A six-strong Irish team will line out this week at the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships in Belgium, aiming to build on the successes of recent years that have firmly established Ireland as a force on the global stage.

Leading the squad are reigning World Champions Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly, who will attempt to defend their tandem titles in both the Time Trial and Road Race.

The pair are coming off a historic 2024 season in which they won double World Championship gold alongside Paralympic glory in Paris, underlining their dominance since first linking up in 2023.

Dunlevy, already one of Ireland’s most decorated para-athletes with multiple world titles alongside former pilot Eve McCrystal, transitioned seamlessly into her partnership with Kelly, and the duo have yet to be beaten at a World Championships.

They begin their campaign in the Women’s B Time Trial on Friday at 10:23 am Irish time, before returning for the Road Race on Sunday at 07:35 am.

Also returning to top-level action are Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin, who competed together at last year’s Paralympic Games. They will ride the Time Trial at 07:30 on Friday, followed by the Road Race at 07:30 on Sunday.

Ireland’s third Paralympian in Belgium is Richael Timothy, who has consistently impressed in the WC3 class. She is set for the Time Trial on Friday at 15:18 and the Road Race on Sunday at 10:05.

Completing the team is Cormac O’Callaghan, returning to World Championship action having competed in Scotland in 2023. He lines up in the MC1 Time Trial at 13:44 on Friday and the Road Race at 16:40 on Sunday.

Ireland’s para-cyclists have delivered a stream of medals on the world stage in recent years, with Dunlevy and Kelly’s golden run in 2023 and 2024 the most recent standout.

The experience and pedigree within the squad heading to Belgium mean hopes are high that more podiums could follow this week.

 

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