After the road races and individual time trials in Dumfries and Galloway over the last four days, the para-cycling road competitions of the UCI Cycling World Championships moved to Glasgow today for the mixed H team relay.
Sunday’s para-cycling event opened proceedings on the final day of the UCI Cycling World Championships that have been taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland for the last 11 days.
An enthusiastic crowd lined the city-centre streets of Glasgow as teams of three hand-cyclists raced a 1.7km circuit three times each. Defending UCI World Champions France were pre-race favourites, although it was Switzerland that took an early lead.
Swiss rider Fabian Recher (H4) stormed into the first corner at the front and extended his advantage as the first lap unfolded. At the first changeover, he handed over to Tobias Lotscher (H4) who, at intermediate one, held a 7-second lead over Great Britain, with France another three seconds further back. But come the second changeover, Great Britain’s Claire Danson (H3) held a small advantage over Switzerland’s Benjamin Früh (H1).
Früh soon overtook Danson but then, as if catapulted forward, France’s Joseph Fritsch flew past both of them to head the race. Fritsch clearly had form after winning bronze in the Men H4 individual time trial three days earlier and was showing it again here.
Fritsch handed to Johan Quaile (H3) for his second lap - France’s fourth - with a 15-second lead over Italy and Germany in second and third, respectively. Quaile stayed in front and was able to pass over to Florian Jouanny (H2) with a sizeable lead.
Behind, there was a battle royale between Italy’s Luca Mazzone (H2) and Germany’s Annika Zeyen (H3), who’d already won gold in the road race and silver in the individual time trial.
They reeled in Jouanny and all three hit the final changeover as one.
The race was on between Fritsch, Italy’s Diego Colombari (H5) and Germany’s Vico Merklein (H3).
Last lap of the race with Team France 🇫🇷 in front followed closely by Team Germany🇩🇪#GlasgowScotland2023 pic.twitter.com/ppZo2QeXm8
— UCI Para-Cycling (@UCI_paracycling) August 13, 2023
But that’s when Fritsch once again took off and never looked back, helping France to defend their title in 25:35.
Behind, the battle between Italy and Germany ended when Italy hit the barriers, leaving Merklein to win silver for Germany, 15 seconds down. The United States of America completed the podium a further 16 seconds back.