By ANP··Amended:
RTL
After his second Paralympic title in the time trial, handbiker Mitch Valize also retained his title in the road race in the H5 class. The 29-year-old Limburger arrived solo in Clichy-sous-Bois after 56.8 kilometers. Frenchman Loïc Vergnaud took silver more than a minute later and Pavlo Bal from Ukraine took bronze.
Valize, born with an underdeveloped left leg, tried to drop the Frenchman halfway through the race, but Vergnaud came back. Another acceleration in the third of four laps was fatal.
Tim de Vries crashed early in the race and was riding at a big disadvantage. He finished fifth, six minutes behind Valize.
Chantal Haenen also fell in the women’s race and then abandoned her race. The 27-year-old from Limburg fell after entering a bend at high speed. Haenen won silver in the time trial the day before.
