosredon left no room for his adversaries, crossing the finish line over two minutes ahead of his compatriot. Thanks to their efforts, the tally of French medals surged even higher, reaching a total of 49 medals, including 15 golds.
