Hayward and Gautier crowned Para cycling World Cup road champions

MANIAGO, Italy – Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B. and Shelley Gautier of Niagara Falls, Ont. were crowned season World Cup champions as Canada collected two medals at the third and last stop of the 2024 season.

Nathan Clement of West Vancouver and Charles Moreau of Victoriaville, Que. won silver and bronze in the time trial races at the season finale which concluded on Sunday.

For Clement, the reigning time trial world champion in the T1 category, he reached the podium in all three time trial events this year with two silver and the bronze. He ranked third in the category’s World Cup standings (which combines time trial and road results). He was also fifth in all three road races.

Handcyclist Moreau, a two-time Paralympic Games medallist, collected his second bronze of the season in the H3 time trial finishing just 49 seconds behind the winner Mathieu Bosredon of France. He finished fifth overall in the H3 World Cup.

Gautier was fourth in her two T1 races on the weekend, but she opened the season with two silver medals this past January in Australia and along with her four fourths it was enough to be first overall.

Hayward missed the podium by 10 seconds, finishing fourth in the men’s C3 time trial and was sixth in the road race. He reached the podium in his first three races this season including gold in Australia in the time trial to finish first overall.

‘’Wrapped up my 2nd World Cup season this weekend and I’m extremely happy to be heading home with this fancy new swag,’’ he said on his Instagram account. ‘’Today marks 100 days to the Paralympic Games in Paris so, it’s back to work in hopes of getting selected and finally getting to check the box on this Paralympic dream.’’

Also on the weekend, Paralympic medalist Keely Shaw of Midale, Sask. was sixth in the time trial less than a minute out and rolled in with the lead pack in the road race and was ranked fifth in women’s C4.