Ireland will field a 12-strong team at the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, which begin in Huntsville, Alabama today, Friday, September 4.
Nearly 400 riders from 49 countries will compete across four days at Cummings Research Park, with time trials on Friday and Saturday followed by road races on Sunday and Monday.
Ireland’s team features two women’s tandems, two men’s tandems, two solo cyclists and two handcyclists, with every Irish entry competing in both disciplines.
Leading the challenge are reigning Women’s B World Champions Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly, who have won both the time trial and road race world titles in each of the past three years.
Dunlevy is among Ireland’s most decorated Paralympians, with eight Paralympic medals, including four gold, and 12 World Championship titles across cycling and rowing.
The pair added Paralympic time trial gold and road race silver in Paris two years ago and have maintained that form through 2026, winning World Cup time trial gold in Belgium and European time trial gold in Italy, alongside bronze in the European road race.
Two-time Paralympian Richael Timothy arrives in Alabama as European road race champion in the Women’s C3 category after securing her first major road title in Italy in June. She also took European time trial bronze and has three Track World Championship bronze medals to her name.
Damien Vereker and pilot Mitchell McLaughlin will contest the Men’s B events. The partnership, together since 2023, finished seventh in the time trial and eighth in the road race at the Paris Paralympic Games and claimed World Cup road race silver in Italy earlier this season.
Allister MacSorley returns to World Championship competition in the Men’s H4 handcycle category. He was part of Ireland’s team at the 2023 Championships and this year won World Cup silver in the mixed handcycle team relay in Belgium, before finishing fifth in the European time trial and winning the Irish road race title.
Half of the Irish team will be making their Road World Championship debuts.
Sinead Greenan and pilot Alice Sharpe have enjoyed a rapid rise in their first season together, taking bronze in both events on their World Cup debut before winning European road race silver.
Sharpe brings extensive elite cycling experience, having represented Ireland on the track at the Paris Olympic Games and previously won European team pursuit bronze.
Heather Jameson will make her Para-cycling World Championship debut in the Women’s C2 class, 14 years after representing Ireland in athletics at the London Paralympic Games as a 15-year-old.
She finished fourth in both events on her Para-cycling World Cup debut this year before taking two bronze medals at the European Championships.
The Men’s B tandem of Ciaran O’Toole and pilot Con Scully will also make their World Championship debut, while Steve McGowan completes the team in the Men’s H3 handcycle class after making his World Cup and European Championship debuts earlier this year.
Irish Schedule
Ireland is six hours ahead of Huntsville.
Friday, September 4 – 20:30 Irish time
Allister MacSorley and Steve McGowan – Individual Time Trial, 29.2km
Saturday, September 5 – 16:00
Richael Timothy and Heather Jameson – Individual Time Trial, 14.6km
Saturday, September 5 – 20:15
Dunlevy/Kelly, Greenan/Sharpe, Vereker/McLaughlin and O’Toole/Scully – Tandem Individual Time Trial, 29.2km
Sunday, September 6 – 21:00
Allister MacSorley – Road Race, 69km
Sunday, September 6 – 23:30
Steve McGowan – Road Race, 69km
Monday, September 7 – 16:17
Richael Timothy and Heather Jameson – Road Race, 55.2km
Monday, September 7 – 22:15
Vereker/McLaughlin and O’Toole/Scully – Men’s B Road Race, 110.04km
Monday, September 7 – 22:17
Dunlevy/Kelly and Greenan/Sharpe – Women’s B Road Race, 96.6km
The final UCI start lists will confirm individual rollout times for the time trials.
Paralympics Ireland and Cycling Ireland are full members of Sport for Business. Lidl are partners of our Women in Sport coverage.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Paralympics Ireland
ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS
Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights.
Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.
Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practices, and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Or sign up for our Daily Sport for Business Snapshot email bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
