Charles Moreau came to Tokyo with one mission in mind – to get back on the podium.
Unfortunately for him, the 10,390-kilometer trip from Victoriaville, Que. to Tokyo may be one to forget.
A seasoned veteran, Moreau won two bronze medals at Rio 2016 — in the H3 road race and time trial. After placing 12th in the Tokyo time trial just a day earlier, the H3 road race would be his last chance to attain some hardware before heading home.
Moreau, 39, was 10th, two behind fellow countryman Joey Desjardins, who made his Paralympic debut this week.
“Very tough day, very tough games overall. I’m really disappointed and it started off on a bad note,” said. Moreau. “After 100-200 meters I started on the flat and had to do half a lap with no air up front (without a slipstream from other riders) … so the pack was already gone. I chased for three laps, caught up to two guys and that was it pretty much.”
Moreau remains Canada’s most decorated active hand-cyclist and will be heading back to Quebec soon, where the Canadian Road Championships are being held from Sept. 10-12 in Beauce.
“It’s not time to ask that question,” he laughed, when asked what his next objectives will be. “Rest. I think there’s the Canadian Championship when we get back home, but the focus was mainly on the Games this year.”
Not all of the Canadians were as disappointed with their results as Moreau was. For Desjardins, an eighth-place finish was a sign of progress.
“I’m happy with the eighth place. It’s a tough race,” he said. “I wanted to build off the time trial yesterday; in the road race I can usually gain a few spots. I’m happy I got up by a few places compared to the time trial yesterday.”
The Hawkesbury, Ont., native finished 11th in the time trial on Tuesday.
Alex Hyndman, from Morpeth, Ont., also raced. He finished one spot behind Moreau’s 10th, an improvement from his 16th-place finish in the time trial.
This wraps up Tokyo’s men’s hand-cycling. All three Canadians will be returning home to participate in the Canadian Road Championships.