Cyclist Kévin Le Cunff was crowned Paralympic champion on Friday September 3 by winning the road race (category C4-C5).
Thanks to him, the French delegation won its 8th gold medal in Tokyo.
Present among a group of five riders who broke away in the first part of the race, he made a final attack two kilometers from the line to win in the pouring rain after 92.5 kilometers (average: 41 , 1 km / h).
"We finish two and I go out at two kilometers, I felt he was a bit hard," said Kévin Le Cunff.
"I came to win, even second, that didn't interest me," he said.
🚨🇫🇷 PARALYMPIC CHAMPIOOONNN!
French para cycling never stops.
It's Kevin Le Cunff's turn to become Paralympic Champion after a perfectly managed race 👊 # AllezLesBleus |
# Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/W58qUY2KDI
- France Team (@EquipeFRA) September 3, 2021
This is the 33-year-old runner's first Paralympic Games.
Former professional within the Saint-Michel Auber team between 2017 and 2019, Kévin Le Cunff even has a victory among the able-bodied in the Buckles of the Alder in 2018 in front of the ex-champion of France Arthur Vichot and Guillaume Martin, eighth in the last Tour de France.
"I had come to do two or three medals ideally but I missed the first four events, I really had to make up for the last one and that's what happened."
Born with two club feet, he underwent two arthrodesis on his ankles (blocked by operation) and retains an atrophied calf.
However, he only joined the world of disabled sports in 2020, no longer finding a professional contract.
Kévin Le Cunff took his first world podium in June at the world para cycling championships by winning a bronze medal.
Bronze for the former parachute commando
In kayaking, Remy Boullé took bronze in the 200m (KL1).
He was beaten by the Hungarian Peter Kiss and the Brazilian Luis Carlos Cardoso da Silva.
This former parachute commando in the special forces defended the interests of France in Afghanistan, Mali, Niger and even in Chad.
In 2014, the life of this soldier took a dramatic turn during operational training.
His parachute does not open and the rescue procedure does not go as planned.
He became paraplegic at the age of 26.
New medal for France 🇫🇷🥉
Remy Boullé takes bronze in the 200m KL1!
The Frenchman is beaten by the young Hungarian Peter Kiss and the Brazilian Luis Carlos Cardoso da Silva!
This is the first medal for the French canoe on these #JeuxParalympiques pic.twitter.com/0qSDzCVwCK
- francetvsport (@francetvsport) September 3, 2021
On this 10th day of competition, the French delegation now has 48 medals including 8 gold.
The goal of 35 medals has already been largely exceeded.
With AFP
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