Belgian para-cyclists win four medals at time trial world championships
Belgian para-cyclists won four medals at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich on Tuesday. Ewoud Vromant became world champion in the C2 class, Tim Celen won silver in the T2 class and handbikers Maxime Hordies (H1) and Marvin Odent (H3) took bronze.
The day began with a gold medal for Ewoud Vromant. The 40-year-old para-cyclist became the C2 world time trial champion for the second time in his career, finishing 20 seconds ahead of Frenchman Alexandre Leauté.
Vromant, who had his right leg amputated, had previously been crowned world time trial champion in 2022. At the Paralympic Games in Paris earlier this month, Vromant won silver in both the time trial and the three-kilometre track pursuit.
"This is fantastic," said the para-cyclist after winning gold. "After Paris I was a bit disappointed, so I am relieved with this world title."
Double bronze
Soon after, Belgium won two bronze medals in handbiking, in two different classes (cyclists are divided into categories according to the severity of their disabilities, ed.). Marvin Odent took bronze in the H3 category, while Maxime Hordies won in the H1 category.
Hordies was happy with his third place and also has high hopes for Saturday's road race, which he has won three times over the years. That will be the last race of his career. "I will give everything for a fourth world championship gold on the road. It would be very nice to end like that."
Later in the afternoon, tricyclist Tim Celen put the icing on the cake with a silver medal in the T2 class. Celen, who won time trial bronze at the Paralympics, finished 34 seconds behind British winner Felix Barrow.
This brings Belgium's medal tally to eight after just four days of racing. There will be plenty more opportunities to add to this total as the World Cycling Championships continue until Sunday.
© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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