MUSCAT: Omani para cyclist Sami bin Salim al Sulaimi concluded his campaign at the 2026 Challenge Breton International in France with seventh place in the overall standings of the men’s H4 handcycling class.
Al Sulaimi collected 30 points from the four rounds he contested, finishing seventh among 12 riders in the final MH4 classification.
The Omani rider began his campaign with sixth place in Landaul on August 25, completing the road race in one hour, 29 minutes and 20 seconds. He followed that result with seventh place at the Grand Prix de Plouay Para-cycling on August 27, clocking 1:49:13.
The competition then moved to Ploërmel, where Al Sulaimi finished ninth in the road race on August 29 in 1:38:30 before completing the individual time trial the following day in eighth place with a time of 30 minutes and three seconds.
His four-round programme, comprising three road races and an individual time trial, was completed under the supervision of German coach Stefan Hoffmann as part of a development plan aimed at improving his technical level and readiness for international competition.
Despite the physical demands of contesting four races in six days, Al Sulaimi completed his full programme and remained consistent throughout the event, gaining further experience against established international riders in the H4 class.
French rider Sebastien Rio topped the overall standings with four points, followed by Luxembourg’s Carlos Filipe Neves Alves with nine points and Dutch rider Dave Versluis with 10. India’s Prashant Arkal finished fourth with 16 points.
Beyond the final position, the competition provided Al Sulaimi with an opportunity to assess his physical and technical progress, develop his pacing and race-management skills and identify areas requiring further improvement.
His participation formed part of the Oman Paralympic Committee’s efforts to support Omani para athletes by providing them with opportunities to compete internationally, gain valuable experience and raise their readiness for future continental and global events.
Al Sulaimi leaves France having completed all four races he entered and secured seventh place overall, marking another positive step in his continued development on the international para-cycling circuit.
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