Paralympian Nathan Clement wins second straight Para cycling world title

photo courtsey of UCI

ZURICH, Switzerland – Nathan Clement of West Vancouver, fresh from a silver medal performance at the Paralympic Games, successfully defended his world championship title in the men’s T1 (three wheel) individual time trial on Tuesday at the ICU World Championships.

Alexandre Hayward of Quispamsis, N.B., also a medallist at the Paralympics, added a bronze in the men’s C3 (conventional bike) as the time trials portion of the championships concluded.

Clement, the winner last year at the worlds in Glasgow, Scotland, took top spot in 18 minutes and 48.16 seconds over 11.3 kilometres. Giorgio Farroni of Italy was second, 85 seconds behind and Aziz Atakhodjaev of Uzbekistan was third.

Earlier this month, Clement, who turns 30 next week, competed at his first Paralympic Games as a Para cyclist (in 2016 he competed as a Para swimmer), and won the silver medal in the same event.

The 18.8 kilometre men’s C3 time trial was much closer with Hayward 4.75 seconds behind the winner. Florian Bouzian of France first in 23:30.01. Finlay Graham of Great Britain was second 2.11 back of the winner for the silver.

Hayward, 27, was fifth in the event at the Games and had won a bronze on the track in the 3000m individual pursuit in Paris. It was his first medal at the road worlds in three appearances.

Joey Desjardins of Hawkesbury, Ont., who announced this would be his last worlds, was fifth in the men’s H3 (handcycle) time trial, Desjardins took the bronze in the road race at the 2022 worlds which were held in Baie-Comeau, Que.

Three-time Paralympian Charles Moreau of Victoriaville, Que. was 12^th in the H3 event.

Maarten Duif of Carleton Place, Ont., was 10^th in the men’s H1.

For the women, Mel Pemble of Victoria was sixth in the women’s C3, Jessica Law of Vancouver  was seventh in the women’s C5 and Kara Douville of Calgary seventh in the women’s H4.

Canadian Para riders are back in action for the road races from Thursday through Saturday.