In Paris

Kenya’s blind cyclist Kennedy Ogada and pilot Oscar Dennis will be hoping for a good ending to their campaign at the Paris Paralympic Games on Friday.

The duo will compete in men’s 128km B1 road racing starting at 2pm (Kenya time).

Ogada and Dennis will be the last Kenyans to compete at the Paris Paralympics where the country had collected one medal, silver in the T37 long jump through Samson Ojuka.

Kenya was represented by 14 athletes and seven guides in five disciplines here. Ogada finished 11th in the men’s 28.3km time trial on Tuesday.

“It was a tough one for us and competition is high at this level,” said Ogada, who is making history as the first Kenyan to compete at the event. He is also the only African in the race.

“My new pilot gave his best, noting that we have been together for a few days. He has the passion and the good thing is that we finished the race,” said Ogada. “Just being in Paris is historic for me.”

Dennis, a former Kenya rugby international, came in as a replacement for Benson Mwaniki, who got injured in a road accident in Compiegne, north of Paris three weeks ago.

Mwaniki and Ogada were hit by a vehicle in training. Ogada survived unscathed.

Dennis said it was still surreal for him to compete at the Paralympic for the first time and looks forward to a fairytale end despite the tough competition.

“People have good machines and are really fast. It’s a good learning experience,” said Dennis.

Ogada and Dennis finished 11th in B1 time trial in 47 minutes and 06.47.

The race was won by Tristan Bangma and his pilot Patrick Boss from the Netherlands in 34.11.2. Home cyclists Eli de Carvalho and Mickael Giuchard took silver in 34:23.73, while Vincent Schure piloted by Timo Fransen from the Netherlands won bronze in 34:53.92.

Bangma and Schure will renew their rivalry in the road race where Schure hopes to retain his title and complete a hat-trick after his exploits in 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo.