Roundup: U.S. Cyclists Took In Some French Sights Before Moving On To Zurich
Share:
by Paul D. Bowker
Every other week we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para-cycling. Here’s what you missed!
Travel Stories
The Paralympic Games Paris 2024 had barely wrapped up when a handful of U.S. cyclists arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, for the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, which were held Sept. 21-29.
For some of those athletes, that meant some extended sightseeing between competitions.
Three-time Paralympian Jamie Whitmore and family squeezed in a visit to the Normandy region of northern France, including Utah Beach, Omaha Beach and Mont-Saint-Michel.
Talk about world history.
“Utah Beach was our first visit in Normandy,” she wrote on her Instagram account. “It was one of the two beaches the U.S. landed on during D-Day. This is the 80th year since that day. Pictures of soldiers were displayed all throughout the various towns along with the American, British and Canadian flags. The weather was gloomy, which fit in with the heaviness of what went on the day the Allied Forces fought hard to help liberate France.
“Along with the beach and all the many bunkers we visited 2 museums that were pretty awesome. They really told the story of the importance of that day. You could see bullet holes in many of the items on display from tanks to helmets. There are no words for the small stories we read as we walked through. One of the key ones was a torn dollar bill. 3 friends swore to put it back together after the war ended. In 1984 2 of the 3 honored that promise but the 3rd never made it back home. They put a picture in the place of the middle section of the dollar bill.”
And here’s a look at their visit to Omaha Beach, the Overlord Museum and the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer.
“Over 9,000 graves are there honoring all the soldiers that never came home,” Whitmore posted.
Riding to Ride
After winning a gold and bronze medal at her Paralympic debut in Paris, Kate Brim went to the small commune of Nans-les-Pins in southeastern France for some riding in September before heading to Zurich for the world championships.
“The Paralympic Games have come to a close and we’ve headed south to try and settle down for a few days before world championships in Zurich,” she posted on Instagram. “Today was welcomed with lots of Vineyards and hillsides. I really enjoyed today; riding just to ride and I’ll be doing that all the way to Zurich. This route went around Nans-les-Pins and did not disappoint!”
Shortly after the trip Brim joined together with Ryan Pinney and Matt Tingley to finish sixth in the relay in Zurich. She later added gold medals in the time trial and road race. Whitmore, by the way, won a time trial silver medal and road race bronze.
For full Team USA results in Zurich, check the world championships tracker.
Championship Podium
Sometimes, two-time Paralympian Samantha Bosco reminds us, things happen.
And still, there’s a world championships podium.
“From being sick after the (Paralympic) Games to last-minute unexpected bike changes to coming this close to not saving an almost crash on one of the descents, the cards weren’t in my favor today,” she posted on Instagram, from Zurich.
“You win some, you learn from others. And sometimes you can’t help but smile on the podium watching a friend win on home soil and have the experience of a life time, knowing how it feels to zip up that rainbow jersey.”
And here’s the podium in the time trial, where Bosco won a silver medal for the first Team USA podium finish in Zurich:
Bosco, who went on to win gold in the road race, was coming off her first Paralympic gold medal when she won the women’s time trial in Paris. It goes with a pair of bronze medals she won in 2016 in Rio.
And after six weeks of travels, Bosco confirms “it feels beyond sensational” to be home.
Remembering 9/11
Ryan Pinney, a 2020 Paralympian and a U.S. Air Force veteran, went to Instagram to remember the tragedy of 9/11.
“Today, as we remember the events of 9/11, I reflect on my journey as a veteran,” he posted. “The tragedy that unfolded 23 years ago forged a path of service and sacrifice for so many of us. Honoring those we lost, I am grateful for the opportunity to have served and continue to stand strong in the face of adversity. #neverforget”
Paul D. Bowker has been writing about Olympic and Paralympic sports since 1996, when he was an assistant bureau chief in Atlanta. He is a freelance contributor to USParaCycling.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
