Loïc Vergnaud, the French paracyclist, won the silver medal in the H5 individual time trial on Tuesday in Clichy-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) at the Paris Paralympic Games. Originally from Roanne (Loire), already a triple silver medalist in Tokyo, he was beaten by 2’18” by the Dutch rider, Mitch Valize. He finished 1’06” ahead of the third-place finisher, the Portuguese rider Luis Costa.
This is the ninth French medal in road paracycling, after the coronations ofAlexandre Leauté, Kevin Le Cunff et Thomas Peyroton-Dartetthe money ofHeïdi Gaugain, Elie de Carvalho et Gatien Le Rousseau, and the bronze of Florian Jouanny et Dorian Foulon.
“A huge amount of pressure on top of the spectators who came to support us”
We remember Loïc Vergnaud’s emotion when he carried the Olympic flame on June 22 in Roannein the Loire, at home. Aged 45, originally from Saint-Martin d’Estreaux, he is a member of the Roanne disabled sports club. He has already won three Paralympic silver medals in Tokyo in 2021 in time trials, road races and relays. He had suffered a work accident in 2004.
On France Bleu Saint-Étienne Loire on Tuesday morning, he told us about his preparation for the Games. “There is a lot of endurance, very long outings and shorter outings. (…) The last two months, I trained at the CREPS in Vichy. (…) After Tokyo, I am a little less intimidated.”
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