In the second of our para-cycling track previews for the Paralympic Games, we concentrate on the endurance event – the individual pursuit – that will play out at the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
As for the sprint events, athletes in the B and C sport classes will vie for the title of Paralympic Champion between Thursday 29 August and Sunday 1st September.
In the individual pursuit, two cyclists set off simultaneously from opposite straights on the track, and ride over a set distance with the objective to either catch their opponent or reach full race distance before their opponent.
The results from the last Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) and the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 2024) provide a solid guide to who’s who in para-cycling pursuit…
Women: champions and challengers
On Thursday, the velodrome will set the stage for the C1, C2 and C3 3000m individual pursuit.
At Tokyo 2020, Paige Greco (AUS) won from Wang Xiaomei (CHN), and Denise Schindler (GER). Then at the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championship Qian Wangwei (CHN) won the C1, Britain’s Daphne Schrager the C2, and Xiaomei the C3 classifications. Who will it be in Paris?
The next day it’s the C4 3000m individual pursuit. Australian Emily Petricola won in Tokyo from Shawn Morelli (USA) and Keely Shaw (CAN). Petricola won again in Brazil, this time from Samantha Bosco (USA), with Shaw third again. The reigning Paralympic and UCI World Champion is leaving nothing to chance.
The C5 3000m individual pursuit is on Sunday 1st September, the last day of track action. In 2020, Britain’s highly decorated Sarah Storey beat her compatriot Crystal Lane-Wright and Marie Patouillet (FRA). At the 2024 UCI Worlds, Heïdi Gaugain (FRA) won from Nicole Murray (NZL) and Claudia Cretti (ITA).
The final women’s track event is the 3000m B individual pursuit.
The winners from Tokyo are Great Britain’s Lora Fachie and her pilot Corrine Hall, while Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal took silver and Britain’s Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl, the bronze.
At March’s 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championship it was another Briton, Elizabeth Jordan, with pilot Dannielle Khan, taking the win. Unwin and Holl were second, and Poland’s Otylia Marczuk and Ewa Bańkowska third. A fascinating battle in the velodrome await!
Men: starting with a Bang-ma
On Thursday 29 August, the tandems take to the track in the men’s 4000m B individual pursuit.
The Netherlands’ Tristan Bangma and pilot Patrick Bos took gold in Tokyo ahead of Great Britain’s Steve Bate and Adam Duggleby, with France’s Alexandre Lloveras and Corentin Ermenault third.
At the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track Worlds, Bangma and Bos set a world record in beating the Brits again, with Italy’s Lorenzo Bernard and Davide Plebani taking bronze.
Is that Dutchman ‘unstoppable’?
Next it’s the C1 3000m individual pursuit. At the 2020 Paralympics, Mikhail Astashov caught Tristen Chernove (CAN) to take gold, with Li Zhangyu (CHN) taking bronze. In Brazil, Li Zhangyu won the C1 classification.
The C2 3000m individual pursuit follows on Friday. Look out for Alexandre Léauté (FRA) who set a world record in Tokyo, beating Australia’s Darren Hicks, with China’s Liang Guihua third. The Frenchman reinforced his position with a repeat win at the 2024 UCI Worlds in Brazil… and makes no secret he wants more!
That’s followed by some British talent in the C3 3000m individual pursuit. Jaco van Gass beat his GB teammate Finlay Graham at the last Paralympics, with David Nicholas (AUS) third. At this year’s UCI Worlds it was the same 1-2.
There are two men’s 4000m individual pursuit finals on Saturday 31 August: first, in the C4 sport class.
The in-form rider three years ago in Tokyo was Slovakia’s Jozef Metelka who caught Romania’s Carol-Eduard Novak. Diego Germán Dueñas of Colombia was third. In Brazil, Britain’s young Archie Atkinson was fastest, catching Kévin Le Cunff (FRA).
Then it’s the C5 finalists lining up for the medals. The Paralympic Champion in Tokyo was Dorian Foulon (FRA), ahead of Alistair Donohoe (AUS) and Ukraine’s Yegor Dementyev. Foulon repeated the victory at the 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championship (along with the scratch race and omnium), this time catching Brazilian Lauro Chaman in the final on his home track.
Is anyone betting against the Frenchman on the boards at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines?
Para-cycling sport classes on the track
C – Cycle: conventional bike with adaptations if necessary
B – Tandem: for visually impaired athletes with sighted pilot
Group C (1-5) is divided into different sport classes, with the lower the number indicating a higher level of impairment.