Three Canadians are prepared to take the stage tonight at the mens cycling road-race H3 time trial.
Alex Hyndman, Joey Desjardins, and Charles Moreau form a trio of medal hopefuls in a field of 16 total riders. All three of them are making their Tokyo debut.
H3 riders are hand-cyclists who generate power using their upper body to propel a three-wheeled cycle.
Moreau, a native of Victoriaville, Que., is the most experienced of the bunch, having won a pair of bronze medals at Rio in 2016 – including one in this event, where he finished with a time of 29:26.91.
He also has two 2015 Parapan American Games bronzes and three gold medals from various World Cup events.
Desjardins is participating in his first Paralympics and has been steadily improving his finishes at the World Championships year after year. Hailing from Hawkesbury, Ont., he most recently finished a career best ninth in 2019.
Finally, Hyndman, a 31-year-old from Morpeth, Ont., is also making his Paralympic debut after a string of successful World Championships – highlighted by a bronze in 2018.
Joining Moreau in an attempt to defend a 2016 podium finish is Austrian Walter Ablinger, who secured a silver in Rio, besting Moreau by just 0.91 seconds.
Italian Vittorio Podesta, who won gold in Rio, will not be participating.
The H3 time trial is slated to begin at 8:40 p.m. EST on Monday (9:40 a.m. Tuesday Tokyo Time).