Van Gass overcomes tough build-up to defend crown

Somewhere in France there’s a very relieved Renault driver as Jaco van Gass wrote the latest chapter in his improbable story.

In Tokyo he struck Paralympic cycling gold 12 years after he lost his arm in Afghanistan, when the paratrooper was ambushed by the Taliban.

And just one week before his title defence, Van Gass was left hospitalised after a training run on the roads outside Paris ended when him spinning across the tarmac when a car pulled in front of him.

“I was totally heartbroken, I was like this could be my Paralympics done before I’ve even started,” he said.

“I was so worried but I was quickly in an ambulance and in hospital and the medical teams could not have done more. I woke up the next day so stiff and sore and it was very hard to even comprehend I’d be riding.

“I wasn’t worried about the cuts but my knee was really badly bruised but within two days I was back on the bike. I did a session at the velodrome and then I knew I’d be okay, after all it was only a Renault!”

Paras are made of different stuff and Van Gass, an adventurer who has walked to both poles and is currently climbing the highest peaks on seven continents, is used to travels on the hardest roads.

However, he joked he could have done without British team-mate Fin Graham breaking his world record in qualifying, meaning he had to snatch it back just five minutes later.

The two went head-to-head in an all-British final but Van Gass had his measure to win the men’s 3000m individual pursuit title again, the first of three events he has entered at the Games.

“I think there’s a very big advantage for us as a British team, we both drive each other, that’s what keeps our hunger,” he added.

“I went to Tokyo as an underdog and won two golds and broke three world records. I’ve really put a lot of pressure on myself to retain them and I’ve got more races to come but this is a big tick in the box.”

Meanwhile, Graham is left to wonder just what he must do to beat his room mate.

“He’s just super determined and he’s incredibly hard to beat. I get his world record and boom, five minutes later he’s got it back, what can you do?” he said.

“He shows every time that he peaks at the right time. There is no hiding in this event, the strongest man wins it and that was Jaco.”

Van Gass had spoken about quitting the sport and focussing on his adventuring, admitting his unsuccessful attempt to climb Everest in 2012 is an itch that he must scratch.

Much in demand as a motivational speaker, his inspirational life story - chronicled in his book_ Unequivocal_ - is clearly still a work in progress.

“The game plan was just to become a Paralympian, it was just another challenge I set myself,” he added.

“When I stood on that podium in Tokyo and looked at those empty stands, I wanted to do it with my family here and now I have. That was a decision I made three years ago, to focus on the training and not go off on crazy adventures and stuff.

“Is it my last Games, no, no yet?”